Odd starting issues

[mknabster]

I have been having some issues in starting my T-Maxx 3.3 lately, i don't know if it's because of the cold weather, even though i leave it inside. But one day i had it running just fine for about half a tank, i bought a glow plug ignitor to take some stress off the EX starter which never did the job right before, and it didn't have a problem starting, and it ran great. Then i transported it back to school with me, kept it in my room, and took it out one nice day, in the mid 50s, and was able to go through another half tank, until it flipped and turned off, and it started to rain so i stopped for that day.

Now i'm trying to get it back up, and i can't get it started at all. When i plug the EZ starter in with the glow plug ignitor, the engine cranks then locks up, so it seems like i need to press the EZ starter in intervals for, but it keeps locking up. Then after doing this for a minute, my EZ starter battery dies, which it never lasted long in the first place. But what could the problem be? I did try putting new gas in there, resetting the idle needle, nothing seems to help. Any ideas? Thanks

[LeadFootedRacer]

Pull the glow plug and crank the motor with the truck on its side, and the fuel line disconnected. Sounds like its flooded.

[mknabster]

Just to make sure, how do i disconnect the fuel line? Do you mean to literally pull the line out or stop it with the red plug? If you mean to put it out completely, where do i pull it from?

[outlawbrett]

where the fuel line goes into the carb.

[LeadFootedRacer]

You want to eliminate any more fuel flowing into the engine while you are "clearing it out". I usually just pull the line of the muffler so the compression doesnt pump any more fuel in.

[Wildman4910]

Just to make sure, how do i disconnect the fuel line? Do you mean to literally pull the line out or stop it with the red plug? If you mean to put it out completely, where do i pull it from?

If your truck has the red fuel line clip then just use it to pinch the line when clearing a flooded engine out.

There is no "Idle Screw", there is the LSN & Idle gap screw, if you messed with the Idle gap screw you will need to reset the Idle gap to 1mm, you can use a #60/#61 drill bit shank to set the Idle gap.

Idle Gap Screw


Idle Gap, set to 1mm

[mknabster]

Ok here's an update, I was able to unplug the fuel line as said to, and it was flooded, so i emptied that out and put it back together. Now i can get the truck to start, but as soon as i take off the glow plug ignitor, it shuts off. The only way i can get it to move is leave the ignitor on and give it gas, then take it off, but as soon as i let go of the throttle, it shuts off. So right now it won't idle at all. I thought that the glow plug might be shot, so i took it out and tested it, it's glowing fine, but i put another in to make sure. As soon as i did, now it went back to doing what it did before, crank then lock up. So put the old back in, and crank then lock up, so i'm back to square one now. Oh and i did reset the idle screw too back to default and tried bringing it out every half turn to see if it would idle, but no luck there.

[LeadFootedRacer]

I would reset the carb to factory settings. Sounds likr the tune is too rich.

[mknabster]

I did do that, but it still is acting the same

[boydsc331]

if you reset the idle screw and then brought it out form there that would lower the idle. try screwing it in a little. but i also agree it sounds way to rich if it locks up like that. do you maybe have the low speed mixture screw and the idle screw confused ? the low speed mixture screw is in the end of the carburetor slide where the rubber boot is, and the idle screw is in the carburetor body on the oppisite side. usually its silver. but to raise the idle you would screw the idle screw in.

[mknabster]

I might have it confused then. I thought the idle screw was the black flat head screw that's in front of the engine and exposed when the body is on. I don't believe i have ever touched the other one ever.

[LeadFootedRacer]

Thats your high speed needle...

[mknabster]

Oh ok, i'll try messing with that then. So for that to be 1mm, how many turns would i need to do to reset it?