You need one of everything the longer your in the hobby lol. Nitro is not instant gratification though however your work is rewarded when she comes together nothing quite like it. 1hr or more to play grab a nitro hr or less take thd electric. But careful one nitro turns into 5 very fast.
That's what happens with trends, get tired of one thing and you go back to what you left, makes it fun again. Like things that are in style, us humans are weird.
Screw the grub screw in all the way, then back out 3 1/2 turns. Also put a little bit of super glue on the pressure tube from exhaust. Change the clutch to alloy shoes, use factory springs. Change the spur to hardened steel also pinion to 18t hardened
So glad to see you got yourself the savage. It's definitely stuck in second, you just need to adjust the screw for the gears 1/4 turn at a time until its where you want it
The Traxxas Eazy Start system is why I never looked back on other nitros. Just a fantastic bit of kit and you have a full body no need to remove every 5mins 👍
I'll live vicariously through you with some of these rc's. I'd need a master class on repairs before I'd ever be comfortable "fixing" a supposedly "complete" product.
Twist a piece of wire on the fuel tubing to the muffler just tight enough to keep it on. Or if you can get a zip tie on it that would work as well. When I raced 1/8 buggy and truggy I found the wire works the best. Also a longer fuel line may help as well
My MT2 definitely seems to have better quality but it's 20 years old, been upgraded etc. Bet the stock servos etc, AM transmitter etc were terrible back then too 🤣🤣
Hey Kev! The best way secure vent tubes, vacuum lines and small engine fuel lines is safety wire, get a pair of safety wire pliers and some thin stainless wire and give a couple wraps on the line you wish to secure and give it a few twists until it's tight, trim and tuck and let er buck!!
I looked at getting one of these years ago. Was kinda hoping this was going to be the Electric Raminator but luckily every video on this channel is a good one :)
Faffy little issues just like those mentioned is what (back in the day) turned me to Traxxas rather than getting another HPI. Sure they have their own issues but straight out of the box I think the design just seems a little better thought out overall.
In my opinion, the savage is still king. The longest reigning rc basher, and has had a large cult following since the day it came out. Also a lot of nostalgia value attached to it, good to see HPI keeping this car going for so long. I also thoroughly enjoyed the vid, keep it up!
its a smack in the face to its customers, its the same 20yr old design, they could of at least threw in some decent servos for £600 my cheapo ftx carnage came with decent servos wireless reciever and failsafe and steel brake disc at £170 new
Sounds to me that is runs in second gear. Adjusting the two speed clutch is tricky and only needs very minor adjustments. There should be two curb screws. One that holds the two speed clutch on that shaft (mostly 2.5mm) and a 2mm curb screw for the spring preload of the hock that engages in the overtake gear. Once messed up it makes sense to take the transmission apart and have a closer look. In principle these two speed transmissions are easy to understand when you look at the actually construction. 👍
Hey there Kev! Your HPI Savage is stuck in first gear, probably because the shift points haven't been set yet. The adjuster grub screw is located under the rubber boot on the left just in front of the brake lever by the throttle linkage. I think the factory just tightens the grub adjuster screw all the way in, with a 2mm hex wrench turn the grub counter clockwise a quarter turn out at a time to shift quickly or early. I sure it will shift late at first because it's turned all the way in. The more you turn it counter clockwise out the faster the shift or shorter the shift point. It'sss NIICE!
I had the old one years ago. I recall having to put extra loop of fuel hose on hose length. If not , when using second half of tank level it went really really lean and temp would skyrocket. Perhaps the fuel tank design was improved but if not careful with running lean. Great vid too
My original savage was an absolute beast!!! Seemed like they made all the A arms and stuff out of rubbery flexible plastic. It definitely had the pins pop out of the a arms.
I own the new Flux v2 and i love it. It takes a beating just like the Revo does but handles like a monster truck not like a truggy. My Flux v2 had tons of loose screws so i had to dissassemble and reassemble it completely.
I think you're right, I seems to be stuck in second gear. Second gear is ran by a second clutch, which you adjusted. Go clockwise a half turn at a time. I noticed you went a full turn or more counter clockwise (thats a bit much). They are intricate to dial it. Outside air temperature, humid can all play a part in how they work. Its a beautiful thing when you get a nitro 2-speed running properly. Make you feel like you earned it, which you have at that point. keep up the great content brover!
Mate I had a T Maxx also. They were great. With the easy start system. Just seemed like a low maintenance and easy car to work on. But I never owned a HPI so I couldn't compare.
@@frankensteinsgarage9632 Absolutely! They where close but the savage always has some strange quirk's. Ya' fix one, it runs fine for a bit then it's always something else. The TMAXX was old reliable and took a beating!
I had a savage 4.6 about 12 years ago. That thing ate spur gears! Just the sound of it is bringing back so many memories! Moved onto rallycross racing after that, and they don’t sound as distinctive!
I think you should run the oem radio gear for at least the first run because it should be part of the review. Love your videos though. Keep up the great work!
