Rcpilot,

I'm thinking that if the piston hasn't been too badly abused and the cylinder plating is relatively intact he's got a good chance of saving what's left and obtaining another season or two with the engine. He'll have to tear it down and expend a little time and effort in the reconditioning process. If the ring maintains it's tension after cleaning the ring groove, the top and back of the ring, and the combustion areas of the piston and cylinder, he just might pull it off.

Worst case is he orders a new top assembly and starts over with another break in using a good oil at a reasonable ratio. That would save the cost of round trip shipping if he did it himself. Costs in the area of $200.00-$250.00 and working time of about an hour or so. If cleaning did not work I'd give Jody at Valley View RC a call for the parts.

The hard carbon deposits are almost a forgone determination.