Engines for Nitro Remote Control Cars

Engines for nitro remote control cars come in a variety of types, and it's important for you to distinguish among them and know what maintenance they require so that you can keep your nitro RC car in able shape for competitions or fun races with friends.
Most engines for nitro remote control cars are 2-stroke engines-- unlike the internal combustion engines for life-sized cars and lawn mowers, which are 4-stroke engines. Every cycle of an engine's piston involves two strokes; 4-stroke engines require the piston to make two cycles-- one to get rid burnt fuel and replace it with fresh fuel, and the other to power the car via the fourth stroke.
The 2-stroke engine, on the other hand, only needs one cycle of the piston to power the car. The first stroke is initiated by the explosion of the mixture of fuel and air, which forces the piston down. During the second stroke, the piston moves up, exerts pressure on the combustion chambers, triggering another explosion and repeating the cycle.
Most of the engines for nitro remote control cars that you'll find will last you long enough to go through one to ten gallons of fuel. If you frequently race nitro RC cars, you will need to replace your engines often. Though powerful, nitro RC engines are extremely small, ranging from 0.12 to 0.30 inches in size.
Older nitro RC car engines used to have their pistons encircled by rings, which enabled them to compress the fuel/air mixture in the same manner as a gas powered engine would. Today, however, you'll virtually always encounter ABC engines with no rings. Rather, the ABC engine has a tapered brass sleeve over the piston; the taper on the sleeve, combined with a thin oil film, makes it possible for the piston to compress the fuel.
The smaller engines for nitro powered RC cars are called small blocks; their size ranges between 0.12 and 0.18 inches, and they work best in 1/10th scale vehicles. Small blocks utilize crankshafts that are threaded all the way on the visible part in front of the engine. The larger big block engines use the SG crankshaft, which is only partially threaded in the middle.
If you own a nitro radio controlled car made by Traxxas, your engine will use a special crankshaft: the IPS or Integrated Pilot Shaft. The IPS has a special e-clip slot at the end to help you change the clutch bell more easily if you need to.
Another vital part in engines for nitro remote control cars is the cooling head-- made of aluminum. The cooling fins on the cooling head redirect heat from the engine to the outside air, but they require good ventilation to function properly. A hole in the nitro RC car's windshield-- right above the engine-- will help you give your nitro car the airflow it needs so the engine doesn't overheat. Also tune your engine regularly so that overheating becomes less likely.
If you want to minimize problems with your RC nitro car's engine, spend about as much time maintaining it as you do running the car; invest this time, and you'll have a reliable RC car which will give you back in thrill and enjoyment much more than the value of the labor you put into it.


Article from : http://www.rc-cars-hobby.com/