Engine for TC3?

[esion]

So I just purchased a TC3, and so far I am really pleased with it but now I need an engine. I really want speed over anything...they say you can only put in a .12 or .15 engine...anyone know if there are any mod kits to put in a .18 or .21?

If not...can anyone suggest a good .15 that will give me ample speed without too much hassle?

Thanks...

 

[kwong2001]

Don't put a .18 or .21 in it. That's just a waste. Get a nice italian .12 size engine.

I run a novarossi ns12s3 in mine. It's fast as hell. But a bitch to tune.

What exactly are you looking for? Do you want the best race engine? Or do you want something that's easy to tune and pretty fast?

How's your tuning ability?

 

[esion]

I have to admit I am not an expert on these things as of yet. My buddy and I went down today and just checked out some engines...we looked at some novarossis...some guy came over and noted that a .12 was a great engine. So I think that is the way we are leaning...the dealer showed us some OS .12 and .15s, its just a tough choice.

All I want is something that is going to be fast, we might do a little racing, but if we race we have to have a .12, and I dont mind if we can't race and put a .15 in. We also looked into some of the pre-built RTR cars, and noticed one had a .18 RTR. I was jealous to say the truth, but if I can put a .12 or .15 in my TC3, tune it right, and get it going faster than that I would be happy.

The guy there said he has a TC3 with a "pixie(sp?)" and he said it was clocked over 100mphs. Have any insight on that? I was impressed, and I would love to pull that out of my touring car. He said the engine was $300+, and that is rough on the pocket book, but I figure that is about what I am going to pay for my novarossi (it was 270+tax).

Basically, I bought a top of the line TC3 kit...I want to put a top of the line engine in. Might as well spend big and go big.

 

[nitromaniac]

Originally posted by esion
The guy there said he has a TC3 with a "pixie(sp?)" and he said it was clocked over 100mphs.

First of all, tell this guy he is a frikin idiot for saying this! we have all heard these false claims before and are getting tired of it!
Yes , you could get a nova and have a very fast tc3, but since you are new at this I wouldnt recommend it! I can understand that since you are fairly new at this you want speed, everyone who starts off in this hobby always wants the same thing,SPEED! how fast can I go? whats the fastest? its always the same questions!
How long have you been driving? have you raced yet? can you go around a track and maintain a car at a good pace and still increase your lap times? can you tune an engine? I am not trying to sound like an butthead here but these are important factors that will help you make the right decisions in the future, most people new to the hobby dont even consider these things, they just want to go fast! In my opinion you may want to try an OS12 or OS15 first, you wont spend alot(save money,trust me, your gonna need it!) for your first engine and you will be able to learn how to tune faster, and trust me, your car will be plenty fast! OS mills are reliable,easy to tune and as fast as you need them to be when you are first starting out,as you get more familiar with wrenching,tuning,driving and gearing you can always get a decent racing engine in the future! Lots of people will tell you lots of different things! The best thing I can tell you from my experience is to learn first and dont make your decisions based on speed, theirs alot more to it than that! Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[tmd]

Originally posted by nitromaniac


First of all, tell this guy he is a frikin idiot for saying this! we have all heard these false claims before and are getting tired of it!
Yes , you could get a nova and have a very fast tc3, but since you are new at this I wouldnt recommend it! I can understand that since you are fairly new at this you want speed, everyone who starts off in this hobby always wants the same thing,SPEED! how fast can I go? whats the fastest? its always the same questions!
How long have you been driving? have you raced yet? can you go around a track and maintain a car at a good pace and still increase your lap times? can you tune an engine? I am not trying to sound like an butthead here but these are important factors that will help you make the right decisions in the future, most people new to the hobby dont even consider these things, they just want to go fast! In my opinion you may want to try an OS12 or OS15 first, you wont spend alot(save money,trust me, your gonna need it!) for your first engine and you will be able to learn how to tune faster, and trust me, your car will be plenty fast! OS mills are reliable,easy to tune and as fast as you need them to be when you are first starting out,as you get more familiar with wrenching,tuning,driving and gearing you can always get a decent racing engine in the future! Lots of people will tell you lots of different things! The best thing I can tell you from my experience is to learn first and dont make your decisions based on speed, theirs alot more to it than that! Good luck and keep us posted!

