| Are you taking proper care of your RC nitro | | | | and reuse it. Weighing the costs of an engine |
| cars? A little bit of preparation can save | | | | repair (if the cleaning is not thorough) with |
| you a lot of money in repair costs. Learning | | | | the costs of a replacement filter may be wise |
| the basics of rc engine operations and proper | | | | when determining the value of replacement |
| maintenance will lengthen the life of your RC | | | | versus cleaning. |
| nitro cars and help you keep your vehicles in | | | | |
| top shape. | | | | Tuning the Engine |
| | | | |
| RC Nitro Engines | | | | While nitro engines can be more difficult to |
| | | | set up than their electric counterparts they |
| The RC nitro car?s engine works very similar | | | | also allow for the operator to adjust the |
| to a regular car engine. There are several | | | | engine and the vehicle?s performance. The |
| parts of the engine that require attention | | | | carburetor permits you to adjust the amount |
| for your vehicle to work at peak performance. | | | | of air/fuel mixture that is being used by the |
| Here are the main components RC vehicles rely | | | | engine. A low mix of fuel is called ?lean? |
| on for efficient driving and the preventative | | | | while a high ratio of fuel to air is ?rich?. |
| maintenance you should take. | | | | Making small adjustments to the mix according |
| | | | to the driving conditions will fine tune the |
| Fuel and Fuel Lines | | | | driving. On the other hand you need to be |
| | | | cautious that the mixture is not too lean or |
| The fuel used by RC nitro engines is a | | | | rich as this can damage the engine. |
| combination of nitro methane and a synthetic | | | | |
| or castor oil lubricant. You must use the | | | | Tires |
| proper fuel combination for your vehicle. If | | | | |
| your RC car is running poorly you need to | | | | Check the tires on your RC nitro cars before |
| examine the fuel system. Cracks or debris in | | | | putting them out on the track. Check that |
| the fuel lines may cause the engine to cut | | | | they are balanced following the instructions |
| out. It is advantageous to check your | | | | in your user?s manual. This is especially |
| vehicle?s fuel lines each time before running | | | | important during the initial setup. |
| it. Clean out dirty lines. If you find | | | | |
| problems consult your user manual before | | | | Testing |
| operating the vehicle. | | | | |
| | | | Whenever you are putting an RC car on the |
| Air Filter | | | | road for the first time or after it has been |
| | | | shelved for awhile you should test the |
| The air filter is an essential component to | | | | vehicle and tune it before running it fast or |
| your engine. The air filter clears out dirt | | | | on rough terrain. After driving the vehicle |
| and debris from the engine which permits it | | | | check it for debris. Make sure the parts move |
| to run smoothly. If the air filter becomes | | | | freely and have not become clogged with mud |
| clogged then dirt and heat will get trapped | | | | or dust. Running the vehicle without ensuring |
| in the engine making it work harder to draw | | | | it is clean can cause costly damage to the |
| air in. This can substantially affect its | | | | engine or other parts. Talk to experts about |
| performance or even damage the engine. Air | | | | the recommended upkeep necessary for your |
| filters can often be cleaned rather than | | | | chosen vehicle. Some models will have more |
| replaced. If the air filter in the model you | | | | expensive maintenance costs than others and |
| own is very expensive to replace you may wish | | | | may be a factor to consider when choosing |
| to clean the existing air filter carefully | | | | your vehicle. |