User Manual

.18 Marine Owners Manual
Congratulations on your purchase of a
Pro Boat
™
.18 Marine engine! Precision
manufactured and assembled, your
Pro Boat .18 Marine engine will provide
you with trouble-free performance if you
read and follow these instructions.
Using the Proper Fuel and Glow Plug
Using the proper fuel and glow plug is
critical in order to achieve maximum
performance and reliability. You must use
fuel and glow plugs that are specifically
designed for model car/boat applications.
Never use any type of model airplane glow
fuel! Use of model airplane fuel will damage
your engine and immediately void any
warranty.
We recommend using Blue Thunder
™
or Blue Thunder Race Formula blend
fuels with 20% nitro, providing the best
combination of power and fuel economy.
Pro Boat Blue Thunder fuels are vigorously
tested, researched and formulated to deliver
excellent power as well as engine protection.
A glow plug has been included and is
ideal for breaking in your new engine. In
fact during the break-in procedure, it is
not uncommon to go through one or two
glow plugs, as microscopic bits of metal
(from the cylinder/piston wearing in) bond
themselves to the plug element causing glow
plug failure. We recommend a sport glow
plug (DYN2500) or an O’Donnell 1/10 racing
glow plug (DYN2521) as the absolute best
glow plug for this engine, delivering an ideal
balance of performance and longevity.
Carburetor Adjustments
Your Pro Boat .18 Marine engine comes
equipped with a precision rotary carburetor.
Take a moment to review the pictures below
to familiarize yourself with the various
functions of the carburetor. Loosening the
nut located on the side of the crankcase
under the carburetor body will allow you to
rotate the carburetor. Make certain to mount
the throttle arm to the side required by
your particular boat. Although preset at the
factory, some changes in the needle setting
can occur during shipping and handling. We
suggest the following settings for breaking in
your engine:
High-Speed Needle: 2
1
/
2
turns out
(counterclockwise) from closed.
Low-Speed Needle: 2
1
/
2
turns out
(counterclockwise) from closed.
When checking the adjustment of the low-
speed needle, it is crucial that the throttle
barrel is closed completely when turning
the needle and that you do not overtighten
the needle.
Use the included screwdriver to make
this job easier. When you feel resistance
in the needle, immediately stop
turning and begin turning the needles
counterclockwise, counting the number of
turns from “closed.”
Water-Cooled Engine
Because the Pro Boat .18 Marine engine
is watercooled and not air-cooled, make
sure that you do not run the engine for an
extended amount of time outside of the
water. Continuously monitor the water outlet
when the boat is running to make sure that
the water is reaching the engine head. If the
water does not reach the head to cool it, the
engine will overheat and fail. This will cause
permanent damage to the engine.
Starting Your Engine for the First Time
The Pro Boat .18 Marine engine comes
equipped with the Pro Boat Pro Mix
Carburetor. Each Pro Mix Carburetor is
pre-adjusted at the factory. This setting
should be approximately 2
1
/
2
turns open for
the high-speed and 2
1
/
2
turns open for the
low-speed needle. This should give you a
slightly “rich” mixture of fuel to the engine.
This setting is the safest way to break in
your engine.
The first start of your engine is the most
critical time of the engine’s life, dictating
how well it will perform. After installing the
engine in your model and inserting the glow
plug, turn on your radio system and attach a
glow igniter to the glow plug.
When using a recoil starter, never pull the
rope out to its full length, as doing so may
cause damage and recoil starter failure.
Quick, short pulls of the recoil starter are
the best technique to use. Never extend the
starter rope more than 12 inches.
Should the pull starter be extremely difficult
to pull (will not extend out of the assembly),
the engine may be flooded (hydro-locked).
Excess fuel between the cylinder head and
piston will not allow the piston to travel
through its full range of compression,
effectively “locking up” the engine. Should
this occur, immediately remove the glow
igniter from the plug. Using a glow plug
wrench (DYN2510), remove the glow
plug and turn the model upside down.
Give the recoil starter a few short pulls to
clear out the fuel, re-install the glow plug
and start again.
You may need to “blip” the throttle on the
transmitter (applying throttle on/off) while
trying to start the engine, as new engines are
more difficult to start due to the tight piston/
cylinder fit. Never start an engine above 1⁄4
throttle. Immediate damage to your engine
can occur!
When the engine starts, the exhaust should
emit blue/ white smoke, indicating that the
engine is excessively rich (a good thing
during break-in). During the first tank of
fuel, you may wish to set a higher than
normal idle speed and/or leave the glow plug
igniter attached in order to keep the engine
from stalling. Drive the boat around while
“blipping” the throttle and avoid operating
the engine at full throttle for more than 2–3
seconds at a time. Consume the entire first
two tanks of fuel in this manner.
After the first two tanks of fuel, begin leaning
out the high-speed needle valve 1/8 turn at
a time. It generally takes about 5 or 6 tanks
of fuel before you’d want to start tuning for
“maximum” power. Do not skip this process
of breaking in a new or rebuilt engine!
Should you choose not to follow these
procedures, you risk damaging your engine
during the first tank of fuel.
Your patience during these procedures will
be rewarded by an engine that performs
reliably and to its maximum power potential.
First run attempts can be more frustrating
than with other (less powerful) sport
engines, so take your time—it will be worth
the wait!
Richer
High-Speed
Needle Valve
Leaner
Low-Speed
Needle Valve
Higher Idle
Idle Adjustment
Screw