RC Car - Which Engine Is The Best?

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Which Engine Is The Best?

Comments: Hi Pro. I have another 1/8 scale question for you. This one is about buggy engines. I've been doing some research and this is what I've found out. O.S. engines like the RZ-B don't have chrome cylinders as their website claims, I've heard they are Nickel and wear out quickly. I hear Picco makes an excellent engine, a very popular engine called the KS and the KS Mod. I've looked at RB Concept engines. And NovaRossi Engines. NovaRossi is an Italian engine and the RB's are French. I have seen RB's for sale in magazines claiming 3+ HP. But their website for that engine claims 2.4 HP. One of the local hobby shops have a new NovaRossi "goldhead" engine in and they claim it blows the doors off everything. I hear this and I hear that but I can't find any direct comparisons on anything...even on the internet. Is there any place I can go for a comparison between things...new products and engines...maybe some dyno readouts of torque and hp curves...I don't know. Something! It's so frustrating for me. I'd love a killer engine but not a $450 RB concept circuit worlds 97 ya know? Is there something I should be looking for in an engine? You know the Detroit track because you've been there...what is an ideal engine for that track? Also, what is the difference between a Mod engine and a regular engine. Have you heard anything on this NovaRossi Goldhead deal?

Thanks!

Response: This is a busy one. First off, O.S. does have chrome plated sleeves. It was originally thought that they were nickel plated and that is why they were wearing out so fast so a friend of mine on the Kyosho USA Team when to a plating shop to get his RZB sleeve chrome plated. When he went to pick the sleeve up the guy told him that the sleeve was already chrome plated. The problem with the O.S. engines is not in the sleeve, it is in the piston. The material that O.S. uses for their pistons is too soft so the engine wears out very quickly. Regardless of this fact, the engine still produces a huge amount of power and is one of my favorites.

Picco is another one of my favorites. In fact, I only run O.S. and Picco engines in my cars. Picco seems to last a lot longer and even produce a little more power but parts availability is an issue. They are not distributed by any major distributors on a consistent basis (some companies pick them up but only temporarily. I don't know why, they are a great engine). For this reason I have stayed more with the O.S. than the Picco.

O.S. is (like Kyosho) distributed by Great Planes, a company that really takes care of their customers. I would deal with Great Places over any major distributor any day. Parts availability and warranty make the O.S. a great decision in any situation.

As for the RB, I don't know a lot about them but I talked to a few of my friends about them. As you said, these things are major power houses. Apparently they are untouchable on the track. The only draw backs I can think of are the price and parts availability (no good to have a fast motor if you can't replace the carb o-rings or buy a new connecting rod). Keep it in mind though.

Nova Rossi, very good motor as well (not to be mistaken for a Rossi, these are two completely different engines). Same deal as the RB and Picco, parts availability is an issue. I'm putting a large emphasis on parts availability because you do need to do periodic maintenance on the engine and without being able to get the basic replacements, the engine will only last to its first rebuild.

Overall don't worry too much (same advice as the car). Any engine you mentioned is top of the line. They all have tonnes of power and will last the entire race. Remember the most important part of Nitro racing, you must finish to win. Most A-mains are between 30 and 45 minutes in length. A fast motor that only runs for 10 minutes is of no use to anyone. You can be sure that any one of the above motors is race proven so buy what your pocket book allows you to and keep servicing in mind.

For my dollar, as I mentioned, I would stick with the O.S. even though it does have a wear problem (let's not blow this problem out of proportion, the engine still lasts, it is just a little more temperamental to overheating, and this may be a good thing as you will learn very quickly how to tune your engine properly). I like dealing with the company and I have never had a problem getting something like a front bearing before the "World Challenge Race". Don't necessarily listen to me, review my input but the final decision must be yours. You shouldn't buy a Honda over a Toyota on my account.

Don't compare RPM, torque, power, gazebo, gamma ray, wammy bar, and chutzpah outputs from different engines on paper. Talk to the guys that run the engines, they know more than any piece of paper can tell you. Stick with the basics. Is the motor fast enough to win (not necessarily the fastest engine wins)? Can I buy parts for the engine? Is the engine efficient with fuel (no good to pit every 6 minutes when everyone else is going 8 minutes)? Will the engine last the race, the season? Put more of your emphasis on questions like this and not torque curves.

The Detroit track is a very fast track. Lots of wide sweeping turns, soft dirt, high traction, burms build up in the turns so you can carry a lot of speed. Any engine you mentioned is a good Detroit track engine.

As for the modified question. People like Ron Paris (engine guru) will take apart an engine and tool the insides to increase the power output but not reduce the fuel economy. This is very hard to do and is usually worth the extra bucks. DO NOT TRY TO DO THIS ON YOUR OWN. These guys know things that we can not even begin to understand, leave it that way (unless you have lots of money to spend and if that is the case, send it to me, I can always use a few bucks). I am trying to scare people into not touching their motors because many people try it and ruin a good engine. Don't fall into this power trap, the engine manufacturers are very smart, let them make the motor. Professionally modified motors (by people like Ron Paris) are very good though. The Picco I ran for a few seasons was a Paris motor and it was a great engine.

Let's take off a few tenths per lap,

"PRO"
Pro Racer Secrets