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16 • JATO 3.3

THE TRX 3.3 RACING ENGINE

TERMS TO KNOW

You’ll find these Nitro R/C engine terms throughout this section 
of the manual.

.15

 - .15 or “15” refers to the displacement of the engine. The TRX 2.5 

Racing Engine is .15 cubic inches or 2.5 cubic centimeters (cc). The 
name “TRX 2.5” is derived from the cc measurement. 

.20 -

 .20 or “20” refers to the size of the engine. The TRX 3.3 is .20 

cubic inches or 3.3 cubic centimeters (cc). The name “TRX 3.3” is 
derived from the cc measurement. 

ABC 

- Abbreviation for aluminum, brass, and chrome. Refers to 

engine construction that consists of an aluminum piston that slides 
in a chrome-plated brass sleeve. The TRX 3.3 uses ABC construction.

Air filter

 - The air filter sits atop the carburetor and prevents harmful 

dust and dirt from entering the engine. Dirt ingestion is the number 
one cause of premature engine failure so the engine should never 
be run without the air filter in place.

BDC

 - Bottom dead center. The bottom-most position of the engine  

piston stroke.

Break-in

 - Break-in is the procedure for running a brand new engine 

according to specific instructions. This correctly prepares the engine 
for normal running. The break-in procedure can be different for 
different makes of engines. Follow the Traxxas directions for break-
in exactly. 

Carb

 - Abbreviation for carburetor.

Carburetor

 - The carburetor atomizes (mixes) the fuel with the air 

so that the engine can burn it. There are two types of carburetors; 
slide carbs and barrel carbs. The TRX 3.3 uses the superior slide 
carburetor design.

Clean-out

 - Cleaning-out is a condition that occurs when the engine 

is accelerating and the fuel mixture becomes sufficiently lean to 
allow the engine to continue into its upper rpm power band. It 
is usually characterized by a noticeable decrease in blue exhaust 
smoke and a dramatic increase in engine speed. 

Combustion chamber

 - The combustion chamber is machined into 

the bottom of the cylinder head. This is where the glow plug ignites 
the fuel. The shape of the combustion chamber is designed to 
promote more efficient burning of the fuel.

Connecting rod 

- The connecting rod transfers the piston motion 

to the crankshaft. The TRX 3.3 Racing Engine uses a “knife-edged” 
connecting rod. The aerodynamic, sharpened edges allow it to 
“slice” through the pressurized air/fuel mixture inside the crankcase.

Crankcase 

- The engine’s “body” that contains all of the running 

mechanical components.

Crankshaft

 - The main shaft of the engine that holds the  

reciprocating assembly.

Cooling fins

 - The cooling fins are milled into the cylinder head and 

crankcase and cause heat to be drawn away from the engine. Heat 
is removed when it dissipates into the air passing across the cooling 
fins. It is important to keep the fins clean of dirt and debris for 
maximum cooling efficiency.

Cylinder head (head)

 - The finned aluminum part on top of the 

engine that is responsible for dissipating most of the engine’s heat. 
The combustion chamber is machined into the bottom of the head. 

Dyno 

- Abbreviation for dynamometer. A precise piece of testing 

equipment that accurately measures engine power and torque 
output over the engine’s entire rpm range. 

EZ-Start

 - Traxxas on-board electric starting system. The system 

consists of a hand held starter control unit and an on-board 
gearbox with an electric motor to spin the engine. 

Fit

 - Usually refers to the fit of the piston and sleeve. If the fit is tight, 

the piston will feel very tight at top of the sleeve (top dead center), 
and the engine will have good sealing and compression. If the fit 
is loose, compression will be low and both the piston and sleeve 
should be replaced. 

Flame-out

 - Occurs when the engine stops running at high rpm. 

Usually the fault of an excessively lean fuel mixture or glow  
plug failure.

Fuel

 - (10%, 20%, 33%) The TRX 3.3 must have model engine fuel to 

run. Traxxas Top Fuel

 is recommended. Fuel is sold in quarts and 

gallons from hobby dealers. The 10%, 20% and 33% labeling refers 
to the percentage of nitromethane contained in the fuel.

Fuel mixture 

- The ratio of fuel to air as determined by the needle 

settings of the carburetor.

Fuel tubing (fuel line)

 - The thick silicone tubing that carries fuel  

from the fuel tank to the carburetor. 

