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Parts of RC Engines

Whether you're a serious competitor or a casual enthusiast, RC racing is a fun and exciting hobby. Aside from the aspect of actually driving your radio-controlled car or truck, you can also repair, build, and upgrade it with your own hands. Though RC cars are much simpler than real automobiles, the more specialized models can become a bit complex - especially when they have internal combustion engines rather than battery-powered motors.

Cylinder Head
- The cylinder head of an RC engine usually has a "rippled" surface to induce cooling. It contains the combustion chamber, which is where the combustion of the fuel-air mixture actually occurs.
Glow Plug
- The glow plug inserts into a hole in the cylinder head. This plug provides the initial heat for the fuel-air mixture inside the combustion chamber.
Crank Case
- Connected to the cylinder head, the crank case houses the crankshaft. A gasket seals the seam between the crank case and cylinder head.
Exhaust Port
- The exhaust port is where the waste resulting from the burning of fuel leaves the engine. This port falls between the crank case and cylinder head.
Intake Port
- Connecting the crankshaft chamber and combustion chamber, the intake port is an internal channel that cannot be seen from the outside. It brings the fuel-air mixture into the combustion chamber for combustion.
Piston
- The piston is the part of the engine that gets moved by the explosion of the fuel. This piston moves in and out of the combustion chamber as the engine cycles through revolutions, and it pushes and pulls a connecting rod that turns the crankshaft.
Crankshaft
- The crankshaft is the part of the engine that drives the vehicle. It appears as a rod coming out of the side of the engine. The drive system connects to this, and the crankshaft transfers the force from the piston moving up and down into a smooth rotating movement that turns the wheels.

Spectator Hobbies