While the experience of driving a nitro RC is quite different than an electric RC, the overall technical details of controlling the vehicle are the largely the same. If you don’t have any experience driving any RC vehicle, watch this video on the basics. With that said, here are a few key differences you’ll want to keep in mind before you start your nitro RC and take it for a drive.
Safety
The absolute worst outcome from a bashing session would be for someone to get hurt. Anytime you start a nitro RC, there is a possibility that the throttle could be stuck in the open position and you lose control of the vehicle (aka “runaway”), even if you have the proper fail safes in place.
The typical cause of a runaway is the lack of a throttle return or a malfunctioning throttle return. If you’re driving your nitro RC at full throttle without a proper throttle return and the batteries for your receiver die, your transmitter will immediately stop working and the throttle will be stuck in the open position, sending your nitro RC at full speed in whatever direction it was headed. A 15-pound ball of plastic and metal at 50 mph can do a lot of damage.
For this reason, I don’t think it is responsible to operate a nitro RC around people that aren’t paying attention to the action, especially if there are children around. Use common sense and error on the side of caution so no one gets hurt.
But I have a proper fail safe set up and throttle return installed, what do I have to worry about?
Electronic fail safes can malfunction and throttle returns can break or become dislodged while driving your nitro RC. Also, a runaway isn’t the only way you can hurt someone with a nitro RC. You could make a mistake while driving or a bystander could take an unpredictable action that puts them in harms way. You can avoid all of these possibilities by staying away from other people. If someone wants to watch, have them stand behind a barrier or close to you. If they won’t comply, shut it down and go somewhere else.
Go easy on your engine
There are three ways you can decrease the life of your engine with improper driving habits:
1. Driving aggressively before the engine has warmed up.
Run your vehicle for 5-10 minutes before you start mashing the throttle and doing full speed passes. This gives the engine a chance to warm up and operate in its optimal state.
2. Driving with the engine too hot.
The best way to know if your engine is too hot is with an infrared thermometer pointed at the glow plug. 270 deg F is generally the hottest you want your engine running and most engines will run between 180-250 deg F. Anymore than 270 deg F and you can start doing serious damage to the engine.
If you don’t have a thermometer, you can briefly touch the metal on the cooling head. If you can hold your finger for a second or so, you should be fine. If it is too hot to touch, the engine needs to cool down. Perform this test at your own risk.
Keep your engine cool by tuning it properly (more on that later) and driving the vehicle with care. If you’re doing donuts in the street at full throttle, the engine is going to heat up quickly. Running in grass can also heat up engines, especially smaller vehicles in taller grass.
3. Running the engine too lean
We’ll get more into how tuning works later in the guide, but for now just know that your engine needs to be tuned properly every time you run it. Part of the nitro RC experience is monitoring the state of the engine at all times and recognizing when adjustments to the carburetor need to be made. If your engine is running lean (there is not enough nitro fuel getting to the engine), it will run hot and not have sufficient lubrication, which will result in increased engine wear.
The video below covers some basic tips for driving (and jumping) a nitro RC.