not exactly sure what to do here

[italiannitroman]

Well I was bored so I decided to pull out the ol T-Maxx today. Well first I noticed my controller was broken so after I talked to Jeff at traxxas I realized I would have to send it it...Well I tryed firing up the engine and it was taking for ever... Looked in it there is no gunk in it. Then I noticed that the EZ start was not catching the engine well. So I thought to my self maybe I should replace it. Then I looked at my budget. Which is about $100-175. But I want to spend the least amount possible. Well I dont kno if I should trade my TRX .15 for another trx.15 which would be $75 or if I should go for the 2.5 which would be $100 but you have to get a special linkage/ pipe kit which costs $50. And I need to send my radio into traxxas to get fixed which costs $20. SO I looked at this and I can spend $90 and have a great maxx to bash with and roll over my buggy friends with. Or I can spend $170 and get the 2.5 and roll over my friends and race them. Or I could just sell the whole thing all together and get a buggy from my buddy at the lhs for 300rtr. Just trying to be most cost effective here

[LasagnaCat]

It all depends on what you'd like to do, really. There's absolutely NO comparison between the two Traxxas engines, the 2.5 is lightyears better than the trx .15 on several levels. If you wanted to stick with the Maxx, I personally think that the extra investment is very well spent on the 2.5 engine. As far as the buggy, are you talking 1/10 scale electric or 1/8 scale nitro? An electric buggy will be much more limited as far as where you can run it. The 1/8 scale would be better, but still won't come close to doing what the Monster truck will. It will also consume much more fuel with the .21 engine, to fit in with the cost effective theme.

For what it's worth, your ez-start might just be slipping - VERY common with the trx .15 engine. For the cheap/temporary fix: On the back of the ez-start where it bolts to the engine there should be a blue sticker (it's been a couple years since we had a trx .15, bear with me. lol) If you carefully drill/ream a hole through the plastic in the center (of the sticker) that's just big enough for the small red tube on a can of motor spray to fit in you can give the inside of the ez-start a squirt or two of motor spray whenever it starts to slip. That's usually enough to make it catch again and get the engine started. You'd also want to put a small piece of tape over the hole while you're running, to keep other gunk/crud from getting in there. The one-way bearing in there will eventually have to just be replaced, that's the permanent fix. If you replace that with a new one-way bearing, it will most likely eventually do the same thing again after some time - it's just the nature of the engine. Gas/oil from the engine eventually creep in the bearing, which is what makes it slip. Unless the engine itself is worn out, fixing the ez-start is a ten or fifteen minute project start to finish and *definitely* not worth sending in and paying for Traxxas to fix. :)

[italiannitroman]

Well before I could read your post I went out there and did some maintainance on the truck and stopped the slipping. But now I have a problem with fuel coming out of where the head is.

Well fuel is not a problem because I get fuel for being on my lhs racing team.( I dont do any racing just warm up the drivers engines and tires, sounds boring but its lots of fun and I learn alot.)But they won't pay for this because there is no class for monster trucks yet.

Well I am going to another track with my neighboor which is alot of fun because all the old guys will take my truck from me and then they make it do things I didn't think a T-Maxx would do. So I will have them look at it for me.

[rocknbil]

You mean coming out from where the head meets the crankcase? Of course you checked the torque on the head bolts, right?

[italiannitroman]

no I didn't check the head bolts. opps. Better check that.

[rocknbil]

LOL :D Well even if it still leaks after that, get it warmed up and see if it goes away. The expansion of the metal parts **might** be enough to provide the final seal and stop the leak. If it keeps leaking at the head regardless of the temp could be "not good."