For the fuel line, get a metal twist tie, strip the paper/plastic off so you just have the wire. Twist that around the fuel line. A zip tie there isn't much room and it will likely melt and come off quick anyways. Twist tie or any other small diameter flexible metal wire
Savages normally won’t shift until they are fully run in and tuned properly. It’s a good indicator of the motor loosening up when you hear it shift for the first time. Just my experience. Keen to see how you go with it Kev
Cut a small piece of fuel tubing about 3, 4mm . With some needle nose through the tubing. Now expand enough to slip the end of the tubing through. Push tubing over niple. I do this to all fittings on my nitro stuff. Hope it helps.
How much did you actually spend before you even ran it for the first time? If those eco servos are so cheap why aren't they fitted by HPI? I fail to see how this is a great product if you have to change so much before you start just to make it run reasonably, as in the normal world it isn't a cheap car in the first place! This is by no means an attack on you, just don't know why these things are so expensive but with so many issues?!
They aren't really required especially for the throttle. I ran the stock servo for a while without issues, but almost all RTRs come with servos that suck. The stock one isn't the best especially for the steering, but it held up fine, actually better for me than Traxxas or a few others, which stripped very quickly for me. I also don't think all the linkage changes are really necessary for the throttle and brake. The stock radio works fine and is a decent RTR radio, the endpoint adjustments are even easily accessible (unlike other RTR radios). So far I've run mine entirely stock. The only thing I had to do out of the box was check that the failsafe worked, it wasn't set properly from the factory, but that's a 1 1/2min procedure and you are done. The rest is all par for the course RTR and nitro stuff. My only complaints are that the stock return spring won't pull the carb close if power shuts off, the battery/rx box is kindof awkward when you are putting batteries in or out, and I keep having the pressure line from the exhaust pop out also.
everything Kevin did is 100% optional, by no means will it not run great stock. It just runs better the more $you throw at it, as with all things in life.
Did you see how slow those servos are from hpi? Super super slow. Those eco servos arent that expensive, and are super tough much quicker. Why dont conpanies use alot of great stuff, because of cost usually.
@Bow Sineath nope stock radio is fine as well, but if you have 100 diff rcs, then just having one primary is nice and easy. Most folks will use the radio that comes with it, but that steering servo, at least on his there, was super slow looking. If they are all that slow id swap it as well. And im not even very picky.
Had both the Savage and the Savage XL when they first came out. My friend and I spent more time tuning it and replacing melted spur gears than we actually got to drive them. Then when we finally got them running the pull start would snap and end the day.
Awesome mate! An idea for that loose fuel line is to take a long bit of twist-tie wire or pipe cleaners and twist the wire about an inch from the end of the fuel line pretty tight, then after you connect the line, pull the wire in the direction of the connection and find a place to attach the loose ends of the wire. 👍😎👍
You could clearly see the weakness, it is a proper test. The steering servo was slow af, and the linkage to the breaks/gas was poorly made from factory, this is a GREAT review.
my grandfather had a savage 21 that was 50% modifyed with a losi racing team motor and i still have it to this date as i am rebuilding it, i love to see that people still remember the savage 21's
I remember when this came out. My neighbor got me into RC by selling me his blown up HPI Nitro Rush for $20, then him and his friends would rip around the neighborhood with the T-Maxx and savage, and would just laugh at the under performing E-Maxx.
You should get a T-Maxx 3.3 and do a Traxxas vs HPI basher battle :D. I also think that it's stuck in 2nd gear. If it's properly tuned (which i think it is) it should pop wheelies from a standstill.
Just ordered the EcoBoost for my Kraton. Went with Amazon though because it was same price and can get it in 2 days. Next will be the Dumbo RC. Thanks for the Suggestions Mr. Talbot
For the fuel tube get fixed we used in older days cable ties or some kind of a tube clip it looked like a spring with two windings you pressed it apart put it over the tube and it pressed the tube on the exhaust. But i see they changed the exhaust bypass so there is not a lot of space or material to hold the tube on it. I liked the design of the savage it was so different and looked really cool. And there was a lot of tuning parts out there like stronger vertical plates etc.
Loved my savages back in the day. Raced 1/8th scale truggies too. But today, I don’t miss nitro anything! The tuning NEVER ENDED. what a nightmare. Electric rules for RC
kev: says hes following mike cradocks rc master class also kev: hits full throttle after first start 😂 also hpi fuel lines just suck and you are better off replacing it
I had original savage many years ago and I had only little fun with it and lots and lots of problems :D mostly tunning engine and starting it I told I won't buy any nitro car again! But I'm now thinking to get rovan baja 29cc :D I like how big it is and not very expensive. I see it's much easier to deal with petrol then nitro and this rovan baja is ready straight of the box!
