9-6-2022
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Thank
you for choosing the K&B .18 size marine engine.
All K&B engines are designed for highest power output
and easy tuning.
All K&B engines include crankshafts supported by double
ball bearings, ABC type piston and cylinder technology, and
superior quality. All K&B engines are manufactured on
computerized manufacturing equipment to ensure every engine
is of exacting quality.
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SPECIFICATIONS
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Bore
& Stroke |
16.4 mm x 13.5 mm --- 0.646" x 0.531"
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Displacement |
3
ccm --- .18 cu. in.
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Weight |
7.95
oz.
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Crankshaft
thread |
5
x .8 mm
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Crankshaft
bearing |
double
ball bearing
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Connecting
rod type |
super
alloy bronze bushing both ends
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Piston/cylinder
type |
aluminum
piston, brass cylinder with hard plating
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Carburetor |
single
needle rotating barrel with preset idle mixture
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Porting
type |
Schnuerle
ports with boost port
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Glow
Plug |
K&B
1L Standard Long
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Horsepower |
1.15
with tuned pipe & 30% nitro
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Practical
RPM range |
2,500
~ 28,000
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Max
RPM |
32,000
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Prop
size |
Prather
Prop 215
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Recommended
fuel |
10~30%
nitro (minimum 18% oil by volume)
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Warranty |
1
year limited warranty against defects.
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Pull
starter |
included
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Muffler/pipe |
not
included
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PLEASE READ
THESE INSTRUCTIONS COMPLETELY TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF
WITH THE FEATURES AND OPERATION OF YOUR NEW K&B ENGINE.
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CAUTION
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K&B engines will constantly
give you dependable performance and reliability and will
be a source of satisfaction and pleasure if you follow these
instructions as to the engine's proper care and tuning.
You are responsible
for the safe operation of your engine, so act sensibly and
with care at all times. This K&B model engine is not a
toy. It is a precision-built machine whose power is capable
of causing serious injury to yourself and others if abused,
misused, or if you fail to observe proper safety
precautions when using it.
Never use any other
fuel in your engine other than glow fuels specifically designed
for use in model boat engines. NEVER use any other
types of fuel as these can cause severe damage to the engine,
or personal injury. NEVER use gasoline!
Never operate your
model on any lakes, ponds, or ocean that could interfere with
full size marine operations. This could cause accidents, personal
injury, or property damage.
Glow engines produce
exhaust gases that are poisonous and can be dangerous to your
health. It is important that you operate your engine outdoors
only.
Before starting
the engine, make sure the throttle arm is set to the
idle position. Starting the engine at any setting above idle
can cause the engine to over-rev and become damaged.
When the engine
is running, there are parts that rotate at high speed. Be
careful not to touch any hot or moving parts. Serious injury
could result.
It is normal for
an engine to get very hot during operation, especially
the cylinder head and muffler or tuned pipe. Never touch the
engine or muffler assembly during or soon after running, they
could be very hot and can cause serious burns.
Model engines vibrate
when they are running. Periodically check all the engine screws,
mounting screws, muffler screws, and other assemblies to ensure
they are tight. Running the engine with loose screws
can lead to severe engine and/or hull damage.
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CARBURETOR
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The carburetor on your engine
is pre-installed at the factory, however, you may need
to remove/replace it, so read the following:
The carburetor is
held in place using two screws. To replace the carburetor
back into the engine, slide the base of the carburetor into
the crankcase. Be careful to keep the carburetor perpendicular
to the front of the engine. Push down on the carburetor firmly
with your thumb so the base of the carburetor fits completely
into the crankcase and the carburetor neck O-ring seals between
the two parts. While holding the carburetor in place,
install the two screws in place.
Do not over-tighten
these screws. The screws only need to be tight. Over-tightening
the screws can cause the threaded holes in the carburetor
to strip.
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BECOMING
FAMILIAR WITH THE CARBURETOR
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Your engine is equipped with a
rotary barrel type carburetor. (photo)
Idle Stop Screw:
The idle stop screw adjusts how far the barrel
will close adjusting the speed of the idle, not
the fuel mixture. We recommend that the idle stop screw be
adjusted so that the carburetor barrel stays open about 1/32
of an inch. Turning the screw clockwise will cause the barrel
to open, counter-clockwise will allow the barrel to close
further.
