Nova Race-Pro Head

Introduction

Replacing the motor head is a frequently performed modification for a nitro-powered RC vehicle. It's also one of the easier modifications to make as well, because it's basically nothing more than a simple swap with rarely anything in the way. However before you jump right in and replace the head you need to make sure you aren't doing it for the wrong reasons, as many people often do.

You should never swap a motor head as a way to correct improper tuning. I often see many people who have problems with their motors overheating due to improper tuning or an air leak, and they think they can just swap to a bigger head and cure their problems. This will only mask the symptoms and problems they are experiencing, and in the end the motor may still suffer from a premature failure.

On the other hand, in the case of someone who runs in certain high heat or humidity conditions, a different head may help the motor to run cooler. This also applies in the cases of someone who may drive their truck with a heavier trigger finger than others, or someone who has upgraded their truck to where it's running something other than stock components. Keep in mind, however, that sustained periods of running wide open can still cause the motor to over-rev. An aftermarket motor head will do nothing to prevent that from occurring.

The Nova Race-Pro Head is one of the most widely used aftermarket heads for the Traxxas 2.5 motor. Looking at it, one can quickly see why. It provides lots of surface area, and the machine work used to create the head is exceptional. It is machined from 7075 aluminum stock, which is stronger than many other aftermarket heads that are machined from a lower grade of aluminum.

Many aftermarket heads are extremely taller than stock, which is how they achieve their increased surface area. This is not true with the Nova Race Pro. While the head is slightly taller than the stock head by about 1/8 inch, it is still shorter than most aftermarket heads I've seen. The stock head's height, with head protector installed is 1-1/2 inches high. The Nova head is 1-5/8 inches high. This means, that in the event of a rollover or crash, it's well protected by the lexan body on your RC truck and would be no more likely to suffer damage than your stock head would. Many other aftermarket heads are very vulnerable in that sort of scenario, but the Nova Race-Pro isn't.

For the weight conscious among you the Nova Race-Pro weighs in at 2.5 oz. That's .9 oz more than the stock head, but considering the extra cooling ability you gain, it's well worth the small amount of weight that's added.

I also really like how the Nova head has a very open design around the bolt holes and the glow plug area. This makes it much easier to see, and clean, around the glow plug before you remove it. The stock 2.5 head's design isn't as open and makes it more difficult to get this area clean before the glow plug is removed, and the last thing you want to see happen is dirt to fall into the glow plug hole.

Part One:	Introduction
Part Two:	Installation
Part Three:	Testing and Final Thoughts