I never see you check temps when tuning which is essential. You need to be running in the 230 - 250 degree F range. Adjust your high speed needle to set to said temp. And the easy way to set your low speed needle is you want the engine to stall after 5 seconds when you pinch the fuel tubing a couple of inches from the carb. If the engine runs for longer than 5 secs it's too rich, if it stalls before 5 secs it's too lean. Make the needle adjustments in 1/8 turn increments. Re the 2nd gear adjustment, put it back to factory settings and make the adjustments in 1/8 or 1/4 increments. And set your spur gear so you can only just turn it over when you hold the truck down 👍
The savage x is a true worrier. I convert mine to electric 18 pinion 52 metal spur. 2200kv 6$ battery. Just finish running today . After some good runs. I chip a spider gear an put. In a new servo no dissect to my nitro. I just have more fun. An more powerful. Thanks hpi. An now I have reverse. Good video
Nitro really isn’t worth all the hassle, electric has come so far. I wouldn’t buy this car if it needs all those upgrades straight out the box just to getting working properly 🤷♂️
That’s just personal taste. Kev was a big nitro XL guy years ago. So for him he knows the upgrades to make the truck a little better out of the box. Since nothing was changed from previous generations. People who have savages most likely will do the same changes. But electric is cool and all but they get a little boring after awhile. I’m a nitro guy and nothing beats the smell and sound of a nitro ripping. Nitro is its own hobby within the RC world.
This shop is amazing Kev! I live less than 2hra from HORIZON HOBBY HEADQUARTERS........ And there isn't a shop like this ANYWHERE in the area. Not even the same city that Horizon is located. Unfortunately they don't have a store front, but this place looks rad!!!!!!
It's nice they have a roll cage over the cylinder head now. I remember using zip ties to keep the head from getting scratched up. Didn't always work though.
I disagree! You had to replace two servos straight away , a gearbox doesn’t work out of the box and they couldn’t even stop a fuel line from coming out ? My opinion is stay away from the savage unless you want a project car . Buy a traxxas revo 3.3 or something that would work out of the box
#D Lets test those points. Stock servos are fine, personal preference. Normally you'd run it till you have a servo fail then upgrade. Fuel line popped off, not sure how that's a major detergent, probably getting pulled off when crashing, idk. Not major. Zero parts broke. No a revo is in now way comparable to a big block savage. Traxxas uses a affordable plastic drive train, which is great for intended small block purpose. The savage has full HD metal drive train that can take big block torque... if you want to compair a traxxas tmaxx or revo to a savage, then factor in HD mip drive train, big block conversion....etc. then we can compair. Sorry to say it nitro revo would of broke on that skate park before a savage. Unfortunately the traxxas header likes to shear of durring regular running, imo id take a popped of fuel line over that any day. Doesn't matter you need both at the end of the day 😀. Oh a little more tinkering and that gear box would shift no problem, so what's the big deal? You have to tune any 2spd
love your channel m8,been following you for few years now and enjoy your spirited and honest reviews,my daughter who is only 5 keeps saying "guys!!!" after sitting with me watching your videos,keep it up m8,stay well and safe....lee
I used to have an HPI savage 4.6 (the original one) and I loved the thing. I remember I had a janky radio in it and it ran away straight into my neighbors car 😂 busted the arm and luckily no damage to the car, but I still loved that thing. The suspension was just kind of mind blowing and the big block was ridiculous. I’ve got a Tmaxx now, and I think that they’re great trucks as well. Maybe one day you could do a comparison
Hi kev,replace the spur gear with a metal upgrade one also when you adjust the 2 speed only turn it half a turn at a time ,if its running to rich it will not rev out and it will delay the speed change anyway,good luck
Back in the day HPI was wicked for racing on road gas .12 sedans, I was racing electric on-road and gas off-road, the original RC10GT. I used to bomb around bashing with my neighbour and his 3.3 T Maxx… and another guy had the HPI savage… ah those were the days.
On the original savage 25 I replaced the slipper gear with a metal gear and I also replaced the inside of the diff with a aluminum housing and I put in the reverse module and it was awesome
my 25 was also an absolute beast, I ended up tossing a 5.9. even more fun was had! sadly now it only has first gear. should pull it out and get it running if i can.
@@beesod6412 They are awesome the amount of upgrades I could get was amazing until my local hobby shop shut down then I didn't do much with it. I might look at fixing it again now
One thing that hpi does well with the savage line is the main components are completely interchangabile between the flux and nitro versions (front and rear clips, and drive lines). And any enhancement that is done is compatible with the outgoing version so your rig is never really discontinued. So if you have a nitro and a flux you have common parts. For me thats what sets hpi appart and part of the premium price tag, they do go on sale and thats when to buy. They do listen to the rc community and make some meaningful changes. Yes it needs some stuff to get it where say a hobbiest would want it but what rtr doesn't? I kinda wish these were sold as kits. The complexity of a rtr nitro is a challenge for any factory... vs rtr electrics, kinda a apples and oranges compairison.
Hey bro, it's crazy a few days before I asked u just got the savage 4.6 but did you see my comment asking id you ever had a savage XXL big block!?!?! I loved mine. It was for sure the best I ever had bro. Can't believe u asked and then you show it the one I had right off the top. But I had the same issues except the diffs and my spur gear was metal? Slider clutch needs locktit and 2nd gear will shift once set right and should shifts very early on. They did me well. But it is for sure the best basher/jumper I had. So easy to land and never bottomed out even at rhe BMX track. Geeked to watch this
Looks like you may have adjusted it too far down on the shifts. Deffo need to tune low speed needle for the initial speed then it’ll shift. Low speed needle then high speed needle and idle constant adjustments during the process 👌🏻 disappointing about the lack of reliability fixes the spur etc was a mare on my nitro and flux version
3 speed upgrade and reverse module make it much more fun and fast! Slipper clutch is a PITA, always has been. If you want spares, I have a gym bag full, probably another complete savage in parts.
