alucard13

i have an hpi rs4 rtr3 with the stock 15fe engine. i am considering getting the nova rossi 12 engine. From what i understand i need a special part because the exhaust goes in the back instead of the side. what part is that? Also, how hard would it be to install? my lhs wants to charge me $297 for everything, but i found the engine online for $179.99. if i can do the install myself it will save me over $100 bucks! i also went to another lhs a little farther away and they will charge me 17.50 and hour to install and he said it might take about an hour and a half.

What is invovled in installing it and what additional parts do i need to install it? Also, since my current engine is only a single speed, what do i need to install to make it a two speed since i hear the nova rossi is a 2 speed engine?

Sydewynder

You need a header that's bent the correct way so it'll fit the car using a rear exhaust engine. Try looking for a THS Racing Products a header pipe combo that'll fit your RS4 3.

ImportRacer1187

Installing an engine will be easy to do... dont pay a hobby shop for it... your gonna need to know how to do it eventually... so might as well learn now...is basicly putting the mounts on the engine, installing the flywheel and clutch, bolting it to the car and attaching the servo linkage... if you get a slide carb engine you will have to adjust the servo linkage but not much to do there.... then all you have to do is follow the break in instructions...

You will need a rear exhast header... and one of the header mounting springs... and if your engine is a pullstart engine then you can (if hpi makes them (im an NTC3 user...)) get lower engine mounts and a smaller flywheel which means beter top end and lower center of gravity so beter handling...
As for the engine... dont waste the money for the Novarossi name... get a mugen MT-12 its one of the most popular engines available... you can get them at http://www.ultimatehobbies.com for 140... http://www.speedtech.com sells the MT-12 for 145-150 (cant remember....) but they have the MR-12 for 165... that will give you beter top end at the sacrifice of some torque... They also have these engines at http://www.gasrccar.com for about the same prices....

Next, there is no such thing as a two speed engine... its a two speed transmition... HPI should sell it in a kit of some sort but you can do that later...

buggyman81

make sure to get a standard shaft or short shaft engine and the two spped is sold seperatly its about $50 online.

me43

i dont think a short shaft engine will work on an HPI car

and a 2-speed is a transmission, not part of the engine, it only coverts power from the engine to the drive shaft

Im2lazy

Hpi takes only a standard shaft. Short shafts are for things like GTs and Tmaxx's.

There is no such thing as a 'two speed engine', because all offroad racing cars have single speeds, and a novarossi is just as possible of a choice. However, get one because, unless you drive in a real confined area, a two speed will definitely allow you to accelerate and most likely reach a higher top speed. (I know that it could be geared to go as fast or accelerate to a certain point identically fast, but not both unless you have a two-speed.)

me43

o i just caught something else

the mugen MT-12 engine is pilot shaft engine, won't work , wish it did though

ImportRacer1187

There are multiple versions of the MT-12... they do make a standard shaft one i just forget where they sell them...
The MR-12 is only sg shaft... I will look and find the specific model Name... either way... im sure you can get an sg shat engine into an hpi...

alucard13

so for my car i need an engine with a standard shaft?

ImportRacer1187

i think 86038 is the model number for the 2 speed. But it might be 72516.

For all kits except the Proceed: If you will be installing either a pullstart or non-pullstart engine in the car, you will need these parts:

1. #A863 (Engine Mount Set)
2. #Z543 (Cap Head Screw M3 x 10mm, to attach the mounts to the engine)
3. #Z517 (Binder Head Screw M3 x 8mm, to attach the mounts to the chassis)
4. #A801 (Machined Aluminum Flywheel)
5. #A804 (Collet and washer)

For extra handling performance when installing a non-pullstart engine in the car, you can also use this method:

Purchase #A920 (Heat Sink Engine Mount 15mm) and #A926 (Lightweight Flywheel 32mm for Non-Pullstart). The 32mm flywheel MUST be used with the 15mm engine mounts! These parts allow the engine to sit lower in the chassis for a lower center of gravity (CG), which gives you better handling in the turns.

Note: You CANNOT use the #A920 mounts or #A926 32mm flywheel with a pullstart engine!

Cant find anything about the type of shaft though... im sure some one sells a clutch nut for sg shaft engines on hpis... but you should get a standard shaft...