RC cars need fuel as we already know. But this fuel is mainly nitro fuel that it needs. However, you might sometimes be not able to manage nitro fuel for your RC. But no matter what the situation is, you can not overlook the part of fuel anyway.
So, what is the RC nitro fuel alternative?
There are only a few alternatives to RC nitro fuel. The first option you could consider is gasoline. However, this is a flammable fuel. Secondly, you may also want to use kerosene for your RC. And the final option for you might be WD 40. Kerosene and WD 40 are way safer than gasoline.
This is just the beginning of what you need to know. So, keep reading to unveil all the details you need.
Get started now!
What Are The Possible RC Nitro Fuel Alternatives?
There are quite a few things to consider before buying RC fuel. You may know that fuel for RC is quite expensive. The fuel is not only expensive but so hard to find as well.
Source: rccaraction.com
This is because the fuel of RC is quite dangerous. Because these are highly flammable and can get on fire at any time.
So, the manufacturers do not make it easily available to prevent danger and risks.
Thus, you need to keep looking for an RC shop to get this fuel. But these days RC shops are not available all around.
As a result of all these, RC fuel is not that easy to manage. But you somehow need to get a hold of it. And unfortunately, you may not be able to use any random fuel you get around.
So, here I got a few effective alternatives that you may use for your RC. Take a look.
Option 1: Gasoline
Gasoline is quite similar to diesel in a few attributes. But these two are not exactly the same. Even though they are similar, you cannot use diesel as an alternative to RC fuel.
However, talking about gasoline, you may use it as an alternative to nitro fuel. But gasoline is quite high in its flammability. So, it is kind of risky to use this.
But by using some good quality gasoline cans you can minimize the risk. Here are some gas cans that you can use:
| Image | Product Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | No-Spill 1450 5-Gallon Poly Gas Can | Click Here |
  | Quick-Flow Spout Midwest Can | Click Here |
You can use gasoline as an alternative. But we do not recommend you to use it that often.
Because using it too often might increase the risk of damage to the RC engine. In addition, remember that gasoline can enhance the friction in the engine.
So, there would be more heat in the engine than at the usual time. Although you must not use this often, some RC cars necessitate gasoline to run.
However, keep in mind that you cannot start a nitro car without a pull start if you use gasoline instead of nitro fuel.
Option 2: Kerosene
Kerosene could be a safer option compared to gasoline. Because this is less flammable than gasoline. However, you would need to combine it with nitro fuel to use it.
You can not just use it for your engine. Because this might not be enough to run your RC car for a long time. And the efficiency may decrease as well.
Source: rccaraction.com
This is usually a great option when you are in a shortage of nitro fuel. Say, you have a bit less nitro fuel for the run. And this would work the best as a complementary of it.
Although it is a safer option, that doesn’t mean you would use it every time. Because there is still a little bit of chance to get fire using this.
However, it is very unlikely to catch fire using kerosene on RC cars.
Here’s a good quality kerosene fuel that you can use as an alternative to nitro fuel:
| Image | Product Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | SUNNYSIDE CORPORATION GAL K1 1-Gallon | Click Here |
  | SUNNYSIDE CORPORATION 5-Gallon Kerosene | Click Here |
Hope this helps!
Option 3: WD 40
You may know that WD 40 is not officially called a fuel. But you can actually use this as fuel for your RC. Now, you may ask, can I really use WD 40 as RC fuel?
Well, yes, you can use WD 40 as an alternative to nitro fuel for your RC. If you have never used it, it might seem impossible. But according to a number of users, it has been great.
We’ve made it easy and listed some WD-40 that you can use as nitro fuel.
- The standard WD-40 Multi-Use Product is an amazing alternative to nitro fuel.
- The spray bottles of WD40 are quite small. As a result, you may need to get the 1 Gallon WD-40 at once.
But do not forget that you need to mix it with nitro fuel. You may use it as half of the total fuel. Or somewhat a bit less or more would be fine too.
But if you try to add much of this, the engine might not be starting up. And consistently trying to ignite the engine would not work either.
Rather there would be pressure on the engine, leaving permanent issues.
So, these are the 3 options that you may use as an alternative. But we remind you of one thing again. Do not use this too often as these are flammable.
Are you not thrilled? Well, in that case, you can just stick to some best-quality nitro fuel instead of these alternatives. You’ll surely get the same results with nitro fuel!
Can I Make My Own Fuel for The RC Car?
Well, fortunately, you can make your own fuel for your RC. As you already know that nitro fuel is expensive, but buying this isn’t always feasible.
But the fuel for your RC is a must. In that case, you can actually make fuel for your RC! Yes, that’s right! And homemade RC fuel is great.
You can save your money using your own fuel for your RC. To get started, you need to have 3 main ingredients. These are pure nitromethane, methane, and castor oil.
Source: liveabout.com
Remember that these can be cheaper to buy if you buy them in bulk. And buying them in bulk would be a good idea if you continue making the fuel.
Once you get the supplies, just mix them. Stir them properly as long as they are not well mixed. And you are good to go with it now!
What Is The Effect of Using Variable Nitro Fuel for the RC?
First of all, it is better to stick to a single nitro fuel. You may choose any of the alternatives from the list. But try to go for the selected one regularly.
Because throttle problems are very common that occur due to this. The throttle problems will have similar symptoms as the throttle issues of a quadcopter. However, this may actually happen for other reasons too. And you may fix the issues simply.
As a result of this, we do not suggest you change the fuel very often.
If you think you suddenly have an emergency, you may use another nitro fuel. But do not just change it without any need.
You may think this has no effect as it would not be that noticeable initially. But with time, you would see the effectiveness of the RC decrease.
Lastly, the smell of nitro fuel is exquisite. No other alternative has a similar smell.
This would happen as randomly changing fuel type affects the RC. You may often experience nitro engine stalling for this. Furthermore, this can even hamper the rc servo. So, you have to troubleshoot the rc servo later.
But if you are not changing the fuel type very often, it is alright. The effectiveness and efficiency of the RC car would remain the same.
Remember one thing. If you ever feel like there are any issues with fuel, there’d be another alternative.
A battery for RC cars is always a good energy supplier. You may use a Lipo battery for this as these work quite well for RC.
So, this is the effect of randomly changing the fuel type.
FAQs
Is it okay to use an alternative of an RC nitro fuel?
Yes, it is okay to use an alternative of an RC nitro fuel. But you need to make sure that the alternative is authentic. That is, you can not just randomly take any fuel instead of RC nitro fuel. If you do it so, there would be issues with your RC with time. The RC might even be damaged.
Are the RC nitro or RC electric cars faster?
RC nitro cars and RC electric cars are almost the same in every way. However, one has to be faster anyhow. And RC electric cars are seen to be faster than RC nitro cars. However, the speed is not that much more than the other one. But RC nitro cars are great too.
Can nitro fuel harm my RC car?
No, it is absolutely fine to use nitro fuel for your RC car. In fact, this is one of the most essential things for your nitro fuel-based RC. But if you randomly use any fuel for your RC, that might be problematic. Because some of the fuels contain chemicals as additives.
The Final Words
Now you know about all the RC nitro fuel alternative! We believe the guide that we got here for you helps.
Remember one thing! Never consider using any alternative to the fuel of RC without any prior knowledge.
You may think of any random alternative good. But that might actually be problematic.
So, be careful with your RC, and good luck!
