I am into rc cars, and one way to help judge tuning on nitro engines is to check the head/glow plug temps to see if u need to run it a bit fatter.

I have seen the raytek mini temp gun (digital read out) and was wondering if it would be accurate for the ds engine?

if i did get one, what would be the most accurate place to take the reading? on the rc's i always did it on the glow plug... on a gas engine would the spark plug be accurate as to how hot the engine is? (or would it read significantly hotter, as i assume when it combusts, the temp is very high, and wouldnt give an even overall temp?)

let me know what u guys think

 

I just had my Losi XXX-nt (.12 OS cvr engine) out on the lawn in front my my dorm yesterday. I havent fired it up for a while and it ran GOOD. You wouldnt believe the amount of dust i was kicking up with that little thing. It was funny when ppl would come over and ask what it was. I also got a t-maxx, what do you got?

 

wow that had nothing to do with nything. As for your question roost, i believe the best place to read temps would be directly at the exhaust headers. this is IMO the most constant and easiest place to take the temp, and although the temp might read higher than it is, it should usually always be the same difference.....(say 20* hotter or w/e) then from there u can tell. Hope this helps more than the last guy. lol

 

wouldnt the headers be a lot hotter than the average cylinder temp?

thought headers were like 900 degrees?

and i currently have a brushless stampede, and a modified emaxx.

 

If that was towards my post, im sorry. From now on i will pm someone with my nonsense so it wont hurt your feelings.

 

Roost, I see what your trying, and I would have to say don't try this. The problem is, you have lots of heat loss. By the time you stop your quad and pull out your gun and shoot the head pipe you may have 200 degree or more heat loss. Then the head pipe will not be an accurate reading of your EGT. IMHO, you need to get VERY accurate EGT's, and this is not the way to do it. Buy a regular EGT for 150 bones and weld a bung in your pipe and your all set to get max power without a melt down. I'm sure others will disagree, but this it my opinion.

 

i see normal ciruclar guages advertised universally for quad use, are these the same ones that plug into the pipe? for some reason i was thinking they read from the coolant return line....

 

Roost, I don't know what you are looking at, so I can't say. What you want is an EGT (exhaust gas temp) gage. They have them in all sizes and shapes, analog and dig. Get on Ebay and type in EGT and many will come up. If you get one, make sure you get the probe with it, because they are expensive.
Ispro was a good one years ago. I just don't know who makes a good one now or if Ispro is still in business? You will be able to learn a lot with that little gauge!!!!!