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Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 6/1/2006 2:35 PM   
bepnewt


 

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From: Broken Arrow, OK, USA
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Hello, all. New member here - new to both RC and rcuniverse.com.

I'm a Big Brother in the BBrother / BSister organization and my 'little' mentioned that RC planes was something he was interested in. I had a friend that had 2 old planes ( trainer types ) so I called him and he donated them to us. We've spent some time cleaning them up, getting new batteries, etc. and we finally got to the point where we were ready to fire the engines over. A local RC club member was kind enough to help us out; he bolted the engines down, fed them some gas and they both fired up with very little trouble. After some adjustments, they were purring like a bees nest.

One of them is an old Merco 61 ( dual glow plug ) and I was wondering how I would find out how old this thing is. I found a site that had some Merco engine history and it looks like they started producing this Mark II in '63-'64, but I don't see anything that says when they stopped making this model or if there's a way to date it. Here are two pics of the engine:

Off the plane, no muffler

Off the plane, muffler on, fired up

Any clue how to find the age on this thing?

TIA,
-BEP

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 6/1/2006 3:10 PM   
GoldenAge



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Status: offline 		BEP,

Here is a website that has the info you're looking for and more!.........

http://www.iroquois.free-online.co.uk/merco/index.htm

I have the Merco .49 Mark 2 which is one well made and sweet running engine. Yours appears to be a .61 Mark 2.
Not as powerful as the newer engines of today with comparable displacement, but pretty respectable for its time. If the compression is good and the bearings aren't worn or corroded, you should have a great running engine that will give you a long service life provided you don't run it too lean!

I run Omega 10% nitro and run it on the rich side. Adding some castor oil to the fuel would help if you are going to be running the engine at full throttle a lot. Sig still sells castor, I believe. I don't add it because I do most of my flying at 1/2 throttle or less with this engine

Good luck!

Scott

Here's a pic of my .49 Mark 2...

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 6/2/2006 3:15 AM   
Mike Denest



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Status: offline 		Merco engines were once very popular here in the U.S. along with Super Tigre and Veco. You have a good engine but remember that parts may be very hard to find unless you get them from a collector. There are a number of products available you can use to remove all that varnish build up from the castor oil. Doing so will help your engine cooling. Definitely use castor oil based fuel.

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 6/2/2006 4:25 AM   
rainedave



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Status: offline 		On that Merco web site Peter Chinn stated that Ralf Brooke won the '65 World Champs with a Merco. Anyone know what the plane was? Was it his Crusader?

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 8/9/2006 11:05 PM   
RHarding


 

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Status: offline 		Anyone out there know where I can get a gasket set for a Merco 61 dual plug? Also would like to get a copy of an instruction manual with a exploded view of the engine if possible. The head on my engine looks black, but someone told me it could be dark purple. Anyone know? Was it paint or anodized?

Thanks,
Richard

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 8/24/2006 1:47 AM   
kdc



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From: Shenfield, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		I would be very wary of flying a model with old radio gear. In particular black wire corrosion is likely and nicads often have one dud cell (low voltage )after disuse. Safety is paramount, so consider replacing the radio with new gear - just a cheap basic radio would be better than anything more than a few years old.
My club has had several people turn up with old radio gear which then crashed mysteriously, so we would ban any such gear now.
Also remember the Merco twin plug may be fairly valuable to a collector if undamaged. Using an old radio may crash the plane and damage the Merco.

One of the original reviews of the Merco 61 described it as the Rolls Royce of model engines!

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 8/24/2006 5:41 AM   
Frank Schwartz


 

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Status: offline 		I have a number of Merco engines, the 61s and also a 49...and parts.... I also have some of the newer 40 Mercos sold by Hobby Lobby and have had no luck in keeping one running...not so with the old 61s and 49. I was in London some years ago at Henry J. Nicholls hobby shop at the old 308 Holloway Road. I was having tea with him (no coffee) and someone came in and said the Merco 49's were "cooming off the line". I told Henry I wanted one and an hour later the fellow came in with it. I still have it... They were not the high speed engines with Schnuerle porting and all that, but they were well made, reliable and had decent power. I have a Senior Telemaster almost ready to go and plan to put the .49 on it...plenty of power for it.

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 8/25/2006 3:50 AM   
tailskid



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Status: offline 		"I also have some of the newer 40 Mercos sold by Hobby Lobby and have had no luck in keeping one running.."

