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26 

 Revo 3.3

See Important Points to 

Remember on page 4 for other 
precautions.

BREAKING IN YOUR TRX 3.3 RACING ENGINE

The TRX 3.3 Racing Engine uses a ringless, aluminum-brass-chrome 
(ABC) piston/sleeve construction. This type of engine design relies on 
a very precise running fit between the piston and sleeve for cylinder 
sealing.

 Engine break-in is necessary to allow the piston and sleeve 

to develop an extremely precise fit and optimum cylinder sealing. 
Therefore, proper engine break-in is critical to achieving the fastest, 
most reliable engine performance. 

Allow yourself about 1 to 1

½

 hours to complete the break-in procedure. 

The engine break-in period will take 5 tanks of fuel in a Revo. The break-in 
time is not the time to impress your friends with your new Revo.

 You must 

wait until the engine is fully broken in before attempting sustained 
high speed running. 

Patience and careful attention during break-in will 

reward you with the best-performing TRX 3.3 Racing Engine possible.

During break-in, your engine may appear to malfunction with 
symptoms like stalling, inconsistent performance, and fouled glow 
plugs. These are simply the normal “break-in pains” engines sometimes 
go through. They will disappear once your engine is fully broken in. 
Many owners report not experiencing any of these symptoms with TRX 
Racing Engines.

 We recommend replacing the glow plug with a new 

one (included) after the engine break in procedure. 

Engine Break-in Procedure

The focus during break-in is to vary and limit the engine speed. This will 
be accomplished by accelerating and stopping at different rates for the 
first 5 tanks of fuel. As the engine begins to break-in, the duration and 
intensity of the acceleration will gradually increase. 

Sustained high-

speed running is not permitted until the 6th tank of fuel. 

Perform the 

initial break-in on a large, flat, paved surface. 

Revo 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 braking actions gently. Abrupt acceleration or 
braking could cause the engine to stall unnecessarily. 

  Special break-in fuels are not recommended. Use the same fuel you 

plan to use everyday.

  If possible, avoid breaking-in the engine on extremely hot or cold 

days (see page 28).

  Pay careful attention to the fuel level. Do not allow the fuel tank to 

run completely empty. An extremely low fuel level causes the mixture 
to run too lean. This could result in a burned glow plug or extremely 
high engine temperatures.

 

Do not attempt to break in the TRX 3.3 Racing Engine by idling it 
on a stand. This will produce poor results.

  Keep extra Traxxas glow plugs handy. The break-in process can cause 

deposits to form on the plug leading to plug failure.

  Change or clean your air filter after break-in.
  Follow the instructions exactly for each of the first 5 tanks of fuel.

Starting Your TRX 3.3 Racing Engine for the First Time

Before you start your TRX 3.3 Racing Engine for the first time, make sure 
you have read all instructions and precautions in this manual. 

Pay close 

attention to the tank-by-tank break-in instructions in the next section, 
and make sure you have read and understood them before you run 
your engine.

Your engine must be at room temperature (70°F or 21° C) or above the 
first time you start it

. If it’s cooler than room temperature outside, remove 

all fuel and keep your Revo indoors until you’re ready to start it and then 
take it outside. If it’s colder than 45°F, special considerations should be 
made. See cold weather break-in on page 28. We do not recommend 
running the model in temperatures below 35°F.

1.

  

Turn on the radio system 

(see page 14).

2.

  Make sure the throttle trigger on the 

transmitter is in the idle (neutral) position.

3.  

Connect the EZ-Start controller according to 
the instructions on page 24.

4.

  Press the starter button in short two-second 

bursts and watch for fuel moving through 
the fuel line up to the carburetor. Watch 
closely! The fuel moves very fast. If the fuel 
doesn’t move through the line within 5 seconds, prime the engine 
by briefly (one or two seconds) covering the exhaust outlet with your 
finger and pressing the EZ-Start button until the fuel is just visible in 
the carburetor fuel line. 

Watch carefully! If the engine is primed too 

long, it will flood with fuel and stop turning.

5.  

Once fuel reaches the carburetor, the engine should  
quickly start and idle.

6

.  Disconnect the EZ-Start controller from the model.

