Easy Starter

Six easy steps to getting rid of your mechanical pull-start arrangement and fitting a simple, hassle free, starting system.

The Hot Bodies Roto Start concept is one of the best innovations we have seen here at Racer in recent years for starting nitro engines. Pull-starts, while being easy and convenient initially are prone to breaking, and when an engine is proving troublesome to fire up can be frustrating. Hot Bodies have a range of Roto Start conversions for many engine and car combinations. It is an easy and worthwhile upgrade that won’t cost the earth but make running your nitro car or truck that much easier.

The Roto Start uses a hand held starter that contains a motor that drives a shaft which locates into the second part of the conversion kit that is mounted onto the engines back plate. Everything is supplied in the conversion box and all that will be required additionally is a 7.2 volt stick type battery back and appropriate charger. The Roto Start conversion is quick and easy to fit as we show you here. Depending on the car you will probably have to remove the engine to get access to the pull starter bolts, so we will assume you have done this and guide you through the conversion from there. Our conversion is done on the HPI Savage .21 sized engine.

Step One – Remove the three screws that hold the pull-starter to the engine and withdraw the whole pull starter assembly. This should slip off the hexagon shaped one-way bearing that is located on the engine’s shaft. Take car to note that this has stayed on the engine as it is needed for the Roto Start.

Step Two – Place the Roto Start’s back moulding onto the engine, taking note that the recess for the input shaft is in the right place.

Step Three – Locate the large gear over the hex shaped one-way bearing making sure the shoulder on the gear goes into the hole in the centre of the Roto Start’s back plate moulding.

Step Four – Now insert the input shaft gear into the bearing, making sure that it is seated correctly.

Step Five – Locate the Roto Start’s top cover and affix using the three longer M3 Allen headed bolts in the conversion kit. It is a good idea to use a small amount of threadlock on these three bolts as the go through the assembly and into the engine’s metal back plate.

Step Six – Finally, fit the two remaining shorter Allen bolts into the remaining two holes in the Roto Start. Do not use threadlock here as these go into plastic, and the locking compound will attack the plastic.

Your Roto Start should now be ready to use. Charge up your 7.2 volt pack, put it into the starter and fire up your nitro ride at the touch of a button.