Motor Saver Traxxas 2.5 Air Filter

Testing and Final Thoughts

While the stock Traxxas 2.5 filter is a very well designed part, the Motor Saver filter does have a few advantages over it. One of those advantages is the ease at which the filter element can be changed. While it is not difficult to change the stock element, the Motor Saver filter makes it even easier. I see this as a big advantage, because the easier this is made, the greater the chance that the owner will routinely change the filter as recommended.

Possible Areas Of Concern

I've heard of concerns, from time to time, regarding the spur gear rubbing the Motor Saver filter neck. As this would be a valid concern, I investigated this area. However, with the stock spur I cannot reproduce this problem. Given the common problem of the plastic transmission screw holes becoming stripped, I'd say that may actually be the cause of the problem. If several of the screw holes are stripped, the transmission can easily shift. This will chew up spur gears, and could allow the spur to possibly contact the filter neck while the spur was spinning.

Another area of concern I've seen expressed regarding the Motor Saver filter is the seal between the back of the filter and the filter housing. From my experiences with this filter, these concerns aren't valid either. The filter itself is slightly longer than the housing, so it compresses against the base. This forms a very good seal, especially when the element is properly oiled. After-run Q-Tip tests, and close inspections revealed nothing out of the ordinary. If you are still concerned about this, I suggest also running the Motor Saver External filter. This outer filter element isn't oiled, but does a good job of filtering out a large amount of the dirt before it even reaches the Motor Saver filter housing itself. It dramatically helps in extremely dusty conditions, and will also cover the rear of the Motor Saver housing as well.

Performance and Thoughts

Now on to the million-dollar question. Does the Motor Saver provide more power? Well, the answer is yes and no. When both filters are clean I can tell no big power difference between the two. I did find the need to richen the HSN slightly for the Motor Saver when I swapped back and forth. This would normally indicate more air is reaching the motor, but I couldn't see a noticeable difference in relation to performance.

However as the filters became dirtier, the Motor Saver really started to shine. After running through several tanks, and swapping back and forth it became apparent that the dirt and dust on the stock filter was impeding airflow. The Motor Saver was not really having a problem in this area due to the greater surface area across the filter. This kept the performance level of the dirty Motor Saver filter more consistent with that of a clean Motor Saver filter. This became very obvious when I swapped them back and forth between tanks of fuel.

Regardless of how dirty/clean the Motor Saver looked, I would still recommend swapping the element for a clean one every hour, just as Traxxas recommends with theirs. The object of an air filter is not to let the dirt reach the motor. So changing the filter element long before that would become an issue, is the proper course of action if you are wanting your motor to have a long life.

The only concern I can really find with the Motor Saver filter, and one which I haven't really seen mentioned anywhere else, is the tabs that secure the front of the filter to the filter housing. While I had no problems with them, they are small. I could see the tabs possibly breaking if the filter front was inserted incorrectly and forced on. Even if that were to happen, it would be more of a result of improper handling. However I saw it as a valid concern and found it worth mentioning.

The Motor Saver filter is very similar in design to the stock Traxxas filter. However it provides greater surface area to keep a good amount of airflow available to the motor even when it's dirty. I'm impressed with the ease at which the filter elements can be changed, and the external filter provides even more protection in extremely dusty conditions. While there may not be a performance benefit of the Motor Saver filter when compared to a clean stock filter, it becomes very apparent as you run through several tanks of fuel. This makes the Motor Saver filter a very worthwhile upgrade, for someone struggling with dusty conditions that clog the stock filter quickly.

Durability 9 Fit 10 Looks 10 Quality 10 Value 10

Overall Score 9.2

Rants	Raves

Small Tabs To Secure Filter Front

Provides Good Airflow Even When Dirty External Filter Available For Extremely Dusty Conditions Filter Element Is Easily Changed Looks Sharp

Reviewed 01.20.2004