7

.  Proceed with the engine break-in.

8

.  Do not rev your engine with no load (wheels off the ground).

If your engine doesn’t start, go online to www.traxxas.com/support. 
If your factory fuel mixture settings have been altered, refer to page 
23. If you still have problems, contact Traxxas Customer Support at 
1-888-TRAXXAS or support@traxxas.com.

Never run your Revo indoors. 
Since the TRX 3.3 Racing 
Engine exhaust fumes are 
harmful, always run your 
model outdoors, in a well-
ventilated area.

Your TRX 3.3 Racing Engine 
doesn’t usually require priming. 
If you do need to prime your 
engine, watch the fuel line 
carefully to avoid flooding 
your engine. See page 39 for 
information on clearing a 
flooded engine.

Factory Needle Settings:

Your carburetor is preset at 
the factory to give the correct 
air-to-fuel ratio and idle speed 
for engine break-in. Do not 
adjust the carburetor unless 
you observe a poor running 
condition that requires 
correction (see page 23 for 
stock settings).

Higher nitro requires a richer 
fuel mixture. When running 
33% fuel, richen your high 
speed needle 3/4 turn if 
previously running 20% nitro 
and then re-tune the engine 
for maximum performance. See 
page 20 for more information. 

THE TRX 3.3 RACING ENGINE

Summary of Contents for Revo 3.3 5309

Page 1: ...MODEL 5309 owners manual...

Page 2: ...axxas engineers designed into Revo Even if you are an experienced R C enthusiast it s important to read and follow the procedures in this manual Revo contains new technologies in the engine suspension...

Page 3: ...Traxxas com You may also e mail customer support with your question at support Traxxas com Join thousands of registered members in our online community at Traxxas com Traxxas offers a full service on...

Page 4: ...n the presence of fuel or fuel vapors The engine brakes and exhaust system may become extremely hot during use Be careful not to touch the parts especially when refueling or stopping the engine Prolon...

Page 5: ...see Use the Right Batteries on page 10 Glow plug wrench Extra glow plug 17mm wheel wrench 1 5mm L wrench 2 0mm T wrench 2 5mm T wrench 8mm slipper clutch wrench Shock wrench 5mm turnbuckle wrench Susp...

Page 6: ...ressure Line Fuel Line EZ Start Motor EZ Start Plug Bulkhead under chassis Body Mount Post Chassis Slipper Clutch under roll hoop Spur Gear under roll hoop Driveshaft Half Shaft On Off Switch Shift Ro...

Page 7: ...r the transmitter sold separately Follow the break in instructions exactly to ensure the best performing longest lasting engine 5 Install the EZ Start battery See page 24 13 Tune your engine See page...

Page 8: ...en trying to smooth it out will result in air pockets Antenna On Off Switch Receiver RX Power Pack 5 cell NiMH Battery Steering Servos Throttle Servo Shifting Servo micro servo OptiDrive ESM Electroni...

Page 9: ...on the 2 4GHz digital spread spectrum system mAh Abbreviation for milliamp hour A measure of the capacity of the battery pack The higher the number the longer the battery will last between recharges N...

Page 10: ...attery on the floor or in other locations where someone may accidentally damage or disconnect the battery When plugged in the charger s LED will glow green indicating the charger is ready to begin cha...

Page 11: ...tage After connecting a fully drained battery to the charger it may take up to 15 seconds for the charger to sense the battery and begin to charge To start charging immediately plug the battery pack i...

Page 12: ...o adjust the OptiDrive and readjust the throttle and brake linkages to operate properly with the new throttle neutral setting Electronic Throttle Trim The electronic throttle trim located on the face...

Page 13: ...een twice and then release the button immediately You are now in programming mode 4 Pull the transmitter throttle trigger to the full throttle position Hold it there until the Function LED flashes gre...

Page 14: ...eck that the steering mechanism is not loose or binding If the steering operates slowly then check the receiver pack to make sure it is fully charged 5 When looking down at model the front wheels shou...

Page 15: ...ail safe mode has been deactivated Use these steps to reactivate the fail safe system 1 Switch the transmitter and receiver on 2 Press and hold the receiver s LINK button The LED will flash once then...

