Setting up your nitro car correctly is vital to the engine's survival. It is also a good way to get to know the car so that it can be easily tuned or fixed in the future. It is a good idea to search the Internet for information on your specific make and model, but they all generally require the same care, maintenance and setup procedures.

Break-In

It is crucial that you correctly break-in your nitro engine. During the break-in process, the ring seats in the cylinder and the engine gets used to running. Break-in is normally done over about four or five tanks, with specific settings for each run, depending on the engine. It is very important not to run your nitro engine at full throttle or for long periods until the break-in process is completed, because its life-span will be greatly shortened. If you do not have the owner's manual for the car, do a search for the proper break-in procedures for your specific engine.

Steering

Setting up the steering in your nitro car will really help it drive better. Prop the front of the car up on something so that the wheels are off the ground but are still able to turn and spin. Then turn the controller on, followed by the power on the car. The reason for this is to make sure the car is under control when it is switched on. Place the trim knob on the controller at zero, and make sure the wheels on the car are pointed straight ahead. When they are, you will have 50/50 steering, meaning that the wheels will turn an equal amount to the left and to the right.

Tires

The tires on most nitro cars do not come from the factory glued to the rims, so it is necessary to perform this step before driving it. The reason is the nitro car has so much power, it will spin the rims inside the tires if the tires aren't attached. Just five or six drops of glue between the tire and the rim will do the job. Evenly space the glue to get a good hold.

Source:

The R/C Car Bible: How to build, tune and drive electric and nitro-powered radio control cars on and off-road; Robert Schleicher; 2006