Firepower R/C

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Rich, How are you liking the JBA engines?

iskandar taib

My Feedback: (5)

Wish the .36 was around when I was flying Combat in the U.S. One more thing to grind on and try. I did try the Magnum .36 of the day.. ran about the same as a Fox Mark IV after timing the crank, but finally ended up ejecting the front of the crank during a match at the Nats (luckily AFTER I scored the kill).

BTW, what's a JBA?

Iskandar

rcdude7

My Feedback: (264)

This is where I started, getting a good flight out of a cheap plastic cox or testors .049 c/l plane was certainly something to be proud of.

Firepower R/C

My Feedback: (10)

Still having success and back to give an update. Since I last posted here I have bought several Evolution 1.20s and sold off my 1.00s. More cubes, right? The latest crop of Evolutions seem to have had some subtle improvements, one of which is the return to standard glow plug orientation instead of slanted. I am very happy about this since I am convinced the slanted plug was problematic for some inverted installations. The carbs seem tighter and better quality as well, no trouble with transitions or reliability (but never had it to begin with). I continue to have success with Evolution and while not exclusive to the brand, they have impressed me so far. There have been others though...

So let me run down most of the engines I have bought and ran since I started this thread just for fun:

3 Evolution 1.20s- runs great, but thirsty. Idle is great and this is my new favorite right now.
1 Evolution .52, runs good and is now in a Kyosho SU-31 hauling the mail. Never quit on me, which is good since this airplane WILL NOT GLIDE! (ask how I know)
Super Tiger 90: bought another and a quick tune brought this used engine up to a great standard. Love these also.
2 Magnum .91 four strokes: they are what they are, reliable and low hassle.
2 Magnum 1.20 four strokes: replaced worn bearings and tuned up for 2 more great engines
1 Saito .82 four stroke: purrs like a kitten
2 tower hobbies .75s: one is superdeduper, one is slightly less powerful but still good.
1 OS .46LA: bought new and ran great from the start
1 OS 1.20 four stroke: bought used, high time and running great
1 JBA 1.20 runs great, sounds different than other 1.20s
1 Super Tigre G2300: also good, never had the problems so many others say this engine has.
Several DLE, Evolution, and conversion gas engines.

All these run great and like someone said earlier in the thread, it is a good time to have model engines! Lots of great ones out there if you know how to tune. I say this to bring home the point that before someone bashes ANY engine line, the better know how to tune a needle! I don't just magically get all the "good ones".

Long live glow!

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

I truly believe that with today's machining techniques, all engines that we can buy are good or can be made to run well. Most problems are with nicked o'rings, back plates that don't seal, wrong range glo plugs, a piece of crap in the fuel lines or needle valve, etc. If all the little things are checked and brought up to par, any engine can be made to run beautifully. As for Evolution engines, I bought one on an old trainer air frame. I wanted the plane and didn't really pay much attention to the engine. I replaced it with a .46 OS SF engine and put the Evo in a cabinet with other engines that weren't being used. A year or so later, I needed a .46 size engine and threw this Evo on the airplane, started it at home on a run-up stand just to make sure it would run, and took it to the field. To make a long story short, the Evo turned out to be one of the better running engines I have ever been around. It happened to be a .455 Alpha engine and I got the original box and literature with it. I would like to find a .46NT engine and compare to the .455. If it is any better, it would really be something, as the .455 is a real stump puller and never quits.

blw

My Feedback: (3)

I have both and you are right about the .455- it's a stump puller, screaming little engine. The 46 has more power of course. I took an OS 46 off of a plane and put the 46NT on it. The extra power over the OS surprised the builder of the plane. He had crashed it enough and was tired of patching it back up, so I did it. Where the OS would hover the plane the 46NT gave it a lot of extra pull out power. Of my 2 strokes, the .455 is the favorite.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

Another little trick you might try is using the tuned pipe (sort of) muffler that comes standard on a .46 Tower engine. They have the same bolt pattern and the Tower muffler gives the .Evo .455 even more grunt. I have not bothered to put a tachometer on this thing, but you can just hear this thing come up to what would be normal for most engines and you are at about 3/4 throttle at that point. Increase the throttle more and the engine takes on that really high pitch scream and you just know it is way beyond what most engines will produce.

blw

My Feedback: (3)

Yes is does! A lot of extra power. Same for ditching the OS8 and using the A3 plug. W8YE had an extra that he sent me a few years ago, so my installed 46 NT and .455 each have their own Towers muffler now. I used to swap them around for flying.

Firepower R/C

My Feedback: (10)

I have a question... so I just took one of my Evolution .455 engines out of storage that I had disassembled to check/change the bearings and never got back to it. Now that it is lubed up and assembled again, it has a definite "knock" feeling at TDC and the crank feels loose for about 5-10 degrees in that position. Doesn't feel right, and although it does have good pinch it seems to be something other than that. I am not quite sure what to make of it- I did look for wear differences on the piston in an attempt to match them up to the exhaust side but I am not positive I have it right. Does anyone know how I can tell if the piston/rod is in the correct way? I did notice the piston has the plastic plug on one side and the clip on the other... could this give me a hint as to the orientation?

I used to do this all the time but I am having some memory problems as of late and am drawing a total blank.

blw

My Feedback: (3)

The rod lower end hole for the crank pin is chamfered. That is a slight bevel around the hole. The other side will be a sharp cut and may have some signs of scrubbing against the backplate.

spaceworm

Hi BLW, I am sure you do this enough that it is second nature, but for clarification I add: The chamfered side of the rod end goes against the crankshaft counterweight.

Sincerely, Richard

blw

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Richard, you did a better job at it than I did. Thanks.

Firepower R/C

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Perfect... that's the hint I was looking for, thanks!

Firepower R/C

My Feedback: (10)

Just to report back, the con rod was chamfered on both sides on this engine. Equal amounts on both sides. I took my best guess!