Page 16: ...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 17: ...l Carburetor Air Intake Fuel Intake High Speed Needle Idle Speed Screw Clutch Bell Crankcase Two Stage Air Filter Glow Plug EZ Start Plug Positive Wire Negative Wire Fuel Line Fuel Tank Tuned Pipe Hea...

Page 18: ...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 19: ...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 20: ...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 21: ...t pull straight up 2 Remove the pre filter element 3 Clean the pre filter element by thoroughly washing the foam element in hot soapy water dishwashing detergent works well Repeat twice 4 Thoroughly d...

Page 22: ...rect air fuel ratio The tuning needles are there to adjust how much fuel is made available for the carburetor to mix with the available air atomization The Fuel Mixture Needles The amount of fuel mete...

Page 23: ...unning to assess what minor adjustments may be required to compensate for fuel temperature and altitude Adjustments are usually made in 1 8 or 1 16 turn increments If the engine sticks at top dead cen...

Page 24: ...tery in place when the battery is installed in the compartment C 4 Install the battery into the compartment and press the wires securely into place 5 Snap the battery compartment door back on and lock...

Page 25: ...piston and the top of the sleeve This is a tapered fit and a tight piston sleeve fit on initial startup is desirable for those who want the best performing engine Make sure you are using a good quali...

Page 26: ...e Change or clean your air filter after break in Follow the instructions exactly for each of the first 5 tanks of fuel Starting Your TRX 3 3 Racing Engine for the First Time Before you start your TRX...

Page 27: ...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 28: ...is over 220 F and needs to cool down If the water takes a long time or does not evaporate at all then the engine is too cool We do not recommend that you operate your engine below 35 Fahrenheit If yo...

Page 29: ...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 30: ...uence 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 maximum performance each...

Page 31: ...ted by speed Towing creates a high load on the engine and at the same time limits cooling of the engine due to low vehicle speed If your Revo gets stuck stop driving immediately Move the vehicle and t...

Page 32: ...d rear springs on Revo have different spring rates The rear springs are about 10 stiffer than the front springs The spring s pre load tension can be adjusted by turning the spring pre load adjuster Ad...

Page 33: ...ion damping to be reduced Damping should be increased with higher viscosity oil if the model is bottoming easily over jumps Damping should be decreased with thinner viscosity oil if the model is hoppi...

Page 34: ...he wheel moves up and down through its range of travel Static camber is the camber angle at the wheel when the vehicle is set at its normal stationary ride height The suspension pivot balls located in...

Page 35: ...ole in the end of the slipper shaft This locks the shaft for adjustments Turn the adjustment nut clockwise to tighten less slippage and counter clockwise to loosen more slippage The slipper clutch has...

Page 36: ...djusting the Spur Gear Clutch Bell Gear Mesh The ideal spur gear clutch bell gear mesh for Revo is 0 1mm To set the gear mesh place a strip of standard letter A4 size copy or printer paper about 0 1mm...

Page 37: ...in one of the following ways 1 Use a 0 50mm feeler gauge between the brake pad insert and brake disk 2 Push the outer brake pad firmly against the inner pad with your finger sandwiching the brake dis...

Page 38: ...uld 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...

Page 39: ...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 40: ...to the opposite end For example increasing roll resistance in the rear by installing the upper arms in the lower holes will provide more traction for the front wheels and potentially more steering Ins...

Page 41: ...of the various rocker arms on wheel force as the suspension is compressed On the progressive rate wheel force is light at first and increases as the suspension is compressed Bump Steer Elimination Cha...

Page 42: ...ly move the piston up and down always keeping it submerged in oil to release the air bubbles Let the shock sit for a few minutes to allow any remaining air bubbles to surface 10 Slowly thread the uppe...

Page 43: ...ts and to the rocker arms 2 Install long travel shock springs Replace all four of the 90mm travel shock springs with the four 120mm long travel shock springs The front shock springs are indicated by a...

Page 44: ...1100 Klein Road Plano Texas 75074 1 888 TRAXXAS 090625 KC1185 R01 MODEL 5309 owners manual...

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