RE: knocking Saito
Don:
With a prop in the smaller end of the acceptable range, and the valves set at minimum, the HC engines will accept 15% nitro, but they are still touchy on it.
As I recall, the instructions didn't say much about nitro percentage, it was just something we users had to learn for ourselves.
The American market is Saito's biggest customer, Americans like high nitro, Saito modified the engines to suit the market.
All but a very few of the "Big Block" Saito engines have the screw in intake pipe. The one in the picture was a very limited production version of the FA-120, high compression, wild cam, free exhaust. The one in the picture is the very first of the big block "S" type engines, possibly no more than a couple hundred made.
Bill.