Welcome to Club SAITO !
12-25-2018, 08:03 AM
And (not to get off topic) I was the arena PA announcer for the Jacksonville Barracuda's hockey team, that's where the screen name came from.
Here's the flight shot
Here's the flight shot
12-26-2018, 01:25 AM
Thank you for sharing andy it's a beautiful aeroplane,but more than that it's beautifully shot (steady jim) i would'nt go anywhere near that good with a phone camera and assume it was done professionally.Hope you all had a mint christmas day,since we are ahead of you guys time wise i've just had a great boxing day party but the santa suit is looking a bit saggy.Never mind,i've got till the 14th of jan to recover.Best wishes all 
12-27-2018, 04:12 PM
Are you allowed to have that handle?
Hey Jim, I had to hold off on the SAITO 90 twin as I was waiting for a response from a local who had recently expressed an interest. Turns out, he still wanted it. However, you could be the big winner as I also have a spare FA-130TD, actually a far more desirable engine IMHO. This is the rarer, ABC version , Un-run in the box. I will sell it to you only for well under the going rate .
Reply VIA email as this is my last post at RCU
Please excuse the non Saito photo content.
Perhaps we should be talking hockey or milk trucks.
12-28-2018, 12:46 AM
Perhaps a moderator would tell us how many people regularly view these posts,i see regular comments from half a dozen people but there may be many more who just view and are helped by your knowledge gary.I won't insult you and say think about it as i'm sure you already have.Bear with me for a sec please.I like flying a good sounding saito fourstroke no matter what size,and hearing it go past,it's a reward for the time it took to fit that saito in an aeroplane you like.Your long post on your mechanical history although it mostly involved motorcycle engines gave me a sense of your experience and a willingness to listen to your opinion,saito engines ARE fourstrokes,i think it's a valid tell to others of your past experience...slap me if i'm wrong!!
12-28-2018, 03:03 AM
My Feedback: (102)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Colonial Beach, VA
Posts: 20,370
Likes: 0
Received 25 Likes
on
25 Posts
Gary, I understand about you selling the 90 to some one else, that's all cool, first comes first, as for the 130, I would like it but is too big for me, it seams acdii likes it a lot LOL
thanks
Jim
thanks
Jim
Almost fully disassembled.
New pump parts
Velocity stack, properly flaired.
All done.
12-28-2018, 07:10 AM
Scored crank pin and big end
Hey folks, need some guidance on my Saito 82a. I picked up this used low hour engine and tore it down to take a look and the big end of the rod and crank pin have scoring, probably from a lean run with no castor or very little castor. I'm thinking about using some emory cloth to clean up the crank pin but I have no idea what the max clearance can be and still provide a serviceable life. The rod big end has worn through the factory red compound, whatever this is, on the top and bottom of the journal and shows minute scoring as well. Right now there is almost no discernable slop between the crank pin and rod so I'm assuming the factory clearances were very tight. I will buy a new rod but would like to salvage the crank if possible. Can I take a thousandth or two off the crank pin to clean things up?
On another note, can the valves be lightly lapped with polishing compound on this engine? I have an intake valve leak even though everything looks great, very clean. No debris on the valve stem or guide, no binding or sticking and the valve spins against the seat by hand with no discernable catches. The valve grind looks smooth under magnification but I have no way to view the valve seat in the cylinder up close. The valves will hold a cylinder full of alcohol overnight but I can hear it hiss air past the valve on the compression stroke. What do you all think?
On another note, can the valves be lightly lapped with polishing compound on this engine? I have an intake valve leak even though everything looks great, very clean. No debris on the valve stem or guide, no binding or sticking and the valve spins against the seat by hand with no discernable catches. The valve grind looks smooth under magnification but I have no way to view the valve seat in the cylinder up close. The valves will hold a cylinder full of alcohol overnight but I can hear it hiss air past the valve on the compression stroke. What do you all think?
Last edited by Glowgeek; 12-28-2018 at 07:14 AM.
12-28-2018, 07:11 AM
Damn, you guys are making me drool! I can't afford to buy any more engines at the moment, but damn if those aren't some pretty twins. That 100 would be sweet on my Cub.