To keep the pressure line from coming off the exhaust either put on a longer piece of fuel tubing or put a zip tie around the nipple on the pipe to keep the fuel line on
To avoid the issue with staling when you run low on fuel, i strapped a header tank to the rear body mount posts. I also put a bras clunk inside the header tank so no matter how many flippy flips it did there was always fuel. I just used a RC plane fuel tank.
I had the first Savage 20 years ago. I ended up putting the Truckzilla kit on it, with the .46 engine and longer chassis, bigger wheels and tires. 3 speed transmission, and too many aluminum parts. It took on 20 foot jump and never ran again. lol. Sat in the garage until last month when someone wanted to buy it.
Oh wow.. did u see that drop test... Honestly I figured ha ha.. but omg.. you could seriously see how slowly the compression of the shock was... That's honestly better than I've seen
Nice video Kevin. I had the same issue with the fuel line. I just zip tied it to the plastic exhaust muffler. It doesn't really get hot enough to melt the fuel line. Hasn't come off on me yet
Love what you do, but i feel like you should test before swapping things out. Servos could be possible issues, would also be good to know for sure if the range is good or bad with the stock radio
And if there's something that can protect the engine head it would be great. But having the knowledge (thanks Kev) about the servos and brake setup is a good thing before we think about buying one. 😀👍
Shift instructions for setting are step one. Bottom out the set screw clockwise until it fully stops. Step two, back out the set screw four full turns counterclockwise and stop. Step three test drive and shift. Final adjustment made in only 1/4 a turn according to your preferences.
i used to bash the savage xl when it 1st came out, i had a few problems with it, the crankshaft used to snap off the conrod pin, so i put a force 32 engine in it, also the engine mount plate used to bend after a few hits on the cylinder head like you did there, so i made engine plate's from t6 aircraft alloy, but i ended up going electric brushless because they are way more reliable than any nitro engine. i used to hate the old electric starter they used to have then, i see they took that off for a pull starter.
Funny how a few years ago, everyone was hating on nitro rc and wanted to completely move away from it and now everyone is starting to love it again.
You need one of everything the longer your in the hobby lol. Nitro is not instant gratification though however your work is rewarded when she comes together nothing quite like it. 1hr or more to play grab a nitro hr or less take thd electric. But careful one nitro turns into 5 very fast.
I'm thinking about getting back into the hobby only because if I do I'm gonna buy my first nitro truck
That's what happens with trends, get tired of one thing and you go back to what you left, makes it fun again.
Like things that are in style, us humans are weird.
I have a revo 3.3 you guys can buy. electric is far superior.
I love the sound and smell of nitro
Screw the grub screw in all the way, then back out 3 1/2 turns.
Also put a little bit of super glue on the pressure tube from exhaust.
Change the clutch to alloy shoes, use factory springs.
Change the spur to hardened steel also pinion to 18t hardened
So glad to see you got yourself the savage. It's definitely stuck in second, you just need to adjust the screw for the gears 1/4 turn at a time until its where you want it
3 1/2 turns from completely closed is the sweet spot on that specific
Wasn't one of his first nitro vehicles a savage?
I have a slash 4x4 ultimate and it is great
The Traxxas Eazy Start system is why I never looked back on other nitros. Just a fantastic bit of kit and you have a full body no need to remove every 5mins 👍
I'll live vicariously through you with some of these rc's. I'd need a master class on repairs before I'd ever be comfortable "fixing" a supposedly "complete" product.
Definitely stuck in second, bogging down heaps on take off. Doesn’t look like much room but cable tie the fuel lines
Metal twist tie (like from a bread bag) works great, small diameter so it'll fit and you can really cinch it down tight.
Not enaugh room for that
Probably why the slipper was slipping too
You can adjust it to shift earlier.
Twist a piece of wire on the fuel tubing to the muffler just tight enough to keep it on. Or if you can get a zip tie on it that would work as well. When I raced 1/8 buggy and truggy I found the wire works the best. Also a longer fuel line may help as well
it's unbeleviable that this company is still on the market, with such a quality..
@@samw2768 hpi isn’t owned by hot bodies that deal ended about 10 years ago
@@brabbit2902 you ever raw dawg a gerbil just to feel alive
This guy has never owned a savage obviously
@@jwmitch27 savage was ok, 20y ago man... from that time, hpi is comparable to any chineese brand. Crap.
My MT2 definitely seems to have better quality but it's 20 years old, been upgraded etc. Bet the stock servos etc, AM transmitter etc were terrible back then too 🤣🤣
Hey Kev! The best way secure vent tubes, vacuum lines and small engine fuel lines is safety wire, get a pair of safety wire pliers and some thin stainless wire and give a couple wraps on the line you wish to secure and give it a few twists until it's tight, trim and tuck and let er buck!!
12:29 "where is F**king second" sounds like you said kev 😂😅 the rage!!
