AquaCraft Miss Vegas R/C Boat

U-18 Miss Vegas Tuning and Tech Tips

Tech Tips from 7-time IMPBA International Champion Michael "Grimracer" Zaborowski.

Look for the "Grimracer Says" in bold text for expert tips from Grimracer himself.

Preparing the boat for operation and pre-run check list:
Using the provided 10mm and 15mm wrenches, loosen the cable coupler and remove the cable. Make sure there is adequate grease on the shaft. Reinstall the cable and tighten the cable coupler, making sure it is tight. To check that you have the shaft tight, place a rag over the prop and pull firmly on the shaft/prop.

It is also a good idea to get in the habit of using a pre-run check list:

Bolts, nuts and cable coupler are tight
The plug is working and glowing bright orange.
There is fuel in the tank
Prop nut is tight
The start area is clear of bystanders and your start area is free of rags and other loose objects
The water is clear of any debris, stalled boats or people
Have your safety glasses on

"Grimracer Says"
RC boating is best when shared with a friend and safest if you have a boating companion. A good friend with a RC boat can make model boating a lot more fun and help keep you safe in the event of an accident. Also: Safety glasses are a good idea when running your boat and NEVER EVER swim for a dead boat. If you use a man-carrying retrieve boat (blowup raft, johnboat or other) please use a PFD (personal floatation device).

Engine break-in:
Breaking in the engine on your new boat properly provides better power and longer engine life. The best way we have found to break in a new engine is to run the first two tanks rich enough that the boat is running slow at full throttle. The high-speed needle valve should be turned out about 2-1/2 to 3 turns out. After the first two tanks start leaning the engine out (turn the needle clockwise) 1/8 turn. Start the boat and make another lap or two. The boat should go faster and the engine should start to clean out. If it does not, bring the boat in and turn the needle clockwise another 1/8 turn. Continue this until the engine gets on the pipe and is running fast, not lean but fast. Run the next two tanks at this setting as it will allow the engine to warm up and help seat the running parts. "Grimracer Says"....Do not run your engine overly rich for more than 2 full tanks. Doing so can prematurely wear the engine internal parts out by not allowing the engine to reach proper operating temperature.

Engine Tuning:

High Speed:
Tuning your engine for optimum performance is not as hard to do as one might think. Listen to the sound the engine makes as the boat is running. It should have a nice, clear sound with no sagging or burbling. When the boat is running, does your engine have slow throttle response with lots of burbling? The engine is likely rich. The engine is getting too much fuel for the amount of air it,s ingesting. Remember, with your boat out of the water you cannot hold the throttle open for more than a short moment or you could damage the engine. If the air/fuel mixture is lean, the engine will sag as the boat rounds the corner. Make sure you bring the boat in and richen the mixture to avoid damage to the engine. Heat is your enemy here and will ruin a good engine if you are not careful. "Grimracer Says"....Listen to the boat as it goes around the corners. If the engine "sags," the high-speed setting is too lean. If the engine speeds up, the setting is too rich. Remember, rich is the safe side of the setting.

Low Speed:
To set the low speed, the engine must be fully broken in and the high speed set for good engine operation. With the boat running, try to maintain the best idle you can and keep the boat running. You might have to blip the throttle to keep the engine running. Now pinch the fuel line that is supplying the carburetor. Does the engine take a long time to clear out, speed up and then die? If so, your low speed setting is too rich and you will need to turn the low speed needle clockwise 1/8 turn and try again.You know the low speed needle will be set right when you pinch the line and the engine speeds up for around 4 to 5 seconds and then quits. "Grimracer Says"....If the engine seems to be running well and you slow down and the engine quits, the low speed needle is too lean. Richen it up in 1/8 turn steps until the boat will slow down and get back on the pipe after you give the boat full throttle. Keep in mind it can take a few seconds for the boat to get back on the pipe.

Fuel Selection:
When selecting a fuel for your boat, select a high-quality fuel. The nitro content you use can make a huge difference in the way your boat operates.Your AquaCraft .18 engine can handle nitro contents up to 65%. Feel free to shop around when it comes to fuel but we feel long engine live and fantastic performance are just as important as cost. "Grimracer Says"....I highly recommend O'Donnell boat fuels. O'Donnell fuel is second to none in both engine performance and bearing life.

Hardware Adjustments:
Your Miss Vegas hydro has an adjustable rudder, strut and turn fin. You can optimize the performance of your hydro by adjusting your hardware as listed below.

