Keeping your motor and ESC running cooler.

[lol]

NOTE: This is assuming that you're geared correctly. I have not included the factors of overgearing and such.

People are always worried of overheating their motor and ESC and possibly damaging them. There are ways to keep your ESC and Motor cool without breaking the bank.

1. Keeping cool when running

You're in the middle of the A-Main, you just passed the leader, now you're in first. You speed down the straightway at full throttle. You approach the last turn of your next lap, you feel that your motor is beginning to lose power, but it can't be! You're running a 5200MaH Li-Po pack and its been barely 4 minutes. You drive on, sweat trickling down your forehead. Soon, you really notice the lack of power, and the person behind you is beginning to catch up at each turn after you. You reach the straightway, but whats this? You apply full throttle! Instead of being greeted by a burst of speed, you see that your car suddenly comes to a dead stop. A turn marshal pulls your disabled vehicle out of harms way. You sadly walk down from the driver's stand to retrieve your baby. You take off the body, and you're greeted with the ESC flashing its light in thermal shut down. You break down in a fit of rage and stomp on you---

1. Get a ESC Fan.
It will bring down temps significantly. Should keep ESC cool enough for a full 5200MaH pack. If you're using brushed ESCs, you can go down to Radioshack and look in the electronic parts drawers. You should be able to find fans of all sorts and sizes. Pick which you deem suitable and devise a clever way to mount it.

2. Get a Motor Heatsink
3Racing makes cheap heatsinks. They're all over eBay. There are also different brands and different types of heatsinks. There are heatsinks that stick out to catch the wind, some even have fans attached. If you have a closed transmission case covering your motor (ex. Traxxas trucks) , you can trim away some so a heatsink can fit.

3. Trim the body
Trim / vent the body so that when driving, air can be forced in to the chassis/motor area. Before you do this, make sure its all within ROAR rules and regulations if you're racing. If your races aren't ROAR sanctioned, make sure it is legal to the track / other race organization.

2. Keeping cool in between runs

You're out on the track practicing and trying to tune your suspension. You're unaware that the race director has posted the heats already. You're out of juice and return to grab another pack and notice the heats posted. You noticed you're in the first race. You stroll back inside casually and prepare another pack when you hear the race director call for the first race. You swear loudly and everyone turns around and looks at you. You apologize and quickly strap in another pack. You quickly turn on your transponder and place it on the track. You get up on the drivers stand and you prepare to do a practice lap. You find a comfortable spot and give the controller a bit of throttle. You go halfway around when the truck comes to a complete stop. You cuss loudly again, and everyone looks at you again. You pull your truck off and forfeit the race. You go over, pull off the body. You see the ESC light flashing in thermal shutdown mode. Guess you should've kept track of time and shouldn't have ran your vehicle for the last 30 mins on a 5200MaH Li-Po pack. You become enraged and stomp on you---

1. Wait
Sure it might be boring, but it will keep the motor and ESC cooler if you wait between packs. You can walk outside and spectate other drivers.

For the impatient ones

2. Water
Get a spray water bottle. Those that spray in a mist. Give a feel squeezes on the motor can and the ESC heatsink. (Note, if you're running a waterproof ESC and a waterproof servo, you can take a bucket of water)
Note, if water can easily seep into the ESC, please consider THIS option.

Take a paper towel, wet her up nicely. Fold it into a square about the size of the heatsink, and damped the heatsink so it can cool. The water will evaporate along with the heat.

3. Hand Sanitizer

Yup, you bet. Try rubbing hand sanitizer into your hands. It evaporates in 10 seconds. You're left with cool feeling hands. Well then, slather some on the ESC heatsink and motor then! Anything with a nice amount of alcohol evaporates quickly. This doesn't mean to cool your motors and ESCs with alcoholic beverages or anything. When things evaporate, it will take away some of the heat. Douse your hot stuff in hand sanitizer!

4. Industrial grade fans
What else to explain? Take off body, place car in front of these babies. If you're car is under 5lbs, please strap it down.

Feel free to add suggestions, comments, complaints, and corrections to this write up. Took me 30 mins.