Glow plug

 - The glow plug is located in the cylinder head at the top 

of the combustion chamber. It contains an element that glows red 
hot when voltage is applied. When the engine is being started, 
the heat from the glow plug ignites the fuel mixture and starts the 
combustion process.

Glow plug driver

 - This tool clips onto the glow plug and supplies the 

required voltage to light the glow plug element. It is also called an 
igniter. EZ-Start equipped engines do not require this separate tool.

Header

 - The aluminum tube that connects the exhaust system to the 

engine exhaust port. The length and diameter of the header must 
be carefully selected to extract the most power from the engine.

Summary of Contents for Jato 3.3 55077-1

Page 1: ...owner s manual MODEL 55077 1...

Page 2: ...about experiencing total performance and satisfaction not just with your truck but also with the company that stands behind it Thank you again for going with Traxxas We work hard every day to assure y...

Page 3: ...000 Toll free 1 888 TRAXXAS Internet Traxxas com E mail support Traxxas com Entire contents 2014 Traxxas Traxxas Ready To Race Ready To Win Jato 3 3 and ProGraphix are trademarks or registered tradema...

Page 4: ...to the engine exhaust can be harmful Avoid breathing the engine exhaust Always run your Jato outdoors in a well ventilated area Never run the engine indoors Do not operate your Jato at night or anytim...

Page 5: ...screwdriver Soldering iron For more information on radio system batteries see Use the Right Batteries on page 10 Glow plug wrench Extra glow plug 1 5mm L wrench 2 0mm T wrench 2 5mm T wrench U joint...

Page 6: ...lf Shaft On Off Switch Antenna Mount Access Plug for two speed adjustment Pipe Hanger Receiver Box Engine Shut off Clamp Roll hoop Spring Pre load Adjuster Steering Servo under top plate Disc Brake Br...

Page 7: ...d should be installed prior to running the model Follow the directions in the wheelie bar bag or turn to page 34 Learn to use the correct starting procedure for your TRX 3 3 5 Install batteries in the...

Page 8: ...e original rechargeable hobby pack NiCad batteries have very high current handling high capacity and can last up to 1000 charging cycles Good charging procedures are required to reduce the possibility...

Page 9: ...s Never use the charging jack with the 4 cell battery holder The charging jack is for optional rechargeable 5 cell nickel metal hydride NiMH batteries only See page 10 for more details Channel 1 CH1 S...

Page 10: ...ollow its wire to the mid battery compartment Disconnect the AA battery holder from the connector in the mid battery compartment 3 Route the wire from the RX pack to the mid battery compartment Plug t...

Page 11: ...e on off switch in the model only turns the receiver on and off It does not turn off the engine Always use new or freshly charged batteries for the radio system Weak batteries will limit the radio sig...

Page 12: ...e way forward the brake should lock 7 Once adjustments are made turn off the receiver on your model followed by the hand held transmitter Range Testing the Radio System Before each running session wit...

Page 13: ...way to adjust exponential Any setting that makes you more comfortable with your model s handling is the right setting TQi Binding Instructions For proper operation the transmitter and receiver must be...

Page 14: ...premature engine wear and failure is lack of care and maintenance BREAK IN The TRX 3 3 Racing Engine is manufactured to exacting tolerances and requires a specially designed break in procedure to acco...

Page 15: ...head EZ Start Drive Unit EZ Start Motor Engine Mount Low Speed Needle Throttle Arm Clutch Bell Flywheel Carburetor Air Intake Fuel Intake High Speed Needle Idle Speed Screw EZ Start Plug Positive Wire...

Page 16: ...ngine s body that contains all of the running mechanical components Crankshaft The main shaft of the engine that holds the reciprocating assembly Cooling fins The cooling fins are milled into the cyli...

Page 17: ...the first level of air filtration for the engine The majority of dirt and debris will be stopped by this filter Clean re oil and replace this filter after every hour of run time Always use both the p...

Page 18: ...limitations Engines are designed to run best within a range of nitro percentages How the engine is ported the size of the combustion chamber and other factors determine how much nitro can be efficien...

Page 19: ...ll be damaged Engine damage or wear due to dirt ingestion is easy to detect and one of the top causes of premature engine failure Air Filter Cleaning Instructions 1 Remove the air filter from the carb...

Page 20: ...carburetor is controlled by the two mixture needles the high speed needle and the low speed needle The low speed needle is used to meter the fuel used by the engine at idle and low rpm part throttle...

