troytday

My Feedback: (1)

This is in regards of what fuel types, and homemade fuels that everyone is using on their 1/2A scale planes. Whether the planes have a .074 and under sized Norvel, Cox, etc; type glow engine. Is anyone using Omega, Red Max, Norvel, etc type fuels, and adding extra castor oil to the mixes. Or running higher or lower nitro content on your glow engines. What home brews are people using on these engines lower content fuels @ 15%, or higher content @ 25% + type nitro. This is for different fuel types for the small guys on the littlest of the glow engines. Also to see if different fuels are fatiguing the engines or running just fine on different types of nitro content.

2fast4u

My Feedback: (5)

I run Ritch's Brew 25% nitro, 20% all synthetic oil. Runs clean. Never had a fuel related problem with it in over 10 years now. I run it in everything from Norvel .061, .074 up to my .91 4 cycles.

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

I run coolpower 15% in every engine I own. 1/2A on up. Also never had an engine die yet. Just too lazy to go get a special fuel for my small ones, and the planes fly fine with the 15%, even the cox's. I know a lot of guys use higher nitro, and also say you cant run 100% synthetic, but if you arent looking for top performace (in most sport applictaions 15% is fine) and arent running too lean (where castor will save you a burnt up piston/cylinder) synth. oil is OK.

Its such a personal thing!

Andrew

1fishnfool

My Feedback: (42)

I run pretty much the same fuel in all my engines from cylons to cox`s to nelson`s.I always run 20% uconn or klotz synthetic oil.I usually run 35% for the cox and norvel engines,cyclons run good on 20% and so do the bigger engines.I have run the cox`s on 70% for racing.

1fishnfool

My Feedback: (42)

That was 35% nitro by the way...i never use higher than 20% oil.

1fishnfool

My Feedback: (42)

2fast4u brought up a good point also when he said he uses the same fuel in his 4 stroke.I also use whatever fuel I have mixed for my 4 strokes also.They love the extra nitro and always seem to stay nice and clean without the castor.

Graxafone

You should have at least some castor oil in your fuel, because castr oil likes to coat the cylinder and piston and be absorbed and also protect your engine for a long time while synthetic oil can't do that. Cool Power doesn't have any castor oil, and Norvel recommends castor oil because of the ceramic coating being porous.

1fishnfool

My Feedback: (42)

They recomend castor so you won`t go out and run your engine over-lean,burn it up, and try to hold them liable for it.Synthetic is the cleanest burning oil there is.All you have to do is make sure that you run out the last of the fuel from the crankcase and add some marvel,or other after run oil when you are done.Engines will last a long time,and there is no castor mess on the plane or engine.

Nitro-Nut

"some of the oil should be high quality castor oil. Synthetic oils have better lubricity and lower viscosity than castor oil, but the castor will protect an engine up to higher temperatures, and also form a barrier against moisture when the engine is in storage."

Direct quote from the Norvel site....

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

That will be a controvertial issue for a lot of us - I have been running cox engines since 1977 and I have used a lot of diferent fuels. I use 100% symthetics without ANY problem, even though by many accounts, I should have burned up all my engines by now! I think it has to do a lot with engine experience, and manufacturers trying to cover their butts. Castor WILL save an engine that is set too lean, and many novices will over lean their motors. Same as most larger ABC/ABN engines recommend a castor/synth. fuel to be used - same reason. I run cool power in all my engines, except a select few, that being older lapped iron/steel (like fox 35, mccoy's, K&B green heads and some that from experience of many like it, like my Moki).

Just my experience - use at your own risk! Then again, castor mix will not hurt anything, and I add castor to my cool power for break in, and other special cercumstances.

Andrew

Nitro-Nut

"..is that castor will form a protective varnish on the piston skirt and cylinder walls when it exceeds it's breakdown temperature which is somewhat above 500 degrees F cylinder head temp. This varnish prevents metal to metal contact at the high temperatures. Usually an overheated varnished engine will give you notice that something is wrong. It slows or "sags" noticeably. Immediately shutting it down will generally prevent any damage to the piston or cylinder.

Synthetic lubricants also break down at about 500 degrees F, but they don't deposit a protective varnish. The resulting metal-to-metal contact will destroy the piston and sometimes the cylinder within seconds.. "

Got the above info from an engine book....

I use both types of oils. I prefer castor because of my engine tinkering for high rpm, it keeps the engine cooler and protects it in case I get silly with the needlevalve... I tried all synthetic but the engines would overheat and it would also burn glo-plugs more frequently...

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

True, very true! BUT... if you never run your engines lean synth works great, is less likely to gum up the smaller engines, especially reed valves.

Liek I said, it is up to the user to know and tune his/her engine, and sometimes one is better than the other even dependant upon the user.

I have never burnt out an 049 on GOOD synth only fuel, and that is proof to me its OK. Just make sure you dont run em' lean!

AJC

fastlash

My Feedback: (7)

I beat the crap out of my engines, so I use lots of castor, for those on the edge needle adjustments,and yes it do gum things up, the point that AJC is making is valid, as far as let the use, match the fuel, is what you should be doing, and yes, I have blown up a lot of motors but what the h*ll thats what the LHS is for!!!

1fishnfool

My Feedback: (42)

It all comes down to each his own.I hate to run any castor in my fuel.It makes for a messy plane,and if you let the engine sit for any peiod of time,it will gum up real bad.As for the fact that castor is better to run in the case that the engine will be sitting for a period of time and that it will be better protected,there is no substitute for adding a good after run oil after each flying session.It is kinda funny about how manufactures reccomend castor for they`re engines.I gaurantee you that it is to cover they`re butts to the novice.I have talked with Henry Nelson about this alot,and he says never to run any castor in any of his engines....I sent one of mine back to him once,and he said to keep doing whatever i was doing cuz it looked brand new inside.Like i said,to each his own.