Pull Start Help

[SUH Racing]

Hello all,

I have my first issue. Went to go start my Baja and the pull start isn't turning the engine over at all. In looking inside without taking anything apart the pull start isn't even touching the anything.

I took it apart, 4 screws no problem and it looks like the center doesn't reach the pull starter.

I'm stumped? Did a part come out?

Please help.





Best regards,
Greg

[cy101432]

It's due to the grease being like glue.
Whilst its apart, undo the gold screw in the middle, pull it apart carefully, and wipe it clean of grease.
Put back together- note the washer under gold screw has a square hole, make sure it seats properly, and make sure you put the little wing washer on the right way. There is a coil spring under these washers, don't lose it.
It's pretty easy.
Then it'll work fine.
If it fails to catch in the future, after doing this, then just tip the Baja onto its right side, starter facing up, and give starter housing a couple of taps, that sorts it.

Hope that helps you.

[SUH Racing]

Ok I'm going to run down stairs and give it a shot. Considering I can't sleep right now and it is driving me crazy I'll go give it a shot.

Thanks and will let you know soon.

Greg

[RC_King]

Mine pack it in yesterday after driving it in sand for the first time and I had to take it apart and clean it out and today it did the same thing. I have made a filter up for the intake but sand still gets in over the top and will be hard to find anything that will stop the sand getting in.
I really cant believe HPI did not pick up this problem as they had almost a year of fine tuning after they first showed the concept model and should have come up with a fix. The same goes for the rear air intakes and the way they suck in all the crap and the fact HPI ignored the problem and seem to have gone for looks over function. I know HPI read look at this forum so common HPI and fix these silly problems and then offer a fix to people like me who have forked out the money for them already.

[SUH Racing]

cy101432,

Thank your so very much for your tip. Worked like a charm, then I got really motivated and fixed my Hellfire. I have 2 cars to run tomorrow...

Thanks again,
Greg

[cy101432]

No worries, happy to have helped.
I, like most people, have been on here anticipating Baja for a while.
Others got theirs before me, so I read up on little problems and fixes.
I knew of this before I got mine.
My starter played up on me, so, being the tinkering type, I ripped it apart and fixed it.
Just gotta get me some graphite powder now.
This is like a dust type of lube, a dry lube. So you can use it to lube the starter, without putting wet/damp shit in there.
Graphite Lube is mostly for locks.

[SUH Racing]

cy101432,

Well today was just awesome! My next door neighbor and I ran our new Baja's almost all day!

We both ran into the pull starter problem. I had to take mine apart again and his was acting up.

I blew my right rear tire! Damn! Was the funnist thing seeing the hard foam flying every where.. Now the bad part... Need a new tire.

I'm going to see if I can find that powder around here. This pull start issue is just aweful! and really not happy.

Keep in touch.

Greg

[Timmahh]

i ll show you guys a good item to use in a day or two, my buggy will be here Wed, and tomorrow i m going over to chat with a buddy of mine. when i get back, if hes got what i need, i ll post up a few pics with the idea to keep the sand out as well as most the water from the ps area.
you can get the dry lube at any auto parts store like autozone or the like
Timmahh

[SUH Racing]

Timmahh,

Do you know what the dry lub is called?

Greg

[Jim]

If you really dont want to bother getting graphite lube at a store, you can use a pencil and key and just grind down the graphite in the pencil over the area that you need the dry lube.

a pencil is basically compressed graphite wrapped in wood. It is an excellent lube for when your key dosent slide easily into the lock! :arrow:

[RC_King]

My problem is over here its a really sandy place and you end up having no choice but to drive it on sand and even a minute of this stuffs the pull starter up. HPI needs to really look at this and offer a fix as its crap for what is made to be an off roader. I took mine apart yet again last night but this time while tapping the crap out made the spring pop out from the back and its not going to be easy to rebuild it. Im going to be making a roto type starter for it now and stuff the crap pull starter.

[Modified RC]

I had an old pre-filter made by Outerwears, it was for my quad. I cut and glued it to the outside of the pull start vents, now only the very small dust gets in there, it's working real good.

[ridered]

HPI did not make the motor so what is the point of bitching at them if you never owned a large scale rc then you would not know this a problem with just about everyone of them. All these weedeater motor are made using the same type of pull starter and are all pices of shit in the sand and really dusty area's. Your best bet on fixing it is using that outerware cloth or foam with a little filter oil on it.

[jeepfreak1972]

I run in sand dunes alot and there is minimal starter problems if you remove all grease with mineral spirits and put in graphite powder.

[USABaja5]

You can also get the graphite at any locksmith. I have several bottles left over from an old job that made keys.

[jknust]

I was in Home Depot and bought a 12-pack of "Electro-Static Return Vent Filters".... I fold one in half, and it cups perfect around the pull start vents and the body holds it in place. Doesn't seem to restrict air flow any.

http://www.nextag.com/vent-filter/search-html

BTW, if any of these solutions do restrict air flow too much - does the engine auto-cutoff, before damage can occur, if it overheats?

I'm also running the Zenoah Synthetic oil - it has "ZX-7" additive that some places advertise will cause your engine to cut-off before it gets too hot.... not sure how/if that really works?

[boilermaker13]

I removed the pull starter from the engine to clean off the grease and apply graphite. What's the trick to get the flat coil spring wound back up? I messed with that for an hour with no luck.

[twisty]

another hour should do it :wink: sorry.

[CrewDawg]

I actually paid a small engine repair $5 to fix it and after that i vowed to never take that screw out and pull it apart. I only take the four screws out and take the entire pull starter assembly off and then blowing it all out with my air compressor. Then all I do is shoot it with a little WD-40. Don't lose your religion over it.

[TurtleRacing]

All you have to do Is untie the rope while holding the disc & let it slowly unwind, after that it comes right apart with no problems.