glow plug starter

[T_Pot]

I have just been given a petrol 4wd rc car, it has no radio control or glow plug starter (the plug is there, just no starter)

I have found a radio that is on the same channel, and would like to see if it starts before i spend anything on it

is there a way to start it without the plug heater?

[Big Al.]

Back in the old days we just used a 9V battery.

[T_Pot]

Big Al. said:

Back in the old days we just used a 9V battery.

how do i do it mate?

[Big Al.]

We used a small 9v battery, one of those ones with a + and - terminal on one end. Use a plug with the two wires Neg to engine earth and plus wire to top of plug.

Hope that makes sence?

[Andyuk911]

Sorry Al, no R/C Glow Engine has ever used above 2volts ... typically 1.5v to 2v

[GreenV8S]

Do you really mean petrol, or has it got a 2 stroke running on nitromethanol?

If you have a glow plug it will almost certainly be nitro. Make sure you use the right fuel because petrol in a nitro engine is not going to have a happy ending.

If you have a glow plug you have several options to power it. There are standard 12v regulators that you connect to a car battery and provide a current limited supply to the glow plug. Often these have a way to adjust the power output and you turn them up until the plug is glowing bright but not so far it burns out. Alternative you can by a hefty 1.5V dry cell battery. You can get a standard cheap and nasty connector that looks rather like a crocodile clip that hooks onto the heat sink fins on the head, and connects to the glow plug. Or you can spend a bit more money and get a better connector that looks a bit like a long socket that clips onto the plug. Or you can just wrap a bit of wire round the plug or connect it with a chop block etc just to bodge a connection. If you're going to use it much it's worth spending money making it easy to start, but if you just want to see whether it runs there are umpteen ways to do it at no cost.

[Mikey G]

Dont use a 9v battery or you'll need a new glow plug rather quickly!

Without a proper glow clip you are likely to have a rather frustrating time trying to hold wires onto the plug and pulling the thing over for it to fire at the same time.

[Big Al.]

Andyuk911 said:

Sorry Al, no R/C Glow Engine has ever used above 2volts ... typically 1.5v to 2v

I normally talk bks and on this occasion it appears to be the norm. 1.5 to 2V does seem to ring a bell!

Probably why I couldn't get the bds started!

And another reason I went electric!

[Tino]

Glow starters are pretty cheap on ebay.
User Boltonmodelmart had some at a fiver a few days ago.
Alternatively, if you are local to NW london, feel free to pop by.