Rudder:
Tilting the bottom of the rudder back (away from the transom) will cause the prop to run higher out of the water in the corners. Tucking it under will cause the boat to lower the prop in the water. "Grimracer Says".....You know you have a good rudder adjustment when your boat's engine does not change a lot of RPM as the boat rounds the corner. Remember do not confuse loss of RPM with a lean engine run. A lean engine run can also cause the motor to sag in the corners. Take the time to learn what to listen for.

Strut:
You can raise or lower the strut in or out of the water. Adjusting the strut down lifts the transom of the boat further off the water, this in turn helps keep the boat from blowing over but causes it to run slower and use more engine power. Lifting the strut can cause the boat to run faster and looser, making the boat susceptible to a blow over. Tilting the back of the strut down (negative angle) will cause the boat to run tighter on the water and can also cause the front of the boat to dig in as it's skipping over the water. The opposite will result if you pull the strut back (positive angle).

Turn fin:
Tilting the turn fin to a negative angle (tuck under) even a small amount can cause the front of the boat to run light in the straightaway. It can also cause the boat's right sponson to lift out of the water as the boat corners. If your boat runs tight to the water or does not look as if is floating on a cushion of air as it rounds the corner, you might want to run your turn fin tucked under. Tilting the turn fin to a positive angle (pull back) will tighten the boat up on the water. If your boat is running loose you might want to adjust the fin this way. Having your boat run too tight can slow the boat down. "Grimracer Says"....Just make small adjustments at a time.Your turn fin plays a very important part in the handing of your boat.

Pickling (cleaning the water and fuel out of the engine):
It is very important to properly "pickle" your motor after a day of running. "Grimracer says"....Do not skip this step PERIOD. It is very easy to do and in the long run makes your boating a lot more fun. I like to unbolt the engine from the boat to pickle it. However, if you want you can leave the engine in the boat. Just remember to clean any oil that might collect in the inside of the hull. Remove the glow plug and undo the coupler for the flex cable. Remove the flex shaft from the boat and set it aside. I like to unbolt the header and remove the engine from the boat. "Grimracer says"....Turn the engine over by hand to see if it turns over smooth. It's OK if the engine is a tad tight as the piston reaches the top. It's a rough feel that you want to look for. If your engine bearings are getting rough you have a better chance of learning this now than before they start to cause you operating problems. Try to make this a habit and do this each time you remove the engine from the boat.

Using a good grade after run oil like Hobbico After Run engine oil, pour about a half a ounce down the glow plug hole. Make sure you have a rag handy and hold the engine, making sure you have the rag covering the glow plug hole, carburetor and exhaust outlet. Slowly turn the engine over using the pull start.Your goal is to coat all the internal parts of the engine with oil. Make sure you remove as much of the oil as you can and re-install the glow plug.

Cleaning:
With the engine out of the boat place a few drops of dishwashing liquid inside the boat. Using a small 1" wide paint brush and some water (pond water works quite well) scrub the inside of the boat to remove any engine oil and grease that collected in and around the engine area. I like to scrub the outside of the boat in this manner too. Rinse out the inside of the boat and dry off. "Grimracer Says"....You can purchase a plant or deck sprayer at the local hardware store and use it as a mobile pressure sprayer for your boat. I also like to spray a general purpose cleaner on the outside of the boat and clean it. If you like, you can wax the boat – just be careful and do not wax the bottom of the boat as this can slow your boat down and cause it to handle poorly.

Prop Choices:
The prop that came with your hydro is about the best overall prop for daily running. If your prop has a ding or chip in a blade, you need to replace it with a new one before you run the boat again. If you want to step it up and try your hand at even more performance try a metal prop. Octura makes a Y-535 beryllium copper that will work very well on your sport hydro. "Grimracer Says"....Please heed any warning labels that come with the prop. Take your time sharpening and balancing the prop using a good prop balancer and lots of elbow grease. Please do not run any metal prop without first sharpening and balancing it. Failure to do so will not only slow the boat down but possibly break driveline parts. Also note that the metal props can place more load on your engine and driveline possibly shortening the life of your hardware.

If you like, Octura offers other props with .125 bore sizing but caution must be taken that you do not use one that is too small or too large for the power your engine makes. Stick with a prop that is around 35mm diameter. Also watch for high performance props from AquaCraft/GrimRacer....coming soon.

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