I looked at getting one of these years ago. Was kinda hoping this was going to be the Electric Raminator but luckily every video on this channel is a good one :)
Faffy little issues just like those mentioned is what (back in the day) turned me to Traxxas rather than getting another HPI. Sure they have their own issues but straight out of the box I think the design just seems a little better thought out overall.
It’s nice to see Hpi back at it.. the savage looks like a blast to drive. My only complaint is I feel the price is a bit steep.
I LOVE that little metal "grinding" noise you throw in when hitting big jumps. Adds such a cool sense of anticipation lol!
That is all.
In my opinion, the savage is still king. The longest reigning rc basher, and has had a large cult following since the day it came out. Also a lot of nostalgia value attached to it, good to see HPI keeping this car going for so long. I also thoroughly enjoyed the vid, keep it up!
@@TrollingHistory savage stock is waaaaay more durable. Revo with a .26 sounds like a hoot though!
Upgrading parts before even running out of the box is not really seeing if they've made it any better and sorted the original issues.
@@TrollingHistory👍 1/8 RTR servos make good steering servos for 1/10 basher buggies 😂
the stock servo is 8kg, thats a joke on this kind of car. I would have tossed it in the bin directly also
its a smack in the face to its customers, its the same 20yr old design, they could of at least threw in some decent servos for £600 my cheapo ftx carnage came with decent servos wireless reciever and failsafe and steel brake disc at £170 new
@@cblack3470 the savage has and still is a rip off for the price it sells at so yeah I agree
HPI sucks, who puts a 8kg servo on a monster truck? That is useless on ANY RC.
I got a savage x , then fitted an lrp .28 back in 2000. After 16 years it still better than all other rc cars of today then :P
3:18 "It's definately a love it or hate it kinda body but-- I'm undecided" xddd
Sounds to me that is runs in second gear. Adjusting the two speed clutch is tricky and only needs very minor adjustments. There should be two curb screws. One that holds the two speed clutch on that shaft (mostly 2.5mm) and a 2mm curb screw for the spring preload of the hock that engages in the overtake gear. Once messed up it makes sense to take the transmission apart and have a closer look. In principle these two speed transmissions are easy to understand when you look at the actually construction. 👍
Hey there Kev! Your HPI Savage is stuck in first gear, probably because the shift points haven't been set yet. The adjuster grub screw is located under the rubber boot on the left just in front of the brake lever by the throttle linkage. I think the factory just tightens the grub adjuster screw all the way in, with a 2mm hex wrench turn the grub counter clockwise a quarter turn out at a time to shift quickly or early. I sure it will shift late at first because it's turned all the way in. The more you turn it counter clockwise out the faster the shift or shorter the shift point. It'sss NIICE!
I had the old one years ago. I recall having to put extra loop of fuel hose on hose length. If not , when using second half of tank level it went really really lean and temp would skyrocket. Perhaps the fuel tank design was improved but if not careful with running lean. Great vid too
My original savage was an absolute beast!!! Seemed like they made all the A arms and stuff out of rubbery flexible plastic. It definitely had the pins pop out of the a arms.
The Savage was considered the TMaxx destroyer back in the Day
Only cause the savage had a big block ... once you changed the bulkheads to aluminium and put a bigger motor the tmaxx was better and lighter
@@chisoxfan773Yup so had to upgrade Traxxas to make same or slightly better than STOCK Savage, so...
I own the new Flux v2 and i love it. It takes a beating just like the Revo does but handles like a monster truck not like a truggy.
My Flux v2 had tons of loose screws so i had to dissassemble and reassemble it completely.
Give this man some respect. He's doing all this for our entertainment. Great job
And his
I'm sure the $ has NOTHING to do with it 🤣
I think you're right, I seems to be stuck in second gear. Second gear is ran by a second clutch, which you adjusted. Go clockwise a half turn at a time. I noticed you went a full turn or more counter clockwise (thats a bit much). They are intricate to dial it. Outside air temperature, humid can all play a part in how they work. Its a beautiful thing when you get a nitro 2-speed running properly. Make you feel like you earned it, which you have at that point. keep up the great content brover!
I had a Savage and a TMAXX back in the day. The TMAXX was the nitro equivalent of my XMAXX
Mate I had a T Maxx also. They were great. With the easy start system. Just seemed like a low maintenance and easy car to work on. But I never owned a HPI so I couldn't compare.
@@frankensteinsgarage9632 Absolutely! They where close but the savage always has some strange quirk's. Ya' fix one, it runs fine for a bit then it's always something else. The TMAXX was old reliable and took a beating!
I had a savage 4.6 about 12 years ago. That thing ate spur gears! Just the sound of it is bringing back so many memories! Moved onto rallycross racing after that, and they don’t sound as distinctive!
i really wish all RCs would come as a kit version option to avoid the crappy electronics, its the main reason stopping me from buying a arrma talion
talion electrics are good
I think you should run the oem radio gear for at least the first run because it should be part of the review. Love your videos though. Keep up the great work!
