Running and Maintance for Tunnel Boats

[Blake Sabo]

I recently picked up a Leecraft B Mod Tunnel Boat Friday nite. Its RTR, just need to put the Radio System in it. We were talking about maintance about these boats. But i alse need to know what i need to run this boat. So heres my questions:

1. What do i use to start the engine? The seller said something about a Plane Starter, but ill need to reverse the polarity. Is this true?

2. What do i need to use to get fuel in the tank? It doesnt look like theres a cap to unscrew that i can put my fuel bottle in.

3. What glow plug do you guys recommend for a K&B Mod Engine? Hot or Cold?

4. What do you recommend to seal the plexiglass on the Radio Box? Will regular tape work?

5. What do you guys do yo your boats maintance wise?

And finally, what radio settings should i start with? Like throttle, steering, and 3rd needle settings?

Thanks for your time,

Blake

 

[camaroboy383]

I recently picked up a Leecraft B Mod Tunnel Boat Friday nite. Its RTR, just need to put the Radio System in it. We were talking about maintance about these boats. But i alse need to know what i need to run this boat. So heres my questions:
1. What do i use to start the engine? The seller said something about a Plane Starter, but ill need to reverse the polarity. Is this true?

2. What do i need to use to get fuel in the tank? It doesnt look like theres a cap to unscrew that i can put my fuel bottle in.

3. What glow plug do you guys recommend for a K&B Mod Engine? Hot or Cold?

4. What do you recommend to seal the plexiglass on the Radio Box? Will regular tape work?

5. What do you guys do yo your boats maintance wise?

And finally, what radio settings should i start with? Like throttle, steering, and 3rd needle settings?

Thanks for your time,

Blake

Yes a plane starter with the rubber insert in the end of the pulley. As far as reversed polarity just hook the starter up backwards, neg. to pos. Pos. To neg..

You can either buy a pump to pump the fuel into the tank or you can use a bulkhead water fitting through the cap of a quart fuel bottle, put a piece of fuel tubing on the fitting and just turn the bottle over and squeeze to dispense.

To fill it just pull the carb side fuel line and hook your filling supply to that.

Would have to say either k&b 1L(hot) or k&b hp(cold)

Get some good clear 3m tape for the radio box lid. Regular scotch tape will work for maybe 1 tank of fuel if that so get somthin good.

As far as maintenance, just be sure to pull the tape off the radio box so it can dry and wont condensate while sitting.if you have a hatch in the hull same gig, pull it after a days run to let the hull dry out.after run oil the engine well, and pull the flex cable to grease it after a days run also.

Start with the throttle barrel at about 1/16" open at idle,be sure you can close the barrel completely when hitting the throttle to the brake side without binding.

No real setting for steering, make it so the trim is zero'd and the engine is tracking straight.

Have no experience with 3rd channel needles, but a good start with the high speed needle setting would be around 2 1/2 to 3 turns out.

Alden

 

[Scott Wadlow]

I recently picked up a Leecraft B Mod Tunnel Boat Friday nite. Its RTR, just need to put the Radio System in it. We were talking about maintance about these boats. But i alse need to know what i need to run this boat. So heres my questions:
1. What do i use to start the engine? The seller said something about a Plane Starter, but ill need to reverse the polarity. Is this true?

2. What do i need to use to get fuel in the tank? It doesnt look like theres a cap to unscrew that i can put my fuel bottle in.

3. What glow plug do you guys recommend for a K&B Mod Engine? Hot or Cold?

4. What do you recommend to seal the plexiglass on the Radio Box? Will regular tape work?

5. What do you guys do yo your boats maintance wise?

And finally, what radio settings should i start with? Like throttle, steering, and 3rd needle settings?

Thanks for your time,

Blake

Blake,

I fully recommend that you go to a lake where there are experienced boaters your first couple of times out so you can get your boat lined out and you don't hurt the engine or have other issues that will ruin your day.........believe me this can and will happen. If you are in Lil Nashville come to Frank Holten State Park in East St. Louis (not a great part of town but a good lake with great people) on just about any given Sunday and the ST. Louis Thunder boaters will be there and will help you out with anything that you need. I travel a lot but I plan on being there in the next few weeks my self to get tuned for the 09 race season and I run a lot of tunnels and will help you get set up and running. I am pretty sure that I know the boat that you have and it is a good running tunnel. To answer some of your questions.......

1. What do i use to start the engine? The seller said something about a Plane Starter, but ill need to reverse the polarity. Is this true? A 12 volt airplane starter will work fine for this boat. Yes you need to reverse the polarity ( make sure the motor is turning so the prop spins counter clock wise.

2. What do i need to use to get fuel in the tank? It doesnt look like theres a cap to unscrew that i can put my fuel bottle in. You will need to get a manual or 12 volt fuel pump and you fill the tank from the fuel line that runs to the carb.

3. What glow plug do you guys recommend for a K&B Mod Engine? Hot or Cold? Hot

4. What do you recommend to seal the plexiglass on the Radio Box? Will regular tape work? Use a 3M clear tape. You can by Aquacraft radio box tape from Tower Hobby. This is very important as you need to keep you electronics dry and it is not a matter of if you flip a tunnel hull but when.

5. What do you guys do yo your boats maintance wise? Before you run do a radio test and oil the prop shaft. Make sure everything is tight and the boat is ready for the water. After running you need to drain all the fuel pull the glow plug and spray WD-40 through the carb while spinning the engine with the starter. Nitro attracts moisture and will rust bearings and anything metal internal. then reinstall the glow plug lube the shaft again and make sure the motor is not on TDC. Open the radio box and check for moisture (dry it out if wet and find out why it is wet) leave the lid off so it can get air.

And finally, what radio settings should i start with? Like throttle, steering, and 3rd needle settings? When trimming your radio, setting the throttle, you want to make sure that you have full throttle but more important you want to make sure that your carb CLOSES all the way so you can kill the engine when you want to. You dont need much steering to turn a tunnel so I recommend about 50% throw for the fist time or 2 out until you get a feel of the way you drive, and make sure that it is centered by looking at it so it drives straight. This setting can be fine tuned when the boat is in the water. The third channel, (with out a flow meter) you will need to fire the engine and listen to it, launch it rich and use the third channel to lean it and bring it to where you are happy with it. With a flow meter and that set up I recommend about 41/2 lbs and tune from there.

If you have any other questions please feel free to give me a call. If you cant go to a lake with experienced boaters call me while you are at the lake if you are having issues. I can be reached 24hrs a day @ 314-954-7015 or 618-670-9594.

thanks, good luck and happy boating!!!!!!!!!