ASK Cubby- You Pile On The Questions, I Skimp On The Answers

“fuel mix

Dear Cubby,

I recently stepped up to a 1/5 scale. Really enjoying it. My question is about fuel ratio. Every manual I’ve read says 25:1, and that’s what I’ve been running. But I’ve seen on forums that a lot of people are running 32:1 or even 40:1. I even read in a mag that they ran the new losi dbxl at 40:1 for there testing. Is this safe? I know my chain saw runs a 50:1 mix. What’s the deal? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Luke”

Cubby- Yo Laidback Luke, thanks for the email. Don’t forget to send us your snail mail for a free sticker pack.

So… with a 1/5th scale rc engine, are you better off running more oil, or less oil in with the gas?

Well… the vast majority of my experience with 2 smokers are of the motocross variety. Yes, I have owned an HPI 5B forever, so I do have a good chunk of experience with it in rc too, but I shot out a few emails to industry gurus to make sure what I am about to tell you is pretty dialed in.

In regards to the engines we typically run in rc… you are most likely going to be best off with more oil, like in a 25:1 ratio. It isn’t rocket science, the engine gets more oil, thus more lubrication, therefore helping it to perform well while lasting longer.

Of course you can definitely go to a mix with less oil, like 40:1 etc. Running that type of mix will get you a bit more power, but, don’t expect your engine to live nearly as long. Our in-house gas expert Hawaiian Chris runs 5th scale all the time, and has for years. He has run lower oil mixes, but now days pretty much sticks to factory spec due to issues with engine longevity.

So Luke, it boils down to whether or not another 10% of power is worth the cost of buying an engine sooner. The choice is yours, have at it.

“Losi 1/8 E

Hello

Thanks for the informative review of the Losi 1/8 E Ready To Run Buggy with AVC.

I had a few questions before I buy it.

Which Hitec Digital Servo did you use or do you recommend for this car? (part number)

Did the ESC and motor have any overheating issues after you ran the 4S lipos? I am wondering if upgrading to a Castle Mamba Monster 2 will be necessary.

Thanks.

D.G.”

Cubby- Well howdy there DG and thanks for the question. To get ya a sweet sticker pack make sure to send us your snail mail addy.

First off, on the subject of which Hitec servo we popped in our review Losi 8IGHT-E RTR… ummmmm… ya, that review was a while ago, so I seriously can’t remember.

However, and there is always a however, the Hitec that I am in love with at the moment is the D945TW and I can highly recommend it for the Losi 8th scale buggy. Nope, it isn’t cheap, it goes for just under $150 smackers, but it is everything you want in a kick ass servo. It is quick, it has a lot of torque, it is buttery smooth, and it is rugged. Use one in the Losi and you’ll be really impressed.

About the stock power system in the 8IGHT-E RTR… I do remember it having enough power to impress. Like, enough power to seriously burn the tires off from a dead stop and to easily make the “big triple” at our local 8th scale track. Oh and, I don’t remember the stock system ever running crazy hot. However, if you want to go stupid/insane/blow-the-tires-off fast, that will require a Castle Monster system running on 6S. If you are a noob, the stock system will certainly impress, but once you get used to driving it, a Castle system will put the power into the insane realm, which most bashers really enjoy (and comes in handy if you feel like jumping over your house).

Whoop there it is, yet another edition of ASK Cubby. Don’t be skeer’d, shoot me an email thecubreportrc at gmail dot com. For those of you lucky enough to hit the big time, you’ll get a free BSRC sticker packm, or, if you are part of the uber-elite that are named “Letter of the Month”, you’ll get a free Big Squid t-shirt.

YOUR Cub Reporter