Nitro Powered RC Vehicles

Nitro powered remote control vehicles are great to use, but require a little more TLC than their electric counterparts. Although an in-depth cleaning is not required after every use it does need to be done pretty routinely, probably once a month or more often if the vehicle is used frequently. The first step is the most obvious: check the outer body for damage. While cleaning it make sure to give the body of your RC vehicle a good look over, making sure to check for cracks and missing pieces. Use water and a mild soap to clean the outer body, a soft towel will work on the larger portions and Q-tip will work on those hard to reach small areas.

Next you need to check on the inner workings of the engine of the vehicle, specially the fuel tank, air filter and cylinder head. The fuel tank of a nitro engine needs to be drained periodically to avoid a build-up of water condensation, be sure to also check the fuel line at this time. Second, take out the air filter and clean it thoroughly with warm soapy water and make sure to apply new oil to the air filer before putting it back in the engine. Finally, make sure to add after-burn to the cylinder head of the engine, although this should be done after every use it is understandable that sometimes you forget. Make sure to take a quick look at the wires, servos, etc. associated with the engine to check for damage.

Lastly, after checking the body and engine of the nitro RC vehicle, you need to check other such as the tires, batteries, wings, and shocks depending on the type of RC vehicle. For remote control cars, trucks, and buggies the tires and suspension system are the most important parts to check. The propellers of RC helis and airplanes are critical and need to be checked routinely. The batteries of all remote control vehicles need to be checked regularly for possible corrosion. 

-Tim