Need more power!
Darth,
My Vmax6 is from the summer of 97, the only engine I have every owned for the heli. I picked it up right after they made the switch from the Cox engine and came out with the 100+ kit. I do not fly quite as much as you and probably have 10-14 gallons through this engine. It is very possible that the little guy is just worn out, but the piston does not seem sloppy in the cylinder and there is still a tight spot at TDC. The big end of the rod looks great with no signs of problems. I have slowly used higher and higher nitro over the years with fewer and fewer washers and now fly 30% with only one skinny little washer under the head. I would feel quite comfortable changing the piston and sleeve on my engine, but perhaps the same money would be better put towards the Vmax7. I am not sure there.
Though $90 is no small matter, I would consider the money well spent on a Vmax7 upgrade if it were to deliver all of the fabulous performance I have heard it is capable of. I would recommend a new buyer going with the Vmax7 off the bat. My largest concern is the talk about snapped rods and no definite reason for this problem. If not for that, I would have purchased one of these engines a while ago.
$140 is significantly better than I had feared for the electric power, but I am still concerned about putting some $250 into batteries. For the cost of an electric system I can literally get a whole new gas heli with the Vmax7 and servos. I even have another receiver I can use. I could have two! Not that I in any way need more than one, but I find it difficult justifying the money for the electric.
For what it is worth,
Spiro