AndyW

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The Norvel .074 is one of my all time favourite engines. Affordable, high quality, high power to weight, a MUFFLER, and throttling that's essentially perfect. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it DOES.

As mentioned on an earlier post, LiteMachines is having a half price sale on their Norvel built .06 and .074 engines. That means you get a crankcase, backplate and crank as extras when you buy the engine for the same price as a piston/cylinder set.

Well, I just got my two engines and boy, am I pleased. Pictured is what I did to convert them to fixed wing power. Big plus is that the case is brass bushed at BOTH ends. The .06 is good, bushed at least at the prop end but this is much better even.

PLUS the intake stem on the case is ROUND. PLUS, it's the same bore as the stem on those wonderful throttles made by CS. And look, no JB Weld in sight. A drawbar is all you need to mount the throttle. Far superior to nuts and bolts.

Well, it didn't take long for me to assemble one and mount it to my MiniSport.

flyinrog

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Andy be careful of the breakin! the .074 in that LM version was prone to snapping connecting rods even after many tankfuls, I actually had 8 shims in mine for breakin and it still had plenty-o-power for flying although I wasnt much of a pilot and Deadstik Dan has it at the moment,.its still running AFAIK...yours looks good...Rog

AndyW

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Rog,

Thanks for the heads up. Yes, I've seen some posts about that. But I won't be doing any breaking in with the engine on a helicopter. I think that is the reason some problems were encountered. I'm well aware of the issue of the engine being very tight at TDC when new. For the first few starts, I always use a heat gun to expand the cylinder before applying the starter. It's amazing how well this works. In addition, too much raw prime washes the oil out of the pores of the anodized surface of the cylinder. This always leads to a lock-up if you're not careful, even on an engine that's well run in.

I also have LM's .061 and these have been set up with very little squeeze at the top. Virtually no break-in required and yet, as can be seen here, we get excellent power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdUdlXOd_-4 That video was taken on the very first tankful.

I get an excellent top end along with a sparkling idle and transition. I've been contemplating making up a fixed wing version with an exhaust throttle.

But this .074 does have the usual tightness and I'll be sure to give her a proper break-in.

What's AFAIK?

injunnut1

Andy,
As far as I know I think AFAIK means .... er well, 'as far as I know'? <GRIN>!!

KidEpoxy

Ok, I'll bite.

What on earth are you doing with that drillpress?
Did the LM muffler stuff not bolt on?

Schu

My Feedback: (5)

Andy,
Where are you getting the carbs? and how much are they? Also - don't recall that glo plug before- is that from Lite Machines as well?
Dale

AndyW

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Oh geez,, well, WTHDIK anyway [X(]

But thanks.

AndyW

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No, the exhaust header isn't drilled and tapped which is what the drill press pic illustrates. The LM muffler is bolted on with a strap. Sounds MM but it works well.

AndyW

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Hi Dale,

The carbs are made by CS and are available from Bill Hughes at [email protected] for a mere 15 dollars plus shipping. Great price, very good quality.

B&L Hobby Supplies Inc
113 n chase ave
Bartlett IL 60103-4130

The only issue I have with it is the absence of an adjustable airbleed. However, the .074, with the stock, Norvel carb also has no means to adjust the idle mixture but it throttles extremely well. How that's done is that by chance, the engine has a very broad needle valve range. In effect, you adjust the idle mixture with the main needle. As you dial in from rich, you get a peak. But from there, you can dial it in some more, a 3/4 turn sometimes, with no change in the engine's RPM. This is what allows you to adjust the idle.

I let the engine idle for a few minutes and then crack the throttle open. If it goes,, you're done. If it smokes and spits, dial in the needle a bit and repeat the process. At one point you'll have an idle to die for and yet the top end will be perfect, not too lean and running strong. I usually also repeat this process in the air. Amazing how this engine works that way but there are others that do this as well, notably the OS Max .10. I'm anticipating that the CS throttled version will behave the same way but no guarantee.

The glow plug is a turbo plug, medium. I made inserts for these and posted a thread about how to do it a month or so ago. This lets you use anybody's plug with a variety of heat ranges. Unlike making an insert for regular plugs, this arrangement does not lose you any power. In some cases you can gain a bit by fine tuning the heat range for your particular fuel and conditions.

That thread can be seen here.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_45..._1/key_/tm.htm

Digger-RCU

I know I am bringing up an oldy here, but I want to do this with one of my V7 engines I bought.

I have read in other threads that the CS carbs can be poor quality.

As such, would an AP 061 carb work for this application?

Is the CS carb that is available today adaquate for this engine, or are there better options available that were not when this original thread was written?

Thanks

Digger

digital_trucker

If you're a masochist, then the CS is perfect for you...otherwise I'd keep looking. The CS I have wouldn't even be good for nose ballast. I can't say enough horrid things about it (I don't sound TOO bitter do I?).

The only positive thing I can say about the CS engine is that the muffler bolts on (sorta).

AndyW

My Feedback: (1)

The CS ENGINE can be spotty in quality but their carb is well made. I bought six of these and none had any problems. But that may have changed. Consistency doesn't seem to be CS's forte.

The good thing is that the stem of the carb fits the round intake socket of the V-Max engine. The thing it NEEDS is an adjustable airbleed. The AP .061 carb will work but the stem is far too small for the engine. The CS carb drops right in and just needs a draw bar. Plus, the AP carb is also missing the adjustable airbleed.

I turned the .06 version of this engine into a rear exhaust and adapted the throttle portion of LM's muffler onto a custom made muffler and that worked very well. This was done for conversion of an electric heli to glow. If you have a lathe, this could be tried using the stock, side exhaust set up.

That can be seen here,, http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=SdUdlXOd_-4

I reverted back to an exhaust throttle because the rear exhaust conversion didn't throttle as well, (using an intake carb) as I wanted,,, here,,, http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=qHD3Dt4rcwQ&NR=1 While the idle was excellent, transition was not so great. Such a low idle, in any case, isn't needed. Note that this one uses the AP carb but note that I added an adjustable airbleed.

The engine was a little overcompressed, adding two gaskets helped the transition. The audio lag with YouTube spoils the effect but throttling is quite good.

GrahamC

Actually the CS 061 carb is a pretty decent piece of kit. It is a drop in fit for the Norvel V7 and as is will let the engine idle OK.

BUT, if you add an air bleed as suggest by AJC here http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7473017/tm.htm it will work much better.

I concur with Andy's comments on the CS carb.

The AP 061 carb is much too large to fit the V7 crankcase and would need to be turned down to fit.

My only complaint so far with the CS 061 carb is the plastic fuel nipple thingy. Plastic is quick, easy and inexpensive to manufacture but I think is a weak spot in this carb. I am going to try and find a replacement (OS maybe) or perhaps make a replacement when time permits. In the mean time I will use as is and so far the V7 / CS061 carb combo is working well for me.

I modified the V7 muffler for use in my Sig Nitro Rascal and made a pressure tap for it. I will post a picture later on. I like the way Andy drilled and tapped the crankcase for muffler bolts - there is always more than one way to get to the same end.

cheers, Graham in Ottawa

digital_trucker

I must have a carb made on a monday morning then. The so-called ratchett 'spring' appears to be made from aluminum (judging by how bendable it is...no grip at all), and the needle is so loose even fuel line over it doesn't help.

Digger-RCU

Thanks greatly for the help y'all
I will try the CS carb and see what happens.


Digger