Savage XL 5.9 to Savage Octane Conversion

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Vvajk

Vvajk

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42
I have to admit, that I'm intrigued by the possibility of converting to octane if and when my current 5.9 gives up the ghost. But, I have no idea if such a conversion is even within the realm of realistic possibility. The release of the Savage Octane gives me hope . . . but I wonder what would be involved in swapping in the gas engine.

Any thoughts?
 
well, u would have to move the tank to a mid tank{ and buy a new tank} move all of the electronics{ which requires some drilling} new engine and mount, new exhaust mount and pipe, roll cage wouldn't be a bad idea, possibly a new gear set, plus the octane really isn't a good truck anyway, imo. my advice, wait until t hpi get's all of the bugs worked out. sure, gas is cheaper, but the octane is much harder to tune, slower,{ with both acceleration and speed} less tourqe, and it is heavier.
 
Wow, I wasn't aware of the bugs and problems with the Savage Octane! The biggest reason for wanting to go with gasoline was to get a more reliable, less finicky, easier to tune engine! I would be willing to sacrifice a little speed for it. Plus the cost of gas ... that too.

I saw that Losi also has a 1/8 scale gasoline powered truck. The engine looks much smaller than the HPI octane engine. In fact it doesn't look much bigger than the 5.9. I wonder what kind of performance folks are getting from the Losi, and if that engine would make a better swap into the Savage because of it's size.
 
so, I researched the losi xxl 2, losi's 1/8 scale gas. that would work amazingly in a savage xl. the motor's about the same size as the 5.9, { block wise} and it sounds exactly like a nitro. it performes like a nitro, too. only difference is that gas is cheaper, and it's eaiser to tune. u shouldn't have to do much of anything to the truck, exapt it might be a good idea to put a mid tank mod on it, so u have a bigger tank for the petrol. but as far as the drivetrain, u shoundn't have to do much. I would go for it. here's a vid of the losi,{ u have to skip the first minute}. as u can see, not much dirrerent in sound.
 
That is great news! I talked about my idea to a guy at the LHS and he likes the idea, but he said "good luck on the 5.9 wearing out ... it'll last forever."
 
Now that rig sounds and runs right too....If I were to have my choice of either that or the Octane I think the Losi would win out for sure with me....even though the steering arm did break off the looks sounds and all have me sold, Hurry Up HPI you got some catching up to do.....
 
yea, I wonder if rpm makes parts for it yet,{ the losi} since it is kinda new. it's also cheaper than the octane,{ 100$}so yea, hpi's got some work to do to the octane before I buy it over the losi.
 
Just went to Dynamite's website. They want $379 for the engine. Seems like a lot. I paid $275 for my Savage XL (used). To swap for the gas engine would be $379. For that much you could almost buy the Losi brand new. But seeing as how I already own the Savage and will probably get a lot of use out of it before the 5.9 tires out, it seems like a viable option for the future.
 
I have the Losi LST 2, you have to tune it just like a nitro. The bottom end of the engine is basically a big block nitro ( it has no rings) with a top end designed to make it run on gas. Don't expect it to be easy to tune. It is a very high RPM engine with little low end power, it really comes on from mid-range to top-end. They have the clutch system set up so that it's revved up quite a bit before the truck will even take off. Don't expect any wheelies at take off either, they just wont do it. But it does run 100 times better than the Octane, much faster. It also won't stay running on its top, so if you turn the truck over expect to restart it. I would stay with the nitro 5.9, or just strait out buy a Losi if you want a gas truck. Got mine from LHS for $700, that's $200 less than I paid for the Octane.
 
So sounds like it wouldn't be the dream I was hoping for ... except for the cheaper fuel? What about going 1/5 scale for a gasser? Like a Baja or a 5T? I used to have an RC helicopter that ran on a 26cc gas engine. I LOVED that engine! Neer took more than 3 pulls to start and ran great. No glo plugs, less tuning, cheaper fuel, etc.
 
I bought the 5T and it is very dependable, easy starts and I haven't touched the needles strait out of the box it runs great. My first 5th scale and I love it but it won't wheelie like 1/8th scales do. Very tough and well built though. Only other draw back is you need a large area to run it, I have a big yard about an acre and It still is not quite enough room to really have fun with the 5T.
 
I definatly will keep tabs on this build. first conversion to the dynamite engine I've seen. I want to see how it works. I may do It to another savage myself
 
Guessing the .31 octane conversion has not started yet. Or does the search function just suck like most other forums.
 
slw206 said:
Guessing the .31 octane conversion has not started yet. Or does the search function just suck like most other forums.
Click to expand...

the search function here works well as long as one puts in the correct terminology......
 
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