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Popular Questions
1. Factory carburetor settings.
2. How to clear a flooded engine.
3. How to stop a new engine from sticking at TDC (Top Dead Center).
4. How to adjust the slipper clutch.
5. How to adjust the two-speed on all models.
6. How to check the glow plug.
7. The importance of:
• Air filter maintenance
• After run maintenance
8. Tuning for performance, not temperature.
9. Engine Troubleshooting?: “My engine shuts off when turning around after a high speed pass.” or “My engine
shuts off when I hit the brakes.” Find your model on the left column then click engine. Locate your specific issue
and follow the instructions.
10. How long should the batteries last in my model (nitro and electric)?
11. Cold weather break in tips.
1. Factory carburetor settings.
2. How to clear a flooded engine.
3. How to stop a new engine from sticking at TDC (Top Dead Center).
4. How to adjust the slipper clutch.
5. How to adjust the two-speed on all models.
6. How to check the glow plug.
7. The importance of:
• Air filter maintenance
• After run maintenance
8. Tuning for performance, not temperature.
9. Engine Troubleshooting?: “My engine shuts off when turning around after a high speed pass.” or “My engine
shuts off when I hit the brakes.” Find your model on the left column then click engine. Locate your specific issue
and follow the instructions.
10. How long should the batteries last in my model (nitro and electric)?
11. Cold weather break in tips.
| Battery Charging Tips Always use to appropriate kind of charger. Know the MAH rating of the battery. Check your charger to see if you can adjust the charging amps. Match the charging amps to the battery MAH. Example: 1000Mah - Charge at 1 amp 2000Mah - Charge at 2 amps 2500Mah - Charge at 2.5 amps 3800Mah - Charge at 3.8 amps Car/Truck Receiver Batteries - Charge at .5 amp, or no more than 1 amp. !!Lithium Polymer Batteries!! Also known as LiPo, these batteries are volatile and must be handled with care. LiPo batteries can ONLY be charged with a LiPo capable charger. LiPo batteries should not be run down excessively like we used to do with NiCd and NiMh batteries. LiPo batteries must NOT be run down below 3 volts per cell or the battery will be ruined. If mis-treated, LiPo batteries can catch on fire or explode. |
| Store Location 1725 W. Williams Dr. Suite E-50 PHOENIX, AZ 85027 (602) 843-7223 (602) THE-RACE |
| Store Hours Monday Closed Tues - Thurs 12 - 7p Fri - Sat 12 - 8p Sun 12 - 6p |
Density Altitude - A Nitro Tuners Enemy or Friend?
Anyone who has ever tuned a nitro engine has probably
experienced a frustrating situation where your great tune up from a
week ago no longer runs good. Or, you go camping in the
mountains or down to the beach with all your stuff you hauled and
suddenly your planned fun with your nitro car turns in to nitro hell.
This is because of a little thing called Density Altitude.
Density altitude is the result of factoring barometric pressure,
humidity, temperature and grains of water per pound of air. This
information is then used for tuning purposes on a nitro engine.
NHRA drag racers are the pros at this technology with very
sophisticated measuring equipment to reach their results. The rest
of us have to collect our data and turn that screw driver carefully!
- Nitro Ned
Anyone who has ever tuned a nitro engine has probably
experienced a frustrating situation where your great tune up from a
week ago no longer runs good. Or, you go camping in the
mountains or down to the beach with all your stuff you hauled and
suddenly your planned fun with your nitro car turns in to nitro hell.
This is because of a little thing called Density Altitude.
Density altitude is the result of factoring barometric pressure,
humidity, temperature and grains of water per pound of air. This
information is then used for tuning purposes on a nitro engine.
NHRA drag racers are the pros at this technology with very
sophisticated measuring equipment to reach their results. The rest
of us have to collect our data and turn that screw driver carefully!
- Nitro Ned
| "I screwed up my tune up!" |
Q & A With Nitro Ned
Dear Ned;
What is the normal operating temp of a nitro small block
engine? - Rusty Cams
Rusty, most small block nitro engines run about 220 - 240
(F) degrees in moderate conditions. Of course excessively
inhumane heat, such as found in Phoenix AZ, can make an
engine run hotter. Only psycho people would live there
anyway so does it really matter? - Ned
Ned, my nitro car starts, runs fine then heats up and dies
and won't restart. This thing is killing me! What is going on?
