Most epic needle flush ever?

[KRProton]

When I raced my BC Ashley at the 2020 Mike Tallman Legacy race it was going good. I had planned to race it at the Nat's this year, but couldn't get good engine runs. I tried all kinds of things including a new fuel tank, some troubleshooting the needle system with the help of Jim Allen, changed the fuel lines, everything. Except my attempt to flush the needle was half-ass. I don't remember how I flushed it, but I know I didn't do it all three ways. (Actually, I suppose the needle could be flushed SIX ways.)

I had it back out again yesterday at OJA in North Carolina for some practice runs with a different engine and yet another fuel tank. I got one pretty good run, but more failed attempts with the engine not needling normally and going lean once I did get it in the air. I decided that when I got back home I'd do a proper, thorough needle flush. I wanted to catch whatever was expelled into a container so I could see definitive results if there were any. Well, here it is! This crud just kept coming and coming and coming! Yep. That'll do it!

I don't remember the history of this Jett mount and needle, but I have removed and reinstalled needle assemblies in these after extracting them from crashed models or whatever. As you can see in the photo, it's a pretty clean installation (on the outside), but I'm guessing it's residual epoxy I may have used to glue in the set screw that seals the alternate hole for the fuel fitting. I'm a careful and meticulous builder, but I guess not meticulous enough.

In spite of good advice from other modelers (like Jason Duda who says he flushes out his needle assembles before every race weekend), sometimes I have to learn for myself the hard way.

Anybody have any similar stores, and is the worst you've ever seen? I feel like I got my Ashley back and I can't wait to get it back out on the course again!

Tim Lampe

[DHG]

Hmmmm, that's interesting. Maybe the thing to do is stir a little Dulcolax into your after-run oil, then let it ... um, "sit" for a while.

[KRProton]

Hmmmm, that's interesting. Maybe the thing to do is stir a little Dulcolax into your after-run oil, then let it ... um, "sit" for a while.

Given how much crap was in there, not a bad suggestion Duane.

Tim