Going Big for Gas Power [Tech Center]

I’d like to make the move to 1/5-scale gas, but I was never very handy with nitro models. Is it true that gasoline engines don’t require tuning?

It is true that the large-displacement (23cc and up) gasoline engines used in 1/5-scale cars don’t require tuning on every run like a nitro engine does. If you want the very best performance from your engine, tuning the mixture needles does affect performance. But if you’re not worried about getting every last rpm out of the engine (and especially if you’re afraid you might make it run worse), a quality gasoline engine will run reliably without tuning. It’s just like a weed-whacker—you don’t see landscapers tuning those up every day.

Losi 5ive T

If you like engine power more than you like tuning engines, you’ll defi nitely enjoy a 1/5- scale car (or truck, like this Losi 5IVE-T).

how to tune large scale gas engine

Like a nitro engine, a gasoline engine has a high-end mixture needle (left), a low-end needle (right) and an idle screw (shown here being adjusted).