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MUFFLER
ASSEMBLY
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The K&B .18 engine does not
include a muffler. The muffler is typically designed for the
particular boat that you have. Usually a pipe designed
for a car will adapt well for a boat. Both standard mufflers
and tuned pipes that use the standard two bolt-mounting pattern
will work with the K&B .18 engines. |
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FUEL
RECOMMENDATION
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Fuel is an important factor in
how your engine will perform. For the break-in period, you should
use a fuel specifically designed for R/C engines that contains
no more than 20% nitromethane. Once the engine has been broken
in (about 30 minutes of run-time), you can switch to a fuel
containing up to 30% nitromethane. We do not recommend exceeding
30% nitro. |
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LONG
PLUG RECOMMENDATION
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The correct
glow plug must be used so your engine will perform as it was
designed to. We recommend using the K&B 1L (#7311) if you
are running 25% or less nitro, and the K&B HP (#7300) or
the K&B HD (#7310) if you are using more than 25% nitro.
Do not use other types of glow plugs or those intended for
four-cycle airplane engines. Using the wrong glow plug will
cause the engine to run poorly and make it difficult to tune.
The glow plug element should glow bright orange when connected
to your 1-1/2 volt battery. If it only glows red, your battery
needs replacement or charging.
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BEFORE
STARTING YOUR ENGINE
WARNING: Please read before starting
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If at any time the pull-start
becomes very tight or difficult to pull - STOP! The engine
has become flooded and the excess fuel must be removed
or damage to the pull-starter and/or engine could occur.
To remove the
excess fuel from the engine, follow the steps listed below:
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Remove the glow plug from
the cylinder head. |
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Open the carburetor barrel
to the full throttle position. |
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With the top of the engine
pointing away from you and others, pull the starter
several times to clear the excess fuel from
the engine |
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Check to make sure the
glow plug has not been fouled, you can connect it
to your battery to check and clear the excess fuel from
the plug. Now, reinstall the glow plug. |
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Close
the throttle barrel, connect the glow plug battery and
start your engine. |
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BREAKING IN
YOUR NEW ENGINE
HIGH and LOW SPEED ADJUSTMENTS
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High-Speed Needle Valve:
The high-speed needle valve is used to adjust the air/fuel
mixture at full throttle. Turn the needle clockwise to
lean the mixture or counter-clockwise to richen the mixture.
When you start the engine for the first time, the needle valve
should be turned in clockwise completely (do not force
it), then backed out about 3 turns.
Low Speed:
The low speed is preset from the factory and needs
no adjustment, just the idle speed is adjustable by the idle
speed screw.
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STARTING
PROCEDURE
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Your K&B .18 engine is
equipped with a pull-starter, you should use this to start the
engine.
To make the engine
easier to start it should be primed. This can be done by placing
your finger over the carburetor inlet and pulling the starter.
You will see the fuel being pulled up to the carburetor. When
the fuel reaches the carburetor, stop priming. Over-priming
the engine can cause the engine to flood and "hydraulic
lock". This is a result of too much fuel in the engine.
The piston cannot compress the excess liquid fuel in
the engine and this could cause serious damage to both the
engine and the pull-start assembly. Never try to start the
engine if it is in a hydraulic locked state.
If the engine becomes
hydraulic locked, do not pull on the pull-start cord. Read
the warning describing how
to remove the excess fuel from the cylinder.
The engine is started
by connecting the 1-1/2 volt power supply to the glow plug
then pulling on the pull-start cord. The proper way is to
pull the cord in short, quick, successive pulls until the
engine starts. Once the engine starts, release the pull-starter.
Never pull the pull-start
cord out to its maximum length. This may damage the pull-start
assembly. Always use short, rapid pulls. Do not
pull any harder than necessary to turn the engine over.
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BREAK-IN
PROCEDURE
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The K&B
.18 series engines are ABC type construction. The cylinder
sleeve is tapered at the top, causing the piston to bind as
it moves through the top of the stroke. It is normal for there
to be a tight spot while turning over the engine.
When the engine heats up to operating temperature, the
top of the cylinder expands more than the bottom and proper
piston clearance is achieved. This break-in procedure will guide
you through the steps necessary for proper break of your new
K&B .18 engine. Please follow these steps closely:
The break-in process allows
the engine parts to mate to each other and prevent premature
wear. The engine should be broken in using a good quality
R/C fuel that contains 20% or less nitromethane.
Close the main speed
needle (clockwise) all the way but do not force it. You just
want to turn it until it stops as there is a tapered
seat to adjust the fuel mixture and over-tightening the need
will cause damage to the seat. Now open the high-speed needle
valve about 2-1/2 to 3 turns from the fully closed position.
Follow
the starting procedure to
prime and prepare the engine for starting.
Open the
throttle barrel just above the idle position and connect
the power to the glow plug. Pull the pull-start cord
in short quick bursts until the engine starts.
Once the engine starts,
allow it to run for about 1 minute without giving
it throttle. This will allow the engine to warm up. At this
point, the engine should be running very "rich" and there
should be excessive white smoke coming from the exhaust
pipe.