12-28-2018, 08:21 AM
On another note, can the valves be lightly lapped with polishing compound on this engine? I have an intake valve leak even though everything looks great, very clean. No debris on the valve stem or guide, no binding or sticking and the valve spins against the seat by hand with no discernable catches. The valve grind looks smooth under magnification but I have no way to view the valve seat in the cylinder up close. The valves will hold a cylinder full of alcohol overnight but I can hear it hiss air past the valve on the compression stroke. What do you all think?
12-28-2018, 08:34 AM
It is my understanding that the 82 does not have hardened valve seats pressed in, rather the seat profile is just machined into the aluminum and chrome plated along with the rest of the cylinder bore. I've read somewhere that toothpaste may be too abrasive and cut through the chrome plating rendering the valve seat/cylinder useless. That's why I asked about using polishing compound. Good luck with your 100, post your results if you have time.
12-28-2018, 01:01 PM
12-28-2018, 02:07 PM
I could also suggest diamond lapping compound but it takes special care to avoid removing too much metal.
Very often however, the seat is not the problem but the valve itself needs to be replaced. Best to try a new valve before resorting to lapping.
12-28-2018, 02:14 PM
I use Simichrome metal polish with excellent results.
I could also suggest diamond lapping compound but it takes special care to avoid removing too much metal.
Very often however, the seat is not the problem but the valve itself needs to be replaced. Best to try a new valve before resorting to lapping.
Regarding the rod bearing fit:
Never attempt to lap soft materials like aluminum or bronze againt a hard pin. The abrasives embed and cause wear forever! Honing, broaching, reaming or single point boring are the better methods, depending on the material involved and the amount of metal to remove.
12-28-2018, 04:02 PM
My Feedback: (102)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Colonial Beach, VA
Posts: 20,370
Likes: 0
Received 25 Likes
on
25 Posts
Hey folks, need some guidance on my Saito 82a. I picked up this used low hour engine and tore it down to take a look and the big end of the rod and crank pin have scoring, probably from a lean run with no castor or very little castor. I'm thinking about using some emory cloth to clean up the crank pin but I have no idea what the max clearance can be and still provide a serviceable life. The rod big end has worn through the factory red compound, whatever this is, on the top and bottom of the journal and shows minute scoring as well. Right now there is almost no discernable slop between the crank pin and rod so I'm assuming the factory clearances were very tight. I will buy a new rod but would like to salvage the crank if possible. Can I take a thousandth or two off the crank pin to clean things up?
On another note, can the valves be lightly lapped with polishing compound on this engine? I have an intake valve leak even though everything looks great, very clean. No debris on the valve stem or guide, no binding or sticking and the valve spins against the seat by hand with no discernable catches. The valve grind looks smooth under magnification but I have no way to view the valve seat in the cylinder up close. The valves will hold a cylinder full of alcohol overnight but I can hear it hiss air past the valve on the compression stroke. What do you all think?
On another note, can the valves be lightly lapped with polishing compound on this engine? I have an intake valve leak even though everything looks great, very clean. No debris on the valve stem or guide, no binding or sticking and the valve spins against the seat by hand with no discernable catches. The valve grind looks smooth under magnification but I have no way to view the valve seat in the cylinder up close. The valves will hold a cylinder full of alcohol overnight but I can hear it hiss air past the valve on the compression stroke. What do you all think?
No need to touch the rod or the crank, the clearance will stay the same for nearly forever, if you loosen the clearance it will then hammer itself looser.
12-28-2018, 04:20 PM
I use Simichrome metal polish with excellent results.
I could also suggest diamond lapping compound but it takes special care to avoid removing too much metal.
Very often however, the seat is not the problem but the valve itself needs to be replaced. Best to try a new valve before resorting to lapping.
Regarding the rod bearing fit:
Never attempt to lap soft materials like aluminum or bronze againt a hard pin. The abrasives embed and cause wear forever! Honing, broaching, reaming or single point boring are the better methods, depending on the material involved and the amount of metal to remove.
I was thinking of maybe wet sanding the crank pin with progressive grits of emory cloth, down to 600 grit using the shoe shine method. It looks like I'll need to take around .002-.003" off the pin to remove the scoring. I have a micrometer to measure as I go but I don't want to waste a bunch of time on it if someone here says the clearance must be tighter than say .004". What can I say, I like to fiddle and fix versus buying new.
12-28-2018, 04:33 PM