First run: General issues

It was a day of great fun and lots of learning, this, my first day of driving a nitro-powered R/C of my own. There were just a few more items to take note of before retiring for the evening:

1. Engine heat. In perfectly stock form, the GS21 ran a bit warmer than I had hoped for. I did not have a temp gun at my disposal, but a "spit test" (drop of moisture on the engine head, watched for how fast it fizzles off) showed that I was running a decent amount above the boiling point of water (which is 212 degrees F). I also noticed that the stock head is rather inefficient -- the top surface was significantly cooler than the lower fins & engine block. A good head pulls a lot of heat upward and away from the engine block. I'll definitely be looking to take some action here.
2. Red vs. Blue Loctite. I had the set screw on a drive cup back out on me and fall out. I had used plenty of Loctite on it! In the words of 22benjamin22 from the URC Forums, "Go red." For "mission-critical" applications such as drive cup set screws or anything that you don't want to get out for a long, long time, use red Loctite -- once it sets, it must be heated to a high temperature before it lets go.
3. Restrictive exhaust gasket. If you have a stock MF, right now, take off the manifold, and cut out the gasket to fit the hole it's made to go around. The result? Instant horsepower. The stock gasket criminally restricts exhaust flow. See for yourself:
   
   

   Stock gasket	Look how much opening it covered! I've also started a bit of porting here.

   
   
4. Leaky manifold. The stock header leaked pretty badly at the block, too. Some RTF high-temperature silicone sealant (available at any automotive supply store) will work wonders against that. Follow the instructions that come with the sealant.
5. Useless wheelie bar. The stock wheelie bar on the MF keeps you from flipping over completely, most of the time. However, it still lets you point your front end ridiculously high, and once it does touch the ground, it acts like a pair of steel chopsticks, not a functional wheeled apparatus. For the sake of performance, I'll be looking to change that out to an aftermarket unit soon.

With that said, that's enough learning for now. It's time to get to work and start some modifications! My Dremel hand is bored!