For the fuel line, get a metal twist tie, strip the paper/plastic off so you just have the wire. Twist that around the fuel line. A zip tie there isn't much room and it will likely melt and come off quick anyways. Twist tie or any other small diameter flexible metal wire
Great minds
Savages normally won’t shift until they are fully run in and tuned properly. It’s a good indicator of the motor loosening up when you hear it shift for the first time. Just my experience. Keen to see how you go with it Kev
Cut a small piece of fuel tubing about 3, 4mm . With some needle nose through the tubing. Now expand enough to slip the end of the tubing through.
Push tubing over niple. I do this to all fittings on my nitro stuff.
Hope it helps.
I love watching your vids because your honest. And I believe the manufacturers like that. Looks to be a fun car
How much did you actually spend before you even ran it for the first time? If those eco servos are so cheap why aren't they fitted by HPI? I fail to see how this is a great product if you have to change so much before you start just to make it run reasonably, as in the normal world it isn't a cheap car in the first place! This is by no means an attack on you, just don't know why these things are so expensive but with so many issues?!
They aren't really required especially for the throttle. I ran the stock servo for a while without issues, but almost all RTRs come with servos that suck. The stock one isn't the best especially for the steering, but it held up fine, actually better for me than Traxxas or a few others, which stripped very quickly for me. I also don't think all the linkage changes are really necessary for the throttle and brake. The stock radio works fine and is a decent RTR radio, the endpoint adjustments are even easily accessible (unlike other RTR radios).
So far I've run mine entirely stock. The only thing I had to do out of the box was check that the failsafe worked, it wasn't set properly from the factory, but that's a 1 1/2min procedure and you are done. The rest is all par for the course RTR and nitro stuff. My only complaints are that the stock return spring won't pull the carb close if power shuts off, the battery/rx box is kindof awkward when you are putting batteries in or out, and I keep having the pressure line from the exhaust pop out also.
everything Kevin did is 100% optional, by no means will it not run great stock. It just runs better the more $you throw at it, as with all things in life.
Eco servos may be cheap but the ones hpi used are cheaper. Kev upgrades just about all electronics in his cars anyways when new.
Did you see how slow those servos are from hpi? Super super slow. Those eco servos arent that expensive, and are super tough much quicker. Why dont conpanies use alot of great stuff, because of cost usually.
@Bow Sineath nope stock radio is fine as well, but if you have 100 diff rcs, then just having one primary is nice and easy. Most folks will use the radio that comes with it, but that steering servo, at least on his there, was super slow looking. If they are all that slow id swap it as well. And im not even very picky.
Had both the Savage and the Savage XL when they first came out. My friend and I spent more time tuning it and replacing melted spur gears than we actually got to drive them. Then when we finally got them running the pull start would snap and end the day.
You’ve just got to love the nitro videos 🤟
Awesome mate! An idea for that loose fuel line is to take a long bit of twist-tie wire or pipe cleaners and twist the wire about an inch from the end of the fuel line pretty tight, then after you connect the line, pull the wire in the direction of the connection and find a place to attach the loose ends of the wire. 👍😎👍
Should had test it out stock first before upgrading it. 😔
I love this channel but I wish it was a true review before changing things
You could clearly see the weakness, it is a proper test. The steering servo was slow af, and the linkage to the breaks/gas was poorly made from factory, this is a GREAT review.
Kevin I have that exact model, sweet spot on the transmission is 3 1/2 turns from completely closed
I was a huge HPI/savage X fan for a long time. But even I wouldn’t recommend one.
I’d happily recommend a T-maxx or a Revo 3.3
my grandfather had a savage 21 that was 50% modifyed with a losi racing team motor and i still have it to this date as i am rebuilding it, i love to see that people still remember the savage 21's
I remember when this came out. My neighbor got me into RC by selling me his blown up HPI Nitro Rush for $20, then him and his friends would rip around the neighborhood with the T-Maxx and savage, and would just laugh at the under performing E-Maxx.
At that the E-Maxx was still one of the best electrics around but back then nothing compared to a nitro
You should get a T-Maxx 3.3 and do a Traxxas vs HPI basher battle :D.
I also think that it's stuck in 2nd gear. If it's properly tuned (which i think it is) it should pop wheelies from a standstill.
Hey kev you should get a traxxas rally and make it brushless
Great video, kev! I was gonna ask you to get a corally kronos😂 and you already have a plan on getting one! I reckon it's gonna be "ABSOLUTELY EPIC!"
It’s hardly a test of the original car now..🤣
Just ordered the EcoBoost for my Kraton. Went with Amazon though because it was same price and can get it in 2 days. Next will be the Dumbo RC. Thanks for the Suggestions Mr. Talbot
That was my dream car as a child *.*
For the fuel tube get fixed we used in older days cable ties or some kind of a tube clip it looked like a spring with two windings you pressed it apart put it over the tube and it pressed the tube on the exhaust.
But i see they changed the exhaust bypass so there is not a lot of space or material to hold the tube on it.
I liked the design of the savage it was so different and looked really cool.
And there was a lot of tuning parts out there like stronger vertical plates etc.
