Choosing the right glow plug for your Nitro RC Car

The glow plug is one amazing piece of engineering, theQuality over quantity.
closest anyone has ever got to a true perpetualWhen buying a radio controlled glow plug it's always,
motion machine, you radio controlled cars engine willas so many things in file, worth your while to get the
run without anything apart from fuel, no spark plugs orslightly more expensive glow plug, these generally
electrical ignition, these babies run on the glow.have a more consistent tune and heat and will often
Selecting the correct glow plug is not that difficult yououtlast the cheaper plugs by several runs, which
just have to understand how they work. Truth be toldmakes up for the extra cost.
they are not exactly perpetual motion machine, theyReading your glow plug
still require a little kick with a 1.5V battery to start theUsing a few simple methods it's easy to find out how
glow, after that they will keep glowing as long as theclose you are to a perfect tune by inspecting the glow
engine is running.plug, if there is a surplus of oil on the head then they
Turbo or Standardare running to rich and need to lean up your mixture, if
A turbo plug will only work in a turbo engine, these doyour glow plug is a grey color with a small amount of
not have tiny 1:10 Scale fans blowing air into the engineoil then your spot on with your tune, likewise if there is
like there full sized counter parts, the turbo plug islittle to no oil and your glow plug filament is bent or
tapered at the end to create a tighter fit to the enginethinning where it connects to the base of the glow plug
head, this in turn increases power slightly, you can't usethen you are too lean and need to richen your mixture.
a turbo plug in a standard engine, these requireSome general points about glow plugs
standard plugs.- Never touch the filament, this is very fragile and doing
The Glow Plug Temperature Ratingso can break the filament and ruin a plug.
You need to find the right temperature glow plug for- Protect your engine by only buying good glow plugs
your engine, a hotter plug will work better when thefrom decent hobby shops
engine is a little short of heat, while you should use a- Keep your glow plugs in a cool dry place, they don't
cooler glow plug if you have a large engine thatlike moisture
produces a lot of heat.Hotter glow plugs also make it- Always select the right glow plug
easier to start your engine, while the colder glow plugs- Follow the recommended break in procedures for
will give you slightly better performance during you run.your engine.
There is no right or wrong setup, everything needs to- When Breaking in an engine chances are that the
be taken into account, from the temperature of the airplug you use will be ruined.
to the hight above sea level these all affect they way- Keep your engine in tune
the glow plug will perform.- Never tighten a glow plug too much, it doesn't need
For a detailsed guide on how to read your glow plugto be as tight as you think
please see the tutorial which can be found on The- Watch out for nitro detonation, this means your using
Ultimate RC Resource Sitethe wrong plug or your tune is way off.