I too had a Merco .61 and it was my first .61...well used, but new to me. And it ran well - no problems - but that was back in the 80's!

I bought one of those .40 Mercs from HL also...sent it back a couple of times - finally used it as a paper weight. Right after that, they weren't being sold by HL....wonder why????

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 8/26/2006 11:16 PM   
boberos


 

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Status: offline 		I am running a twin plug Merco 61 in my Pegasus. it was made in 1969 & did not come with a muffler. So aftermarket mufflers were/are used. It is down a bit in compression but still runs reliably with 10% Omega & a 12X6 prop. Not great for RPM but has bags of torque. Nice light 61.
It's a keeper.
Bob G

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 8/26/2006 11:20 PM   
boberos


 

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Status: offline 		By the way Bep,
Your appears to have a replacement carb.
The old ones had a wobble plate carb which I find impossible to explain or understand, but it works just fine.

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 10/18/2006 2:05 PM   
RHarding


 

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Frank,

Do you have any gasket sets for old Merco 61 twin plug and Merco 49? Rings also? Copy of owners manuals?

Thanks,

Richard

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 10/18/2006 3:38 PM   
CoosBayLumber


 

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Status: offline 		Was at the M.E.C.O.A. site this weekend. Was a fellow there looking for parts, but also he pointed out several web sites with Merco history and model identification.

Wm.

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 7/29/2007 4:29 PM   
HRBrew


 

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Status: offline 		Do you still have any of the old Merco .61 engines, or at least a carb? I need a replacement carb.

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 7/29/2007 9:29 PM   
RFJ



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quote:

ORIGINAL: rainedave

On that Merco web site Peter Chinn stated that Ralf Brooke won the '65 World Champs with a Merco. Anyone know what the plane was? Was it his Crusader?



Sure was - here's a shot of Dr and Mrs Brooke taken at Ljungbyhed, Sweden in 1965.

Ray


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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 7/31/2007 1:36 AM   
RHarding


 

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Frank,

Do you have gasket sets, rings for the Merco 61 and 49 R/C? If so, how much, how can I get some?

Thanks,
Richard

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 7/31/2007 11:18 AM   
AlphaWhisky


 

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Status: offline 		Here`s a rare one going spare. Merco 120. NIB complete with all papers etc. I`m not a collector and may consider a swap for something I can use....Someone make me an offer?

Either post here or PM.

Alan W

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 8/1/2007 3:47 AM   
dennis



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quote:

ORIGINAL: RFJ


quote:

ORIGINAL: rainedave

On that Merco web site Peter Chinn stated that Ralf Brooke won the '65 World Champs with a Merco. Anyone know what the plane was? Was it his Crusader?



Sure was - here's a shot of Dr and Mrs Brooke taken at Ljungbyhed, Sweden in 1965.

Ray



Ralph Brooke developed eye problems that I believe eventually blinded him. He is gone now, but he was one of the best flyers of his era.
Dennis

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 3/24/2008 4:39 PM   
Harry K


 

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Status: offline 		Hi there - do you still have that Merco Twin?

I may be interested

Harry K
Sudbury, Ontario
Canada

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 3/25/2008 4:32 AM   
Harry K


 

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Status: offline 		Hi there - do you still have that Merco Twin?

I may be interested

Harry K
Sudbury, Ontario
Canada

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 3/25/2008 5:55 AM   
AlphaWhisky


 

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Status: offline 		Hi Harry,

That engine is no longer available. A bit of a story behind it, the short story is that it has been returned to its designer/builder - he had not retained one for his collection.

Alan W

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 4/27/2008 9:09 AM   
Telemaster Sales UK



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Status: offline 		I flew an old Senior Telemaster with a Merco 61 a few years ago. It was fine, but i preferred it with a 91 fourstroke.