Yes you got a new savage
Loved my savages back in the day. Raced 1/8th scale truggies too. But today, I don’t miss nitro anything! The tuning NEVER ENDED. what a nightmare. Electric rules for RC
kev: says hes following mike cradocks rc master class
also kev: hits full throttle after first start
😂
also hpi fuel lines just suck and you are better off replacing it
I had original savage many years ago and I had only little fun with it and lots and lots of problems :D mostly tunning engine and starting it I told I won't buy any nitro car again! But I'm now thinking to get rovan baja 29cc :D I like how big it is and not very expensive. I see it's much easier to deal with petrol then nitro and this rovan baja is ready straight of the box!
i want to see more of the mighty RAMINATOR
I never see you check temps when tuning which is essential. You need to be running in the 230 - 250 degree F range. Adjust your high speed needle to set to said temp. And the easy way to set your low speed needle is you want the engine to stall after 5 seconds when you pinch the fuel tubing a couple of inches from the carb. If the engine runs for longer than 5 secs it's too rich, if it stalls before 5 secs it's too lean. Make the needle adjustments in 1/8 turn increments.
Re the 2nd gear adjustment, put it back to factory settings and make the adjustments in 1/8 or 1/4 increments.
And set your spur gear so you can only just turn it over when you hold the truck down 👍
Make nitro great again Kev’ ⛽️👍😀
The savage x is a true worrier. I convert mine to electric 18 pinion 52 metal spur. 2200kv 6$ battery. Just finish running today . After some good runs. I chip a spider gear an put. In a new servo no dissect to my nitro. I just have more fun. An more powerful. Thanks hpi. An now I have reverse. Good video
Nitro really isn’t worth all the hassle, electric has come so far. I wouldn’t buy this car if it needs all those upgrades straight out the box just to getting working properly 🤷♂️
I think it's a matter of personal taste. I love the simplicity of the electric and the sound and wrenching of the nitro! 😛
The hassle is the fun part, its like buying a kit over a RTR, except every time you try to run it
That’s just personal taste. Kev was a big nitro XL guy years ago. So for him he knows the upgrades to make the truck a little better out of the box. Since nothing was changed from previous generations. People who have savages most likely will do the same changes. But electric is cool and all but they get a little boring after awhile. I’m a nitro guy and nothing beats the smell and sound of a nitro ripping. Nitro is its own hobby within the RC world.
The "hassle" is the fun part for mechanics like me. When im feeling lazy i play with my lipo car
nitro is fine, hpi is just shit
This shop is amazing Kev! I live less than 2hra from HORIZON HOBBY HEADQUARTERS........ And there isn't a shop like this ANYWHERE in the area. Not even the same city that Horizon is located. Unfortunately they don't have a store front, but this place looks rad!!!!!!
I sent mine back and got refunded. I have never come across such poor quality control on an RC especially one that's sooo overpriced.
Same.
Love the videos kev. I can't believe you have never had a traxxas TMaxx 3.3 nitro, now that is the nitro basher king.
Ah yes kev now go get stempy to see how strong it is
It's nice they have a roll cage over the cylinder head now. I remember using zip ties to keep the head from getting scratched up. Didn't always work though.
Another great video kev!!
Kevin Talbot is the best I watch him all the time keep up the good work 👍
I disagree! You had to replace two servos straight away , a gearbox doesn’t work out of the box and they couldn’t even stop a fuel line from coming out ? My opinion is stay away from the savage unless you want a project car . Buy a traxxas revo 3.3 or something that would work out of the box
#D Lets test those points. Stock servos are fine, personal preference. Normally you'd run it till you have a servo fail then upgrade. Fuel line popped off, not sure how that's a major detergent, probably getting pulled off when crashing, idk. Not major. Zero parts broke. No a revo is in now way comparable to a big block savage. Traxxas uses a affordable plastic drive train, which is great for intended small block purpose. The savage has full HD metal drive train that can take big block torque... if you want to compair a traxxas tmaxx or revo to a savage, then factor in HD mip drive train, big block conversion....etc. then we can compair. Sorry to say it nitro revo would of broke on that skate park before a savage. Unfortunately the traxxas header likes to shear of durring regular running, imo id take a popped of fuel line over that any day. Doesn't matter you need both at the end of the day 😀. Oh a little more tinkering and that gear box would shift no problem, so what's the big deal? You have to tune any 2spd
love your channel m8,been following you for few years now and enjoy your spirited and honest reviews,my daughter who is only 5 keeps saying "guys!!!" after sitting with me watching your videos,keep it up m8,stay well and safe....lee
Kevin I can not wait till you hit 2 million subscribers and also love the toys!!
I used to have an HPI savage 4.6 (the original one) and I loved the thing. I remember I had a janky radio in it and it ran away straight into my neighbors car 😂 busted the arm and luckily no damage to the car, but I still loved that thing. The suspension was just kind of mind blowing and the big block was ridiculous. I’ve got a Tmaxx now, and I think that they’re great trucks as well. Maybe one day you could do a comparison
Hi kev,replace the spur gear with a metal upgrade one also when you adjust the 2 speed only turn it half a turn at a time ,if its running to rich it will not rev out and it will delay the speed change anyway,good luck
Back in the day HPI was wicked for racing on road gas .12 sedans, I was racing electric on-road and gas off-road, the original RC10GT. I used to bomb around bashing with my neighbour and his 3.3 T Maxx… and another guy had the HPI savage… ah those were the days.
