New_In

So you just got the box with the NEW motor in it, fresh from the Hobby dealer or the delivery service! Mouth-watering, ready to bolt it up and RUN it! Such a beauty. Such an elegant work of machining and engineering. STOP. WHOA. You gotta check some things to avoid the dreaded "new motor break-in destruction sequence".....here are some things to check....

EVERY PART THAT BOLTS ONTO THE MOTOR. EVERY SCREW THAT HOLDS ANYTHING TOGETHER. ANY NUT OR GASKET THAT IS VISIBLE.

ON the ST 2300 - REMOVE AND DISCARD the plug provided. It is completely worthless, and not even suitable for break-in. Replace with OS-F, ENYA 4 Stroke, K&B 4C, Rossi #5, Sonictronics 4C. Any of these are known to run quite well in this motor.

Some folks get REALLY into the new motor checking, going so far as to disassemble the thing. I'd caution against this, UNLESS you are very comfortable with that particular motor. How embarassing would it be to have to ship it back, disassembled, with a note asking to "put it together"?

However, if you feel capable, and are experienced at these things, we'd recommend the following....

Remove Cylinder head	Inspect top of piston, ring edge, rotate crankshaft SLOWLY, feeling for any roughness while you LOOK into the cylinder bore. Eyeball each port edge for little flashings.
Remove backplate	Inspect any/all o-rings, screw holes. Check carefully around the connecting rod ends for any metal debris. Slowly rotate the crankshaft while looking at the main bearing, looking for any metal particles. Look 'up' into the cylinder/piston from the crankcase side.
Remove carburetor	Check bore in crankcase for machine/casting flashings or metal parts. Remove needle valves, mixture screws, throttle barrel stop/retainer screws. Again, inspect for ANY debris or flashing of any kind. Reassemble with LIGHT film of synthetic oil. (Like Klotz KL100)
Reassemble everything	Tighten all bolts/screws appropriately. DO NOT overtighten the carburetor drawbar which hold the carb in the crankcase. Be sure to push DOWN against the o-ring on the base of the carb while tightening the drawbar.