Remove Traxxas EZ Start System
Introduction
I decided that it was time to remove the EZ start system. First, I was tired of having a dead battery. Second, I want the body to fit better on the Proline Body Mounting kit. You might wonder why I would do this? I mean, after all, I really like the system. So, why would I remove something from a truck that I love?
I want you to imagine my predicament. You have one of those days. You know, the day when you just need to flog something. I am not condoning violence, but somehow you just need to get the aggression out. It is the day when you received the bad news. You are processing the news, and then you hit construction on the way home from receiving the news. Then that guy just cuts you off in the stop-and-go traffic.
Now, you could get mad, honk the horn, tell the person they are number 1 with the naughty finger, but what good does that really do? Nothing! You are still going to be upset. The reality is you just need to laugh and release some tension. So, you grab your Nitro truck and want to let it rip.
Then the icing on the cake. You get the dirt section where you can fire up the nitro. You plug in the EZ start on the back of the truck, and nothing. You forgot to charge the battery! There you are in a dirt lot. You have a sweet truck. But you cannot get the truck to fire! What do you do? Well, you pack up your stuff, and you go home. Not only are you mad, but now you feel defeated. This could be chalked up as a bad day.
So, why would I remove the EZ start system?
No burnouts today! No listening to the sweet sound of the nitro motor firing up. Unfortunately, you thought the cake had a wonderful cream cheese icing on red velvet cake, only to discover it was actually sour cream on German chocolate. This combination is even tough to lie to grandma and say, “No, it’s really good!” Yup, this day is a disappointment. Now, does the first reason make some sense to you? That dead battery is a real killjoy.
(You can see where the EZ start is interfering with the rear mount)
I love the Proline Kit. My beef is that the body does not fit right with the EZ Start system installed. The downside is that if you put on a Proline Body Kit, you are limited as to how low you can get the rear of the body to drop. This is cool if the model is a muscle car in the 70s on the Slash chassis, but not cool if you want a short-course truck because it does not look real. The body kit cannot fit around the plug for the EZ start system.
These two reasons are good reasons for me to install the rip cord and remove the EZ start system. I think Traxxas did a great job of making nitro accessible. So, some people might think that this is a step backwards. It could be, but what do I care? They can buy their own Traxxas Slash Nitro and keep the EZ start on it.
(This is why I want to remove the system…Yes, I see the typo…. it interferes and doesn’t inferferes….)
Removing the EZ Start
So, here is how you remove the EZ start system. It is easier than you might think it is.
1. Remove the 3 screws on the side of the motor that attach the EZ start system.
(The exhaust is already removed. All you do is loosen those three screws)
2. You can now remove the starter motor from the nitro engine.
3. Remove the screws that hold the EZ Start outlet where you plug in the wand.
4. I cut the wires, but it would be easier if you just unsoldered the wires from the starter
(The system is pretty cool. I could have heated up the solder and removed the wires. I opted to cut the wire because I forgot that I had soldered it. All you would do is remove the electrical terminals from the motor and you can slide everything off the chassis)
5. Install the pull start
(You fasten the four screws to hold the pull start in place. You might have to use a bolt from the EZ Start system. It fits nicely and snugly.)
6. You are done….. Head out and have some fun.
I think the whole process took under an hour, and I want to say 30 minutes. Now, you do have to make sure that the Glow Plug Ignitor is charged and ready to go.
Conclusion
I don’t want people to take this to mean that the EZ start system sucks. It doesn’t! I give Traxxas kudos for engineering it. They really solved a legitimate problem. However, for people who like simplicity and are willing to have a little inconvenience, then it makes sense to remove the EZ start. Yes, you will have to pull a cord, but you are playing with nitro. Think of this as a retro experience.
Personally, if I did not want the Proline Body kit for the Slash, I would have left the system in place. However, once you install the Proline body mounting kit, you are going to be limited. Honestly, I don’t give a rip about pulling a cord! What do you think about the Nitro System? Leave your comments below.