Every hpi savage i owned only lasted a few runs.This thing doesn’t look much different.It’s cool we got you to test stuff we are not sure on buying. 😂
On the original savage 25 I replaced the slipper gear with a metal gear and I also replaced the inside of the diff with a aluminum housing and I put in the reverse module and it was awesome
my 25 was also an absolute beast, I ended up tossing a 5.9. even more fun was had! sadly now it only has first gear. should pull it out and get it running if i can.
@@beesod6412 They are awesome the amount of upgrades I could get was amazing until my local hobby shop shut down then I didn't do much with it. I might look at fixing it again now
Have a 3 speed with reverse in my 25
One thing that hpi does well with the savage line is the main components are completely interchangabile between the flux and nitro versions (front and rear clips, and drive lines). And any enhancement that is done is compatible with the outgoing version so your rig is never really discontinued. So if you have a nitro and a flux you have common parts. For me thats what sets hpi appart and part of the premium price tag, they do go on sale and thats when to buy. They do listen to the rc community and make some meaningful changes. Yes it needs some stuff to get it where say a hobbiest would want it but what rtr doesn't? I kinda wish these were sold as kits. The complexity of a rtr nitro is a challenge for any factory... vs rtr electrics, kinda a apples and oranges compairison.
Hey bro, it's crazy a few days before I asked u just got the savage 4.6 but did you see my comment asking id you ever had a savage XXL big block!?!?! I loved mine. It was for sure the best I ever had bro. Can't believe u asked and then you show it the one I had right off the top. But I had the same issues except the diffs and my spur gear was metal? Slider clutch needs locktit and 2nd gear will shift once set right and should shifts very early on. They did me well. But it is for sure the best basher/jumper I had. So easy to land and never bottomed out even at rhe BMX track. Geeked to watch this
Love these buy + unboxing. Just living vicariously through these vids 😂❤️
I got the 1st version of the savage x big block back in 2007. It was my first and will never forget it! The new ones are better fer sure.
Looks like you may have adjusted it too far down on the shifts. Deffo need to tune low speed needle for the initial speed then it’ll shift. Low speed needle then high speed needle and idle constant adjustments during the process 👌🏻 disappointing about the lack of reliability fixes the spur etc was a mare on my nitro and flux version
I love this guy!! He just destroys all of the hate!! 🤣🤣🤣
I love how he runs loud rc cars at midnight
I wish we had an RC shop like that around KC. They all just have Traxxas and Arrma around here.
3 speed upgrade and reverse module make it much more fun and fast! Slipper clutch is a PITA, always has been. If you want spares, I have a gym bag full, probably another complete savage in parts.
Revo with a sh .28 engine can easily compete.A nitro rc race with another nitro will be cool and i teresting to see kev!!!
To keep the pressure line from coming off the exhaust either put on a longer piece of fuel tubing or put a zip tie around the nipple on the pipe to keep the fuel line on
Yes please review the Kronos Kev!...love to see you bash that!
To avoid the issue with staling when you run low on fuel, i strapped a header tank to the rear body mount posts. I also put a bras clunk inside the header tank so no matter how many flippy flips it did there was always fuel. I just used a RC plane fuel tank.
Backflip with a Nitro 👍 I can see why people like the old Savage
Tighten the second screw just a bit. It'll shift then adjust from there. Clockwise.
I love the body, color scheme is mint. Can’t wait for ya bashing vidz 👍
the way he revs his landy is so cool
You could try tightening the screw on second gear completely then run it and loosen the screws a quarter turn then turn and so on.
I had the first Savage 20 years ago. I ended up putting the Truckzilla kit on it, with the .46 engine and longer chassis, bigger wheels and tires. 3 speed transmission, and too many aluminum parts. It took on 20 foot jump and never ran again. lol. Sat in the garage until last month when someone wanted to buy it.
Oh wow.. did u see that drop test... Honestly I figured ha ha.. but omg.. you could seriously see how slowly the compression of the shock was... That's honestly better than I've seen
Nice video Kevin. I had the same issue with the fuel line. I just zip tied it to the plastic exhaust muffler. It doesn't really get hot enough to melt the fuel line. Hasn't come off on me yet
Love what you do, but i feel like you should test before swapping things out. Servos could be possible issues, would also be good to know for sure if the range is good or bad with the stock radio
And if there's something that can protect the engine head it would be great.
But having the knowledge (thanks Kev) about the servos and brake setup is a good thing before we think about buying one.
😀👍
Shift instructions for setting are step one. Bottom out the set screw clockwise until it fully stops. Step two, back out the set screw four full turns counterclockwise and stop. Step three test drive and shift. Final adjustment made in only 1/4 a turn according to your preferences.
I bet when you touch the frame it feels good cause the texture looks good even in camera.
i used to bash the savage xl when it 1st came out, i had a few problems with it, the crankshaft used to snap off the conrod pin, so i put a force 32 engine in it, also the engine mount plate used to bend after a few hits on the cylinder head like you did there, so i made engine plate's from t6 aircraft alloy, but i ended up going electric brushless because they are way more reliable than any nitro engine. i used to hate the old electric starter they used to have then, i see they took that off for a pull starter.