flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

Except for those pesky carb o-rings.

hsukaria

How about the o-rings in carbs? Are they susceptible to kerosene? I have a few glow engines that are not being used and would like to store them in a more long-term condition than soaking them in ATF. Also, can kerosene be put in a plastic bucket for a long time without dissolving?

Sport_Pilot

The good ones are not rubber.

Sport_Pilot

Carb O rings are silicone or neoprene and neither are susceptible to kerosene or methanol.

Gizmo-RCU

My Feedback: (27)

A clean(internally) engine with ATF and stored in a plastic zip-lock is about "fail-safe". Don't make it any more complicated than that. I have a number of older engines given to me as part of an estate. Most are seized (locked with old gummy fuel) and will require bearings and gaskets in some cases. Really not sure if the cost is worth it? If I go thru them I will store them with ATF and in individual bags.........

1QwkSport2.5r

You're right - I stand corrected. The propylene glycol references I looked at I misread. They called that stuff "heat transfer fluid". Automotive antifreeze is indeed predominantly ethylene glycol and diethyl end glycol and various preservatives and such added.

Sport_Pilot

OK I need to back off some what neoprene is clarified as a synthetic rubber, but not the same as synthetic rubber used in a tire. Neoprene is resistant to kerosene and methanol. However, not as resistant for kerosene as methanol, but would hold up well for short exposure such as cleaning.

Sport_Pilot

Propylene glycol is used to keep potable water from freezing. It is added to food products and used for stage smoke, and vaping solutions. You can buy it at RV supply stores to prevent the potable water from freezing. I think it has too low of a boiling point to use in a car, but not sure about that.

Sport_Pilot

I have never seen an engine that was gummed up and stuck with castor oil that had any appreciable amount of rust. Though I am sure it happens. I just soak them in fuel for a day and they are fine.

Sport_Pilot

I double checked and found this. Thought others might want to keep it for reference.

http://mykin.com/rubber-chemical-resistance-chart-3

1QwkSport2.5r

I have. I use castor only in most fuels. I have several engines run from new that have surface rust on the crank counterweight. I'm very diligent when I finish running the engine to run it out of fuel and leave the ports open to vent the case, and after a day of sitting, oil the heck it of it. Hasnt seemed to make a bit of difference. I still find light surface rust on the steel parts that were otherwise rust free when new.

Sport_Pilot

So have I but not enough to consider that appreciable. Not sure why the counterweight is more likely to have rust. But many confuse castor varnish with rust and assume the engine is ruined when it is not.

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

sport pilot sport pilot sport pilot lol you really think you know your stuff lol

mchandrayan

For the Mr Know all, If you have ever opened a needle from the housing on a glow engine, you may have noticed the rubber O ring therein. Bust since you may not have seen that I am also sure you would have never seen the O ring the engine manufacturers put in at the carb and case joint or the muffler joint and that ignorant manufacturer of Laser engines who install multiple rubber o rings on the muffler and carb spigot.
And Sir I will saunter over to the Petrol engine thread and Diesel as well. Not because you wish but because I like these engines too. In fact love the Diesels.
And may I seek a favour? Pray if you could guide the lesser mortals to the firm that manufacturers gas engines (not petrol please)

mchandrayan

And any one who says that the O rings on glow engines do not get affected in kero please send me a sample and I will post the results for all to see. And no I do not want to ruin my perfectly good ones

mchandrayan

And did I learn something? Those O rings on my numerous glow engines are made of metal

mchandrayan

And to further clarify my earlier post. Kero works great for cleaning any engine. By cleaning I mean general cleaning, not removal of baked on castor residue.
For baked on castor residue acetone works way better than Kero and Meth in the that order

1QwkSport2.5r

I've converted many engines from glow to diesel (it's just too easy to do so) without ANY other modifications besides tygon fuel line. Carb's function the same as on glow, no extra leaks or problems.. So normal usage doesn't seem to affect the o-rings barring old age of course. I suppose if you're going to submerge an engine or carburetor in kerosene for a long period of time, your o-rings may suffer.

I like glow and diesel. I do not like gasoline. It stinks and is too flammable. Gasoline with nitromethane in it is tolerable, but not for everyday use.

Sport_Pilot

The O-rings of gas and diesel engines are often made of the same material neoprene. Common rubber part on automobiles to include diesel. However resistance is listed as fair on the chart I linked in the earlier part. IMO kerosene is not a good cleaner at all. Especially when methanol or fuel does a much better job. Not only that but if you do not dry out the kerosene it will not mix with fuel, and to boot it can cause any water that was absorbed by the alcohol to come out of solution. Water is heavier than kerosene or the oil in our fuel so it will sink to the bottom and cause corrosion. I do not recommend using anything that will not mix with fuel, unless you are sure it is dried out before fuelling the engine.

Sport_Pilot

I am a professional expert.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

Kerosene would be worse than whatever you're trying to remove.

hsukaria

Ok, I get it, I won't use kerosene. I will continue with the way I was storing my engines, ATF.

I need to tell one of my club mates about this, he has been soaking his engines in kerosene to clean them.

jaka

Hi!
I have had many engines run with castor oil that has had rusty bearings that look as terrible as that one in the picture! So castor oil is not protecting anything. ATF oil is good for storing glow engines though.
Replacing the bearings is easy so why not doing it?!
Bearings that look as terrible (rusty) as that one in the picture cannot be cleaned with anything that I now of (Aceton, kerosene, glow or diesel fuel). Boiling the engine in glycol is not an option that many seems to think. The reason for that is that the ball bearing might get cleaned that way but the balls has already got spots of rust dents that prohibit the engine from developing it's full speed potential. Soo replacing the ball bearings is the only way to do it if they look as bad as the one in the picture...but I'm a pylon racer ...might be that I'm a little too concerned about my engines.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

Jan, I have been accused of babying my engines, I don't mind babying them, it's half the fun of having them.

1QwkSport2.5r

Mineral ATF is as petroleum as Kerosene is. If ATF doesn't wreck the o-rings, Kerosene likely won't either.

I dont go off of appearance alone if the bearings are suspect. After cleaning and a short run I then evaluate the bearings. If they feel gritty or make any noise whatsoever, I replace them. Of course if you find bonafide rust after cleaning, then don't run the engine and change the bearings straight away. If you tear an engine down for inspection and have most of the parts removed/disassembled, the. change the bearings out right then. Better to take an engine apart only once - especially if the engine uses a ringed piston.