very well said. the first day i bought my rtr3, all i wanted was more speed. untill the next day i had to came back to my hobbt shop cause i broke lots of parts, and i played it in a huge empty parking lot. now, i'm still learning to handle .15fe. it takes a lot of practice to drive like a pro, i dont like tracks, i like parking lots, and i still break lots of parts......so use a cheap slow engine, drive it like you stole it, when it goes, get a faster one. IMHO :ball:

 

[Diver6127]

Originally posted by esion
So I just purchased a TC3, and so far I am really pleased with it but now I need an engine. I really want speed over anything...they say you can only put in a .12 or .15 engine...anyone know if there are any mod kits to put in a .18 or .21?

If not...can anyone suggest a good .15 that will give me ample speed without too much hassle?

Thanks...

Esion, I have run both a .12 & .15 in my NTC3. The OS .12CVR-x is a nice performer. It was a screamer. Takes a while to wind out the engine and really get some speed but it had good performance. I still have it but it's a backup engine now that I put an OS .15 CVR (nonpull). I love the .15! It screams and has gobs of torque. If you are mainly going to bash and not really compete, get the .15, some tracks only allow .12's.

The OS .12CVR-x goes for about $115-$128. The OS .15CVR-x goes for about $130 and up. Check Towerhobbies.com for price listings. Remember to get either an SG or shortshaft for your NTC3. If you want a slider carb, then you need to get a standard shaft and cut it down to size becuase these engines don't come in SG or S sizing when ordered with a slider carb. Otherwise, oder as is and live with the rotary carb.

 

[esion]

Thanks guys...all this information is really helping.

I guess since I am new I should get a smaller engine and learn how to work the car before I just toss in a huge screamer and break a lot of parts. Any more information on tuning and upgrading the speed from these sorts of moves is greatly appreciated..maybe like a link to some threads or websites that have some walkthrus (?). Thanks again.

 

[Nitroaddict]

esion - something to note, it seems that you have the misconception that a bigger engine is a faster engine. This is simply not true. The vast majority of race .12 engines will be much faster than the sport .15 and .18's out there. I would venture to say that my .12 which is in the touring car i race will beat the pants off of any .18 on the market. Go with the OS engines, they are quite reliable, and very fast. Which kit did u buy - the PS/SE or the NON-PS/RE version?

 

[esion]

Okay well I went out and got an engine and got a ton of problems along with it.

For starters I'm retarded and I had read that my kit was for a non pull start rear exhaust...and what do? I buy in the heat of the moment without thinking...the opposite...a pull start side exhaust. While this didnt create too much problems because the instructions had both ways of building the system, I had to run down the hobby shop and grab some new parts and such. The engine was also standard shaft, so I had to dremel off the end and get an attachment to make it fit the short shaft. (Truthfully that took some balls because I had no idea what I was doing with my engine, I was just following what the guys at the store told me to do. But I did it and it worked out great)

I ended up going with an HPI .12 SS...the same engine that comes in the RS4 3, I believe. They said it had good quality, and I wouldnt burn it out as quick as the novarassi. For now I think it will do well, I upgraded my one gear to boost my low end torque, and got a high end exhaust for the top end speed. I am going to finish up installation and start it up tomorrow. Gotta break it in and finish some last minute tweaks.

If you know any little tweaks I could do to boost my overall performance let me know. I was looking at enhancing the stance by getting a conversion with longer CVD dogbones that should push out the wheel base for better handling, as well as some anti roll bars. I guess for now its okay...but its only going to get better.

 

[kwong2001]

Depending on where you run it, you can get some foam tires which will help handling more than just longer CVD's.

Also, you can get a 2 speed transmission which will help acceleration greatly. But it can be kind of a pain if you're a noob.

Also, a nice race body will help overall performance. But you probably won't notice it unless you race. I know I sure don't (i'm a basher myself)

 

[esion]

The TC3 runs on a 2 speed tranny...so I got that one, need to adjust the clutch timing and stuff which is tough to get used to.

I got the motor all broken in and primed, I really like it alot...its got plenty of speed for what I need right now and I am really enjoying it. Tomorrow I am going to take it out all day and really get used to the handling and adjust a few things along the way. A HPI rep came in as I was tweaking it at the hobby shop and loved the setup and was really impressed, so I think things are going great so far.

Thanks again guys.