Nitro fuel percent, type, and time of year

[rcaddict234]

I am confused as to which nitro fuel is the best. I really like Morgan Fuel’s off road 25 and 30 percent. I think they stopped stocking those at my rc shop. I want to know the difference between off road fuel, on road fuel, and backyard basher. I want to know what fuel is best in winter. Also if you have a better fuel please tell me. Thank you.

 

[tudordewolf]

All a matter of taste, there are many threads discussing the pros and cons of various blends and manufacturers. I don't know of any seasonal changes suggested, it's a good idea to run an engine on the same blend most of its life if possible as far as I've heard. You might just need to adjust the tune slightly.

From their website, https://morganfuel.com/model-car-fuel/, if you click "product analysis" under "safety data sheet" you'll get a table of the nitro & oil content of every fuel they blend

Onroad has the lowest oil, 8%. Offroad has 9%. Race blend has 12%. Backyard basher has 16%. All of them are a synthetic/castor blend. My favorite to run in my .12 is 20% nitro & 12% oil, backyard basher tunes poorly for me.

Torco is reputable, as is Bones Brew and VP fuels. I run Torco's 30% nitro /10% oil in my .18 engines. Torco is synthetic oil only.

Traxxas Top Fuel is maligned (fairly) for its high oil content, not unlike backyard basher.

Higher nitro content tends to produce more power, run cooler, and have higher fuel consumption, while lower nitro is the opposite in all those things.

Synthetic-only oil blends may keep an engine cleaner, but are less forgiving to "lean runs" than blends incorporating some castor oil. You may find some engines run better on an oil-rich fuel and others prefer leaner, that's part of why there are so many options, it also comes down to how you want to drive it.

 

[Greywolf74]

Only thing you really need to look at is nitro and oil percentage. It really doesn't matter between 20, 25, and 30% Nitro although I prefer running 30% personally for that extra lil kick in my step. Oil percentage you want between 8-12%. On road, off road, backyard basher doesn't mean much of anything.

 

[rcaddict234]

All a matter of taste, there are many threads discussing the pros and cons of various blends and manufacturers. I don't know of any seasonal changes suggested, it's a good idea to run an engine on the same blend most of its life if possible as far as I've heard. You might just need to adjust the tune slightly.

From their website, https://morganfuel.com/model-car-fuel/, if you click "product analysis" under "safety data sheet" you'll get a table of the nitro & oil content of every fuel they blend

Onroad has the lowest oil, 8%. Offroad has 9%. Race blend has 12%. Backyard basher has 16%. All of them are a synthetic/castor blend. My favorite to run in my .12 is 20% nitro & 12% oil, backyard basher tunes poorly for me.

Torco is reputable, as is Bones Brew and VP fuels. I run Torco's 30% nitro /10% oil in my .18 engines. Torco is synthetic oil only.

Traxxas Top Fuel is maligned (fairly) for its high oil content, not unlike backyard basher.

Higher nitro content tends to produce more power, run cooler, and have higher fuel consumption, while lower nitro is the opposite in all those things.

Synthetic-only oil blends may keep an engine cleaner, but are less forgiving to "lean runs" than blends incorporating some castor oil. You may find some engines run better on an oil-rich fuel and others prefer leaner, that's part of why there are so many options, it also comes down to how you want to drive it.

Ok thanks a ton.
Does one fuel run better in winter or summer?

 

[tudordewolf]

Ok thanks a ton.
Does one fuel run better in winter or summer?

I don't have the experience yet to answer that, but I would guess that an all-synthetic oil blend might be easier to start & tune since it should atomize more easily in the carburetor, compared to one incorporating castor, which is a bit thicker - an advantage in hot conditions, but maybe a drawback in the cold. Try Torco's 20% or 30% car fuel.

 

[Greywolf74]

Just pick a fuel and try not to deviate to much from the nitro and oil percentages if you happen to switch brands. Other than that temps dont matter for the fuel.

 

[rcaddict234]

I don't have the experience yet to answer that, but I would guess that an all-synthetic oil blend might be easier to start & tune since it should atomize more easily in the carburetor, compared to one incorporating castor, which is a bit thicker - an advantage in hot conditions, but maybe a drawback in the cold. Try Torco's 20% or 30% car fuel.

Thank you. I have ordered Torcos 30%

 

[burnskevin58]

Ok thanks a ton.
Does one fuel run better in winter or summer?

I run FHS Oils, Red Max fuels made in USA!! fuel. I love the stuff, mixed fresh before shipping. https://fhsoils.com/product/fc-fuels/
Now for colder times of the year, fuel that has some (3 to 5%) of acetone added will start easier, tune easier, and hold idle better in the cold.

ACETONE has all the basic requirements as a fuel being midway between petrol and methanol with an anti-knock rating approaching methanol. As an additive to methanol, it reduces pre-ignition sensitivity and promotes easier starting under low temperature conditions (up to 10% for these purposes). In small percentages (about 3%) it also reduces methanol’s hygroscopic properties.

Acetone is your best bet, just mix about 2-8% into your gallon or pint of fuel.
Acetone has been used for years by people in the Nitro rc world.

You can also use propylene oxide, but most tracks outlawed this stuff https://fhsoils.com/product/hp-booster-prope/