The worst thing people do to make these engines fail - run them too cold and rich during break-in. The number one failure in the engine is the conrod. Nothing new here. Run it warm on a good fuel and you can easily get 10 gallons from one. I have a bone stock 3.3 that has over 9 gallons through it - 6 of which I ran in it (of my own blending). It’s my beater engine - I paid $15 for it. I’ve run airplane tuned pipes on it, 40% nitro, 0% nitro, and it just won’t quit. Same story with my last one (it was stolen along with ALL of my RC stuff a few years ago). With a better conrod, some minor crank work, and a bigger carb and they’re easily 1.2hp engines. Bone stock they put out 0.9hp.

The engine I’m doing right now has the Sirio rod and a modified & bored Macy 427 carburetor (modified to fit the 3.3 case, 7.2mm choke). Otherwise the rest will be stock Traxxas. I’ll document the breaking in, and some reasonable abuse in a Jato. How fast can a 3.3 really go in a stock Jato? Mine could only muster 61.5mph with stock 24/54 gears, 2-chamber resonator (stock), and a fresh 3.3 with 1.25 gallons of fuel run in it. I want to see if the Franken3.3 can get me to 70 and NOT pull a wheelie hitting 2nd gear.