- I.M. Gassed
Dear Gassed, you are not the only one, your engine is worn
out! The reason it starts cold is because the metal is at cold
tolerance (tight). As the engine gets hot, the metal expands
and tolerances get looser and the engine looses cylinder
compression and dies. The fix is a trip to Speed Sports for a
new piston and sleeve or an engine replacement. Speed
Sports also participates in the Traxxas Engine Exchange
Program that saves you about $20 on new engines. - Ned
Dear Ned;
What is the normal operating temp of a nitro small block
engine? - Rusty Cams
Rusty, most small block nitro engines run about 220 - 240
(F) degrees in moderate conditions. Of course excessively
inhumane heat, such as found in Phoenix AZ, can make an
engine run hotter. Only psycho people would live there
anyway so does it really matter? - Ned
Ned, my nitro car starts, runs fine then heats up and dies
and won't restart. This thing is killing me! What is going on?
- I.M. Gassed
Dear Gassed, you are not the only one, your engine is worn
out! The reason it starts cold is because the metal is at cold
tolerance (tight). As the engine gets hot, the metal expands
and tolerances get looser and the engine looses cylinder
compression and dies. The fix is a trip to Speed Sports for a
new piston and sleeve or an engine replacement. Speed
Sports also participates in the Traxxas Engine Exchange
Program that saves you about $20 on new engines. - Ned
Dear Ned;
My T-Maxx keeps stripping spur gears left and right.
Whats up??!! - Bernie Glowplug
Bernie, mis-adjustment can cause premature wear but
constant stripping of spur gears usually means a
broken motor mount. When a T-Maxx flips, and they
always do, they often come down hard on their head.
The impact tends to send a shock down the engine
and blow out the motor mount screw holes that
become stripped. The result is a engine that won't stay
aligned and although it seems tight, it is indeed
slipping and moving, destroying your spur gears in the
process.
The best fix for this is to head down to Speed Sports
and pick up a new motor mount, consider an aluminum
upgrade, and invest in a good roll cage such as made
by RC Solutions and sold at Speed Sports. This will
be your best friend and the end of your problems.
- Ned
My T-Maxx keeps stripping spur gears left and right.
Whats up??!! - Bernie Glowplug
Bernie, mis-adjustment can cause premature wear but
constant stripping of spur gears usually means a
broken motor mount. When a T-Maxx flips, and they
always do, they often come down hard on their head.
The impact tends to send a shock down the engine
and blow out the motor mount screw holes that
become stripped. The result is a engine that won't stay
aligned and although it seems tight, it is indeed
slipping and moving, destroying your spur gears in the
process.
The best fix for this is to head down to Speed Sports
and pick up a new motor mount, consider an aluminum
upgrade, and invest in a good roll cage such as made
by RC Solutions and sold at Speed Sports. This will
be your best friend and the end of your problems.
- Ned
| How to Release a Stuck Engine A new engine will typically have a tight fit between the piston and the top of the sleeve. This is a tapered fit, and a tight piston sleeve fit on initial startup is desirable for those who want the best performing engine. The fit should not be too tight to start the engine, however. It is important to keep the engine running after initial startup, which allows the engine to break-in enough for the sticking to go away. If the engine is not spinning (mechanically locked) there are a couple of areas to look at with simple solutions: First, make sure the engine is not simply flooded with fuel. For more information on how to clear a flooded engine refer to knowledgebase article #297 Next, make sure the engine is not sticking at top dead center (TDC). The TRX Racing Engine uses a ringless, aluminum-brass-chrome (ABC) piston/sleeve construction. The piston and sleeve have a tight, tapered fit at the top of the piston’s stroke (TDC) to form the seal that makes compression. This type of engine design relies on a very precise running fit between the piston and sleeve for cylinder sealing. On a brand new engine this fit can be extremely tight. The engine break-in process allows the piston and sleeve to wear-in so that the fit is not too tight to prevent running, but fits precisely as a matched set to provide optimal cylinder sealing. If the engine will not spin because the piston seems to be stuck at the top of its stroke, then first check to make sure that the EZ-Start battery is fully charged. A low battery in the EZ–Start control box will have a difficult time turning the engine over past the tight fit of the piston and sleeve at TDC. If the EZ-Start checks out and the engine still won’t spin then the piston will need to be released manually by rotating the flywheel in a counter- clockwise rotation (when looking at the front of the engine). A flat blade screwdriver will help to turn the flywheel. Place the blade of the screwdriver into one of the grooves of the flywheel, and turn/rotate the flywheel. On some vehicles, you can use the opening in the chassis (beneath the flywheel) as leverage for the screwdriver to aid in turning/rotating the flywheel. Continue turning/rotating the flywheel in small increments until the flywheel is easy to turn (no resistance). The engine is now ready to start. |