Nova Race-Pro Head

Testing and Final Thoughts

The Nova Race-Pro Head for the Traxxas 2.5 is a very well designed aftermarket head. The combination of large surface area, and type of aluminum used, result in a head that provides a substantial amount of cooling for the 2.5.

I saw an overall temperature drop of around 60°. Where I had been running around 250-260°, I experienced around 190-200° with the Nova head installed. As this is a little on the low side for the best operation of the Traxxas 2.5, I did lean the motor slightly, which provided an increase in power. I did make sure that I still had plenty of blue smoke leaving the exhaust of the truck, as I didn't want to run too lean and damage the motor.

After leaning the motor slightly, I saw temperature readings in the 220-230° range. I felt this was a good compromise between more power and a good flow of oil through the motor. Even under sustained back to back full throttle runs, the Nova head did an excellent job of keeping the 2.5 cool. I never saw a temperature reading breach the 245° mark. So if you have a heavy trigger finger, this head can help provide some extra cooling that the stock head can't. Keep in mind however, as I talked about earlier, a larger head is not a substitute for proper tuning. Even with the larger head, an improperly tuned motor can suffer from a quickly worn out piston and sleeve.

The Nova head looks as good as it performs. It quickly catches ones eye with it's brightly machined finish. The only shortcoming I see for this head, is the fact that it doesn't have a replaceable protection ring like the stock head does. In this situation, most people use a few zip ties to help protect the motor head. However with it's low profile, and a few zip ties for extra protection, it came out unscathed from any of the crashes and flips I dealt it's way once it had been installed.

At only $45 the Nova head is priced very reasonably. For that price you get an excellently machined motor head that works as good as it looks. Nova has been producing aluminum accessories for several years. With products like their Race-Pro head, it's easy to see why they continue to thrive and grow in the industry of RC aftermarket accessories.

Durability 8 Fit 10 Looks 9 Quality 10 Value 10

Overall Score 9.4

Rants	Raves

No Replaceable Head Protector

Provides Lower Operating Temperatures Easy Glow Plug Access Looks Good

Reviewed 10.08.2003