Specifications

The High-Speed Needle
The “high-speed” needle is sticking up from the side of
the carb. It is located in the brass housing, just above
the fuel inlet. It controls the fuel to air mixture of the
carb. The needle is pre-set for break-in from the
factory at 3 turns out from the fully closed position of
the carb. Once the engine is broken-in, the high-speed
needle would typically run from 2-1/2 to 3 turns out
from closed, depending on the weather, humidity and
altitude above sea level. To richen turn the needle
counterclockwise, to lean turn the needle clockwise.
The Low-Speed Needle
The “low-speed” needle is the screw in the carb body,
opposite the throttle arm. It controls the fuel to air
mixture at low throttle settings. There is a simple way
of adjusting the low-speed needle correctly called the
“pinch test.” With the engine at idle, pinch the fuel line
and listen to how the engine speeds up or slows down.
If the engine increases its speed for about 2 or 3
seconds and then loses speed, the needle is set
correctly. If the engine loses RPM quickly, it is set too
lean and the low-speed needle needs to be opened
(counterclockwise) to richen the mixture. Pinch again
to check the mixture. If the engine takes longer than 4
seconds to slow down, lean (clockwise) the low-speed
needle and then pinch again to check the mixture.
The Throttle Stop Screw
On the front of the carburetor, there is a black screw.
This is called the idle stop screw. This increases or
decreases the idle RPM without changing the fuel to
air mixture. The barrel should be approximately
1.5mm (between 1/32" and 1/16") from fully closed.
To insure long life and good performance from your
Torq .21 engine, you MUST break-in the engine. The
break-in period is critical for long life of the internal
parts of the engine. This should be done over the first
5 or 6 tanks of fuel. Be sure to watch the engine tuning
video that came with this kit.
Some Things To Remember During Break-In:
1. Run with the body off. This will keep the engine cooler.
2. Keep the air cleaner on at ALL times.
3. Run on a smooth, hard surface. An empty parking
lot is perfect.
4. Use the same fuel that you will use for normal running.
5. Resist the urge to accelerate and decelerate the
buggy quickly.
6. Break-in puts stress on the glow plug and you can
burn it out during break-in. Make sure you have an
extra plug or two on hand.
7. Do NOT overheat the engine. You can check the
head temperature by using one of the temperature
gauges that are available or by putting a drop of
water on the top of the cylinder head. If the water
boils away immediately, shut off the engine and
allow it to cool. If it takes more than 10 seconds to
boil away, the engine is at proper running
temperature for break-in.
Before running the engine, read the manual and watch
the engine video that came with this kit.
There are several simple steps to starting the engine:
1. Install a glow plug if one is not in your engine. This
threads into the top of the cylinder head.
2. Fill the tank almost to the top. Leave a little air at the
top of the tank.
3. Prime the engine by turning the flywheel on the
engine. Watch the fuel go through the line and
when it gets to the carburetor, turn the flywheel one
more full revolution.
4. Open the high speed needle valve exactly 3 turns
out (counterclockwise) from fully closed. The
high-speed needle is sticking up from the
carburetor inside the brass housing. All of the
carburetor settings are adjusted with a flat bladed
screwdriver. If you have previously run the buggy,
keep the same needle valve setting that you used
on your last run.
5. Start the engine by pulling the recoil - Use short,
quick pulls. DO NOT pull the recoil starter’s string to
the end. You only need 10 to 12 inches of pull to
start the engine.
RUNNING THE ENGINE
BREAKING IN THE ENGINECARBURETOR SETTINGS
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