Leaky Wen Mac Aluminum "thimble" tank
07-28-2006, 06:58 PM
#1
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Leaky Wen Mac Aluminum "thimble" tank
After seeing the thread regarding the Cox Tank adaptors it reminded me of a pain in the past I had with a Wen Mac.
I have no experience with the .049 extenders. Saw them advertised and stayed far away. It sounded too good to be true.
The reason I shyed away was from my earlier experience with the Wen Mac .049 and the tiny aluminum "thimble" of a tank it had on the back. Bought it from another kid I was in the Boy Scouts with at the time for a buck. It was easy to start and not too terribly hard to get running smooth but the fuel would just pour out of the thing. I had to keep my fuel bulb going every few moments to keep it going and not run dry.
It didn't take me long to remove that thing and put it aside for "future reference" and I got a lil perfect tank to take its place. Once I had my fuel problem solved it took me only a short period of time to, realise how much heavier it was with that steel flywheel and starter mechanisim plus it just would not do the RPMs nor put out the thrust of my Cox motors.
Even way back then with glowheads easily to be had for every size Cox I did so want that Wen Mac to be my hero so I could buy affordable plugs for it. That was never to be. Cox won.
Since that was my only experience with the "tank on the back" Wen Mac and it was used was there supposed to be a limiting tube or some such device to keep one from overtightning the screw that held that tankmin place? THe only help I got from the LHS guy was that "those things always did leak, get rid of it and use a real tank" which of course i did.
I had realised at an early age that for the money Cox was it for me.
Robert
I have no experience with the .049 extenders. Saw them advertised and stayed far away. It sounded too good to be true.
The reason I shyed away was from my earlier experience with the Wen Mac .049 and the tiny aluminum "thimble" of a tank it had on the back. Bought it from another kid I was in the Boy Scouts with at the time for a buck. It was easy to start and not too terribly hard to get running smooth but the fuel would just pour out of the thing. I had to keep my fuel bulb going every few moments to keep it going and not run dry.
It didn't take me long to remove that thing and put it aside for "future reference" and I got a lil perfect tank to take its place. Once I had my fuel problem solved it took me only a short period of time to, realise how much heavier it was with that steel flywheel and starter mechanisim plus it just would not do the RPMs nor put out the thrust of my Cox motors.
Even way back then with glowheads easily to be had for every size Cox I did so want that Wen Mac to be my hero so I could buy affordable plugs for it. That was never to be. Cox won.
Since that was my only experience with the "tank on the back" Wen Mac and it was used was there supposed to be a limiting tube or some such device to keep one from overtightning the screw that held that tankmin place? THe only help I got from the LHS guy was that "those things always did leak, get rid of it and use a real tank" which of course i did.
I had realised at an early age that for the money Cox was it for me.
Robert
07-28-2006, 09:36 PM
#2
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RE: Leaky Wen Mac Aluminum "thimble" tank
Yeah, the Wen Mac's don't have a lot of muscle and with the all steel starter on the nose of them they are heavy to boot. But you won't find much of an easier to start and run engine.
I've got two of them and love them to bits just for that quality. I plan on building a Dakota free flight bipe for one. For this use the Wen Mac is abso-LOOOOOOTLY perrrrfect for the job.
And as for your leaky tank woes. Is there a paper or rubber gasket in the groove of the backplate? Without it the thimble will never seal. And if it's there and leaks check for a bit of junk in the groove under the gasket and lightly face the rim of the thimble with some fine wet or dry on a flat surface to square it up. It shouldn't leak like that.
I've got two of them and love them to bits just for that quality. I plan on building a Dakota free flight bipe for one. For this use the Wen Mac is abso-LOOOOOOTLY perrrrfect for the job.
And as for your leaky tank woes. Is there a paper or rubber gasket in the groove of the backplate? Without it the thimble will never seal. And if it's there and leaks check for a bit of junk in the groove under the gasket and lightly face the rim of the thimble with some fine wet or dry on a flat surface to square it up. It shouldn't leak like that.
