<![if gte mso 9]><xml><w:worddocument><w:view></w:view><w:browserlevel></w:browserlevel></w:worddocument></xml><![endif]><![if gte mso 9]><xml><w:latentstyles latentstylecount="156" deflockedstate="false"></w:latentstyles></xml><![endif]><![if gte mso 10]><style type="text/css"> Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style><![endif]><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Nitro Tips and Tricks</span>[/b]

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here is what I have read, it really helps me, I want to share it and I <span style=""></span>hope it comes in handy to others.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you are buying your first nitro vehicle, choose wisely.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For your first nitro car or truck, you should buy a vehicle that comes with a reputable engine. For example, Traxxas makes good engines to start on, as are Associated's. Don't go out and buy a car with an engine you have never heard of. My first engine was a Force .12 and it was a major pain. Also, it would not be a bad idea to get a kit car and buy a good engine such as an O.S. for it for your first nitro vehicle.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Don't obssess over tuning.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've seen people who insist they must tune their engine every 15 minutes and then complain about how much tuning they need to do and how hard it is. If your engine is running well and starting easily, don't worry about tuning it. Nitro engines are fairly resiliant.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If the car isn't running well, it isn't necessarily a tuning problem.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've noticed that when a nitro vehicle isn't running perfectly, most newbies will go straight to the carb and fiddling with all the needles. Much of the time, the real problem lies somewhere else, such as in the clutch, starting system, fuel lines or tank, or air filter. If you have tuned your engine and it was running well recently, then your problem is most likely NOT the carb settings. My car once wasn't moving at all and the engine sounded too rich, but the real problem was that the clutch nut had come loose and prevented the clutch from engaging or the engine from revving.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If the car isn't starting, don't play with the needles.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Same as above. If the car isn't starting, check your glow ignitor, glow plug, starting system, and air filter BEFORE adjusting the needles.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Get a good charger.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">You may be thinking, "What? This isn't electric!" However, you will appreciate a good charger that can charge glow ignitors, Rx packs, and 7.2 stick packs for engine starting. My MRC SuperBrain 959 can do all that and it only cost $50.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Perform regular maintenance.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is fairly simple. Regularly clean and oil your air filter, clean your chassis of dirt and dust, clean your engine, and apply threadlock to ALL metal-to-metal connections.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Get a failsafe.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Buy a failsafe and set it up CORRECTLY. Put the failsafe in between your reciever and throttle servo and set it to FULL BRAKE. Failsafes are a must when running in many areas because they prevent damage to your car, and, more importantly, other people and their property.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Filter it!</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There are three ways for dirt to enter your engine: Through the air, the fuel, and the exhaust port (pipe). To prevent dirt from entering your motor, get a good quality fuel filter and air filter and clean them both after an hour of runtime.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Use the right glow plug for your engine.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Cold and hot plugs do not make an engine run colder or hotter. They simply determine the temperature at which the fuel and air ignites. As a general rule, small-block engines need hot plugs and big-blocks need cold plugs.</span>


<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here are a couple useful tips from Nitrohouse.com:</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Don't get dirt in your pipe!</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A common cause of dirt ingestion (off road) is through the exhaust. YES the exhaust! </span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here is the scenario, you crash or cartwheel the car it stuffs the exhaust stinger into the dirt. The engine stalls, there is always residue fuel and oil in the pipe. It mix's with the dirt, you carry the car and are not careful how you hold the car. The dirt/fuel/oil runs back into the exhaust port!!!</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In addition, the pipe has a reverse pulse action [part of what make a tuned pipe work] when running, dirt in pipe ends up in engine!! </span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">One more scenario (off and on road), you blow up your old trusty engine&hellip;&hellip; bummer you bolt in your spare or even brand new back up. DID you remember to wash the debris out of your pipe from the exploded engine before mounting and starting your new engine! </span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have seen brand new engines ruined just spinning them over on the starter box the first time! </span>


<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Read your glow plug after you have used for the first few times</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">OS and Turbo glow plugs go gray sooner (easier) than McCoy plugs; this is not necessarily bad. Actually when A new plug wire just goes slightly gray after a 5 or 10 minute hard run it means your very close to an optimal horsepower tune, but be careful the next step is TOO LEAN!</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Make a few hot laps then stop engine a pull the plug to "read". General rules to reading a plug are:</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Note: You can only "Read" your plug in a nearly new state [Wire like new and shiny] A gray plug can still operate well. But after it has totally gone gray performance can start to fall off. To test just put in a new plug and if there is no difference in performance save the gray one or put it back in. If your engine does not feel or run right tray a new plug before making major tune change's</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breaking in your engine on a starter box</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some methods of break-in require you to put your car on a stand. If you are using a starter box, turn on the box and fire up the engine. Turn off the starter box and follow the manufacturer's instructions with the car on the box. When it is time to shut off the motor, simply press down on the car so that the flywheel contacts the starter wheel and the motor will shut off. This method of break-in is safer and easier than letting your car idle on the floor or on a cardboard box.</span>

<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hopefully these things, most of which I learned the hard way, will help you to prevent problems before they come about.</span></p>

Very good basic info.

You forgot the most important nitro tip of all!
if you are having issues with your nitro, then go brushless!

nah most important tips
don't smoke around nitro fuel (some guy on the forums did awhile back...)
Don't drink it