ovalthrasher

Just want to hear from owners of K&B engines. How you like them and what problems have you had.

RCPilot100

My Feedback: (4)

My buddy had one. I tried to help him get it running correctly. Never could.

Now you gotta realize my background - worked my way through college getting Engineering degree working on cars. Got first job out of school working in an engine plant - worked everywhere from machining blocks, heads, pistons all the way to assembly -hot test - engine / vehicle testing - control systems. I had been doing this for 15 years at the time Roger bought a K&B.

I could have designed, machined, and fine tuned an engine from a block of metal in the time I screwed around with Roger's K&B trying to get it to run.

One day an obnoxious club member who flew helicopters said he could get it running - after all, helicopter engines had to run perfectly. So the butthead did his thing for 45 minutes and gave up - said he could get it running correctly given enough time. Al went over, started his helo, went up about 75 feet and flamed out. What he picked up off the ground didn't much look like a helicopter anymore.

The best thing I can say about that particular K&B engine was that someone bought it for $35.00 at a swap meet. Roger told him it didn't run right, but they guy who bought it knew all about engines and said he could fix it.

Dan

Rocketman612

My Feedback: (85)

They take alittle more work to break them in but once you do they are solid. Pete

lugnuts

I love em. Been running them for years. Only problems i've encounted are those associated with damaged resulting from dumb thumb crasshes.

Lugnuts

Scorpionjack

Been flying K &B's for over 20 years and haven't had a bad one yet. Well that isn't exactly true they had to send me 3 new Carb's for the Sportsters 45 and (2) 65's as they some kinda problem with the manufacturing. No Cost though. But the Older K & B's prior to them Ran forever and the Sportsters are still running as well. I think I even flew one the Older ones in a Q-500 Novice race back then. Before I moved to Rossi's.

mouraneto

have had a 65 and was the most reliable engine ive ever had. liked large props but wasnt very powerful. great for the price.

captinjohn

I bought a K&B .40 several years ago. I ran it just like my Super Tigers and it only took about 2 months and I noticed a clicking sound when I turned it over. Took it apart and found out the piston pin hole in piston was egg shapped. Had to buy new piston, wrist pin and rod to fix it. Got it going again and sold it right away. My Super Tigers all lasted very good. Thanks John P.S. never got another K&B

Birddog-RCU

My Feedback: (62)

I have had a K&B .61 since 1988, the latest being the new gold colored head. It ran very well until yesterday when I went to start it and something evidently went wrong internally. When I turn the prop now it feels like it has no compression on part of the stroke and like someone poured sand into the cylinder. It wasn't 8 months old. Think K&B would take it back?

Otherwise... I have had excellent luck with them.

s3nfo

My Feedback: (14)

Great Engines. Lousy Service!

ramcharger

I bought the K&B Quickiee 500 rear exhaust engine with the tuned silencer about 2 years ago. I installed it in a SIG Mustang 450. This engine and muffler where highly advertised in all the periodicals at the time. Lots on RCO said they bought one but never heard anything so I assummed they were the usual bunch of internet RC bull crappers. I never got mine to run right so I gave the engine/plane to a father/son at our club and they have had it for a year. They are somewhat K&B enthusiast. They say it needs more ground running to loosen up. They did get the plane in the air but engine died on idle and it hasn't flown since. Personally I think the engine suffered from basic alignment which put added stresses on the bearings and entire running gear. Wonder if any bought this engine? I knew K&B's were junk but I bought it because the rear exhaust muffler looked real good exiting the right cowl cheek on the 45o Mustang.

lugnuts

I've been aske to relate my experiences with them by RC universe. Here goes. I've been runnning K&B sportsters, all sizes, for about ten years now. The only real issues I've had with them are adjusting the hi speed neelde valve after digging the motor out of the ground. Sometime s they were ok , other times they broke off or bent. A call to K&B solvd the problem with a new jet. Once in awhile I did have a problem setting the low speed jet to transition properly. the jet has only about a 1/4 turn adj. Travel. I found that by setting the engine up in a test stand and taking my time, a could get the transition as perfect as anyone would need. I then LEFT IT ALONE. All of my engines start well and transition properly. I still have my first 45 Sportster that I started with. I've yet to wear one out.