Happy Landings



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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 5/14/2008 3:08 PM   
Pete Harvey


 

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Status: offline 		I've just started tring to get one of my boats going. It has a Merco 61 in it (as do two of my other boats), only it keeps cutting out when i put it in the water. The horizontal screw on the front of the carb might have somthing to do with it (mixture?) , but I do not how best to adjust this. I have posted a link to my site -my personal model website - where I have put a video, where I started it 3 times withi it cutting out. If anyone can give me advice, i would be grateful.

regards

Pete



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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 5/15/2008 7:39 AM   
Telemaster Sales UK



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quote:

ORIGINAL: Pete Harvey

I've just started tring to get one of my boats going. It has a Merco 61 in it (as do two of my other boats), only it keeps cutting out when i put it in the water. The horizontal screw on the front of the carb might have somthing to do with it (mixture?) , but I do not how best to adjust this. I have posted a link to my site -my personal model website - where I have put a video, where I started it 3 times withi it cutting out. If anyone can give me advice, i would be grateful.

regards

Pete



Hi Pete

Your Merco has an airbleed carb. It's a very good carburettor but of a type not widely used today. PAW diesels and some of the Enya engines still use air bleed carbs but most carbs are twin needle today. The difference lies in the small horizontal screw at the front of the carb. This screw controls the slow running/tick-over speeds by restricting the supply of air to the carburettor at these speeds. If you screw it in it enriches the mixture by reducing the air supply. If you unscrew it, it weakens the mixture by allowing more air in. This is the opposite way round to the slow-running control on a modern twin needle carb where the slow running screw controls the fuel supply.

To get a two stroke engine running, assuming the engine is already run-in, the first step is to adjust the high speed needle valve, the serated brass fitting on the right of your picture. This needle controls the fuel supply at mid to high speeds. If the engine keeps cutting when you open the throttle to its widest position, the mixture is too weeak. In this instance, unscrew the brass needle a quarter of a turn and try again, until the engine runs at maximum speed. If the engine runs unevenly with the throttle wide open, usually accompanied by lots of smoke from the exhaust, it is too rich. In this case, screw in the brass needle until it runs evenly and maximum rpm are reached with the throttle wide open.

Having reached optimum rpm at maximum speed, unscrew the brass needle by two or three clicks to prevent the engine running too weak and potentially causing damage.

The engine should now have reached operating temperature and you can turn your attention to the slow running jet. With the main throttle stick on your transmitter in the fully closed postion but with the trim setting fully open, the engine should tick over. If it is ticking over, try advancing the throttle rapidly and watching what happens. One of the following will occur:

1. The engine will accelerate rapidly to high speed. In that case leave the air bleed screw alone!
2. The engine will accelerate unevenly up to high speed accompanied by lots of smoke, this indicates a rich mixture. In this case, UNSCREW the air bleed needle a quarter turn to allow in more air in then try again. Still too rich? Continue adjusting the needle by small amounts until the situation in 1 is achieved.
3. The engine will cut as soon as the as the throttle is advanced. This indicates a weak mixture. In this case SCREW IN the needle valve by a quarter turn to reduce the air supply and try again. Still too weak? Continue to screw in the needle valve by 1/8 to 1/4 turn until the situation in 1 is reached.

If you can't get the engine to tick over at all, does it cut out straght away when the throttle is chopped. Yes? Too weak. No? Uneven running and smoke? Too rich. Procede as above until it ticks over then whack the throttle open and observe results and take remedial action as in 2 and 3 above.

Still cutting out? Is the glow plug in good condition and of the correct heat range. Try a Firepower FF7 plug and try again.

Still cutting out? What fuel are you using? In my experience, Mercos like to run on 5% nitro and 18%-25% oil. Some claim that the oil should be castor but this is a controversial area.

Still cutting out? Where is the fuel tank in relation to carburettor. The center-line of the tank should be level with the carburettor jet.

Still cutting out? You did allow the engine to reach operating temperature and adjust for optimum highspeed running didn't you otherwise any fiddling is useless.

Still cutting out? Join your local boat club and get some expert advice!

All of the above is based upon my experience of using air cooled Mercos in model aircraft. It should hold good for boats, but when the water jacket fills on a marine engine, the motor will cool and will probably benefit from a slightly weaker idle mixture.

Best of luck



Dave Davis
BMFA Club Level Flying Instructor.





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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 5/15/2008 11:40 PM   
Pete Harvey


 

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Status: offline 		Dave

many thanks for excellent and comprehensive advice. This all makes sense & I will try these steps out as soon as I get the chance. I'm sure that these detailed instructions will be of use to others that find themselves in a similar situation.

kindest regards

Pete

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RE: Merco 61 - carbon date it? - 5/27/2008 12:52 PM   
f16man


 

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Status: offline 		Be very careful not to run the engine at full throttle as the boat prop will not load the engine like an airplane prop does. All to many times I have seen good engines lose a connecting rod from over reving.

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