Page 21: ...l unit indicates the condition of the glow plug The Motor LED indicates the status of the EZ Start electric starter motor The cush drive mechanism in the drive unit prevents damage to the gears caused...

Page 22: ...harged may not deliver enough power to crank the engine over at the appropriate rpm to keep the piston from sticking at top dead center TDC A new engine will typically have a tight fit between the pis...

Page 23: ...the 6th tank of fuel Perform the initial break in on a large flat paved surface Jato is very fast and by tanks 4 and 5 you will need plenty of room for the truck to run in Apply all throttle and brak...

Page 24: ...3 When the fuel tank is nearly empty shut off the engine and refuel From here on you do not need to let the engine cool between tanks Tank 4 1 Driving procedure Gently pull the throttle trigger to fu...

Page 25: ...temp closely for the first couple of tanks until you get the right amount of cover for the cooling head This will of course depend on your current weather conditions Adjusting the cover up and down ex...

Page 26: ...unterclockwise and retest This setting will extend engine component life Low Speed Fuel Mixture Adjustment The low speed mixture is always set after the high speed needle is correctly adjusted The low...

Page 27: ...ion that has the most influence on engine temperature is air temperature Expect the engine temperature to vary almost in direct proportion to air temperature Assuming you tuned the engine for the same...

Page 28: ...h drive train damage of any kind The engine could be damaged due to overloads caused by drivetrain friction or over revving caused by loose or missing parts Don t tow anything with your Jato The engin...

Page 29: ...are listed below Refer to your parts list for a complete part number listing Higher rate springs are stiffer Springs can be identified by dots of color on one end Ride Height Jato s ride height can be...

Page 30: ...tool 3 Empty the used shock oil from the shock body 4 Fill the shock with new silicone shock oil up to the top of the shock body 5 Slowly move the piston up and down always keeping it submerged in oi...

Page 31: ...EM Jato has a very sophisticated bellcrank steering system with geometry that is designed to completely eliminate bump steer Bump steer occurs when the steering angle of the front wheels changes as th...

Page 32: ...e pads Do not over tighten these fasteners or you may damage the brake disc or pads Loosen each of the shoulder bolts by 1 turn Brake Linkage Adjustment When correctly adjusted the brake linkage sprin...

Page 33: ...rolled forward and back until the set screw becomes visible 4 Insert the 2 0mm hex wrench through the clutch drum and into the adjustment screw 5 Turn the adjustment screw 1 8 turn clockwise to raise...

Page 34: ...be replaced when they no longer seal effectively loss of compression Symptoms include the engine being difficult to start when warm stalling when warm and stalling when throttle is suddenly closed to...

Page 35: ...blue glow plug wire to the glow plug 7 Reconnect the EZ Start controller 8 Do not prime the engine Pull the throttle to 1 2 throttle and push the EZ Start button The engine should start immediately P...

Page 36: ...1 Disconnect the brake rod end from the brake cam Remove the 3x10mm shoulder screw and detach the brake bell crank from the transmission housing 2 Remove the 3x12mm button head machine screw from the...

Page 37: ...t the wheelbase by repositioning the spacers in the rear stub axle housing where it joins with the lower suspension arm Keep in mind this is a fine tuning adjustment Unless you are a very experienced...

Page 38: ...ed to the wheel with the least traction You may notice this when making sharp turns on slick surfaces The unloaded wheels on the inside of the turn have the least traction and tend to spin up to extre...

Page 39: ...xxas Link provides a visual interface to name the models customize their settings attach profiles and lock them into memory Simply choose a model and any previously bound transmitter power them up and...

Page 40: ...percentage of servo travel applied to steering Turning the Multi Function knob fully clockwise will deliver maximum steering throw turning the knob counter clockwise reduces steering throw note turni...

Page 41: ...abled will prevent the knob from making further adjustments but the last setting of the Multi Function knob will still apply TRAXXAS LINK MODEL MEMORY Traxxas Link Model Memory is an exclusive patent...

Page 42: ...you enter a menu you always start at the top Press MENU to move down the menu tree When you reach the bottom of the tree pressing MENU again will return you to the top SET Press SET to move across the...

Page 43: ...green LED blinks Press SET red LED blinks x3 Press MENU twice red LED blinks x3 Turn steering wheel to desired max left and right travel x8 Press SET to save each position Turn steering wheel to test...

Page 44: ...owner s manual 6200 Traxxas Way McKinney TX 75070 1 888 TRAXXAS 150819 KC2220 R00 MODEL 55077 1...

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