MSJ Products Fridge 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 MSJ Products Fridge Head was one of the most widely used aftermarket heads for the Traxxas .15 Pro, and it seems to be headed to the same status for the 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 6061 T-6 aluminum stock, which provides you with a very strong part to bolt onto your motor.

The MSJ Fridge is taller than the stock motor head, by about 3/8 of an inch. For comparison purposes the stock head, with it's plastic protector, is about 1.5 inches high. This means that with the taller profile, the head would be more likely to become scratched or damaged than the stock head. However, MSJ has done a very good job of protecting the top of the head with a nice thick anodized aluminum plate. The plate can be swapped to a new one easily, and is available in the following colors so that you can match the rest of your truck.

Black Blue Purple Red

Another item I really like about this head is the large open area around the glow plug. When given the choice, I like a head that allows easy access to the area around the glow plug. This makes cleaning, before glow plug removal, much easier. The MSJ Fridge head, has the largest amount of space around the glow plug that I've ran across to date. This factor alone gets a huge thumbs up from me.

For the weight conscious among you the MSJ Fridge weighs in at 3.0 oz. That's 1.4 oz more than the stock head, which is nearly double what the stock head weighs. This makes it one of the heaviest aftermarket heads available. However considering the additional cooling it offers, as well as how good it looks, I still think it's a good trade-off, for someone who primarily bashes with their truck. A racer, who may be concerned with additional weight, may want to opt for a lighter aftermarket head. Which would add less weigh, and keep their center of gravity lower.

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