After the engine
has been running for about 1 minute, remove the power from
the glow plug. Launch the boat by pushing it into the water
and advancing the throttle. Drive the boat around for about
2-3 minutes. If the engine is running rich enough, you should
notice excessive white smoke coming from the exhaust and the engine
should sound like it's running very rough. Also, the boat
will be moving slowly. If there is not excessive white smoke
coming from the exhaust, open the high-speed needle valve
another 1/2 turn. After 2-3 minutes, stop the engine by pinching
the fuel line to the carburetor.
Set the high speed
needle valve mixture to a slightly leaner setting, about 1/8
turn more in.
Repeat the procedure
in the step above, while leaning the needle valve slightly
more each time. In all, you should run the engine for a total
of 30 minutes. After 30 minutes of running, the engine will
be broken in. Run the engine with the needle valve set slightly
rich, but lean enough to power the boat. At this point, the
engine should hold a good setting on the high-speed
needle valve and you can fine tune the needle valve settings
to increase performance.
It is very important
that the engine never be leaned out too much. When running the
engine, you should always be able to see a trail of white
smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. If there is not white smoke,
stop the engine immediately and richen (unscrew) the high-speed
needle 1/2 turn. You should also make sure there is plenty of
water flowing through the cylinder head to keep the engine
from overheating.
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FINE
TUNING THE K&B .18
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Now that
your engine has been broken-in, you can set the high-speed needle
valve for the best engine performance.
Never lean out the mixture settings too much. Remember,
the lubricants for your engine are in the fuel. If you
lean out the fuel mixture too much, you will also be starving
the engine of lubricant. Less lubricant will cause your engine
to overheat and cause premature wear. This will cause
engine failure.
Setting the High-Speed Needle Valve: Start the engine
and remove the power from the glow plug. Allow the engine
to warm up for about 1 minute.
After the engine has warmed up, run the boat as you normally
would. If the engine seems to be running rich, lean the mixture
screw about 1/16 of a turn at a time until the desired setting
is achieved. Always make sure you run the engine slightly
rich, you want to be able to see a white exhaust trail at
all times.
Needle
valve settings must be determined by how the boat runs in
the water. DO NOT TUNE YOUR ENGINE OUT OF THE WATER.
To
get more power from your engine, you can use fuels containing
up to 30% nitromethane. However, we suggest adding and additional
.005" head gasket to lower the compression ratio if overheating
and erratic running occurs.
Setting the Low Speed Needle Valve: Adjust the idle
stop screw to raise or lower the idle speed.
Now, run the boat in the water for a while to get a feel of
how the engine reacts and runs. Now that you know the proper
way to tune your engine, you can make slight adjustments
to the carburetor until you are satisfied with the performance.
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MAINTENANCE
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Basic maintenance on your K&B
.18 engine will extend the life of your engine and keep
it performing like new.
Always use good
quality "wet style" air filter on the carburetor. The air
filter should be cleaned frequently, but if in doubt, replace
it.
We recommend using
an in-line filter in the fuel pick-up line to prevent particles
that may be in the fuel being drawn into the engine.
Always use new fuel and keep the cap on the fuel can tightly
closed. As glow fuel ages, it absorbs water which degrades the
fuels performance and causes erratic engine operation.
After you have finished using the engine for the day,
remove the glow plug and squirt several drops of
a high quality after run oil into the carburetor and
cylinder. Crank the engine over a couple of times to distribute
the oil and re-install the glow plug, this will prevent corrosion
inside the engine.
The outside of the engine should be wiped off using a
soft cloth and rubbing alcohol to prevent build-up of dirt
and grime.
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WARRANTY
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All K&B
engines returned for warranty service must be within the warranty
terms as stated in this instruction sheet. Do not return the
engine to the place of purchase. They are not authorized or
equipped to perform warranty work on K&B products. When
requesting warranty service, please observe the following:
Call K&B
first to receive a returned goods authorization (RGA) number,
at 626-359-6972.
Always
send the complete engine including the carburetor.
Include a note
detailing the problem you are experiencing. Warranty service
cannot be provided without this information. Include
your daytime phone number, address, or e-mail address in the
event we need to contact you for more details pertaining
to the service you requested.
Tell us
where you purchased you engine and when. A clear copy of your
purchase receipt is required for you to receive a warranty
consideration.
After you
receive your RGA number and have prepared your written information,
send the engine to us at:
K&B
Manufacturing
Attention: Warranty Department
16015
Adelante St
Irwindale, California 91702
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NON-WARRANTY
SERVICE
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If your
engine is not eligible for warranty service and you wish to
have it repaired, please,
click here for repair service.
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