i have tried searching so please dont flame me, this is a real noob question. How do nitro engines actually work and how do pipes work? what makes one pipe better than another. If there is a link anyone can post or an explination anyone can give me, i would appriciate it. Thank you.

Shoot over to how stuff works and look at two-stroke engines to understand how two-stroke engines work (nitro engines are mostly two-stroke engines)

Pipes: Pipes affect the back pressure, and because of the dynamics of the exploding fuel and the need for the engine to clear out the gases, pipes that can do this at different rates and efficiencies can affect how the engine runs. Some pipes allow the engine to exhaust gases very quickly and this can create a situation that lets andengine rev very high, or the pipe can act in a way that it slows the process down and makes the engine happier at low RPM. You are getting very advanced when you start discussing the physics here, so don't get ahead of yourself.

Yeah howstuffworks.com will show you things workin 2 strokes. But as philster said you only really need to know the basics in how the exaust works for now. There is just way to much to learn and you will just get two much in your head to try to remember at least for a noob. Im not flaming you but your really getting into an advanced state of rc when you start to talk about how the exaust works and when you get into tuned pipes then it even becomes more advanced. But for now howstuffworks.com should tell you all that you need to know for now.