Lugnuts

MMallory

My Feedback: (1)

All:

I will take any K&B engines you don't want. Just email me for a ship to address. I run the K&B fan engines in my jets and they are reliable and the 7.5cc versions outperform the competition. I also have the racing engines (rear exhaust) and they are designed to run with VERY high nitro. They do run very well however they are not in the same class as a Nelson or Jett.

bill white

My Feedback: (13)

I have been running a K & B .60 on a Bridi Kaos for about 10 years. The engine has never been a problem. It has the original muffler on it, and it is VERY loud. I also have a .20 sportster that runs equally well, but I haven't ran it for as many hours. Most of my engines are either Supre Tigres, or 4 strokes, So I am not partial to K & B engines.

Shortman

My Feedback: (21)

my friend has one and I believe is about 10 years old, well anyways that thing hadent been started for about a year or so. My friend started it with one flip of the chicken stick! and to point another thing out when we were about to leave he decided to run the fuel out of the carb u know by pulling the fuel lines off while running, it ran for about 5 min!!! it was something ive never seen any engine do ever before, but of course that was an old engine, not like the ones today, though i hear there engines are outdated and have fallen behind liek rossi's have

some engines i hear are good

ys, jett, nelson, mvvp, etc. ys being my favorite!

JHHF-16

ok so i realy need to get a ten year old K&B engine so it can work for me? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa O.S under powered over priced but always run and im sticking TO IT!!!!!

Shortman

My Feedback: (21)

i wouldn't say there underpowered... or overpriced, but they are not the best for the buck. try super tigre or TT, Irvine, Webra, ys i mean if you really dont want a os then get any of those, they are all fine running engines!

captinjohn

F16 If you like those OS engines , get a pretty blue La. Lots of them out there real cheap. MY Supertigers outlasted my OS engines by far. OS found out if they made a eye pleasing engine it would sell. Even though the crome on he inside flakes off. MY K&B had more power than the OS also. One of the best engines I had was a H.P. 40 Goldcup Thanks C. John

BingoFlyer

The older K&Bs (as in the 60s) ran real good. I have not owned one since the mid 60s but a friend of mine has. Dispite the enginge being returned to K&B on several ocations 4 new carbs (at no cost but also no help) he still has not completed one flite without a deadstick landing. The last I heard from him (I have moved) he is ready to give it away and will not try another, he is ST and OS all the way.

Sport_Pilot

K&B's hay day was the 70's where it was the number 1 pattern engine for a while! It had a Perry Carb which is no better nor worse than the present carb. Several in our club have used this brand recently without any problems, you just have to make very small adjustments to the carb! Our club president who ususally flys OS, and just about every expensive brand you can think of, just recently aquired and flew the new screw head K&B 60, it was fast, loud, great idle, great transition, and reliable. He said it was one of the better .60's he has used. Problem for K&B is they shudda made a 75 or 90!

Maybe Bingo's memory is so bad he can't remember which engine his friend was having problems with?

captinjohn

Where is the best price on one of these K&B.60 screwheads? Sounds like a good engine to try. Thanks Captin John, I hope they have a good warrenty

Scorpionjack

Just a mild observation ref: K & B Engines. Now granted don't go ballistic on these comments.

K & B Engines since the 60's- today have always been reliable. The Older ones from the 60's-70's were user friendly and are still running today. The newer 80-90 models i.e. the Sportsters were long strokes and loved to be propped up (Load them down). Only as an opinion but if a person has trouble with such a simple motor as a K & B then they will most likely be tinkering on OS, ST's, Webra and God forbid an MDS (which btw are very temper mental till broke in.) or basically any other brand. As with this New age of ARF's so many individuals think the motor is suppose to be maintenance free right out of the box. (AAAAAH Wrong answer)

It takes time to understand a motor! Or the Manufactured Brand whatever it is. 1 person can have a Bad time with one make, but then you can find 10 that think it's the best.

K & B are no different than any other manufactured motor it takes time and knowledge. Not bashing.

Sport_Pilot

Or had it sitting around awhile. http://www.quantummodels.com lists it at around $115. The .48 is the one everybody talks about. Not as strong as a Jet or Nelson but the next best thing.

Sport_Pilot

http://www.modelengine.com/warranty.htm

BingoFlyer

Sport_Pilot

I did say that the older engines were good, I had one in a Taurus in the 60s and never had a problem.

Bobs K&B was a .45 Sportster and the guy that he gave it to has also given it away, doesn't say much for that particular engine.

I have been running glow engines since Ray Arden invented the glow plug (still have a few Ardens) and have never had an engine that was as bad as his Sportster. K&B had it in their shop on four occasions and even they could not fix it. I'm not saying that all K&Bs are bad just that I will not own another.

Sport_Pilot

That's like not buying a Ford cause of the Edsel! Pretty lame if you ask me!