WCB

I've got/had:
OS FX .25- easy starts, good power, runs great
Evolution .45 trainer- very reliable, easy starts (1 or 2 flips always), good power, easy to tune
OS .46 AX- consistant, screamer, runs great (as they are a new design I can't comment on longevity)
Saito .56- runs good, good power, fuel efficient, very reliable slow idle (love that sound)
Evolution NT .61- easy starts, very reliable, good power
Thunder Tiger .91 FS- easy starts, very good power, good idle, reliable

Only bad experience was with a TT .25 GP. Overall they are probably an ok engine for the $$ I just got a bad one. That can happen with any brand.

ParticleMan

My Feedback: (24)

Royal .46 - terrible, this is from personal experience and others who I've seen run them, you really need to change the carb to get them to run right

Cogburn

From what i have experienced most engines are ok-but the carburetors suck. Put a perry carb on about any motor and it runs good.

adrenalnjunky

My Feedback: (18)

Ok--here's my situation,

Had a Tower .46 in my trainer -- couldn't get it to run worth anything, and while I was still on the buddy cord my instructor got so frustrated at trying to keep the engine running he sold me a (ab)used .40LA for $20. This thing has been landed inverted on asphalt more than once. - the carb is from a .40 FP, and it won't win any beauty contests, but it usually hits on the 2nd flip, runs like a top once I tune the needle a few clicks.

I've moved on to other planes, and have just bought a Hangar9 Twist .40 - and all I have engine wise that I can put in it until I can afford something else is the Tower .46. I've tried the .46 on a 3d spad and it's still just a tempermental engine. I have wondered about swapping the Tower carb for something else, but does anyone have any reccomendations on what might fit/run properly on it?

I can't upgrade powerplants for another month or so, so anything that would make it a little more reliable would help.

jessiej

[Now this post was a shocker to read! I will defend the O.S LA .40 and say that these are probally one of the most dependable engines on the market. ]

On another forum I read that you opposed jobs being sent overseas. I have had excelent experiences with K&B and Fox engines made right here in the USA. Try 'em. A great chance for us to put our $ where our heart is.[8D]

jess

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I dont know of any bad engines, because all I get is O.S. and I will defend OS .40 LA, I but several gallons through that thing, and it still runs like a dream

sir-crash-alot

My Feedback: (4)

This is to all of you with problems with your magnums and LA's. First of all you need to run a pump on both and most of you guy maybe dont know this but you have to change all the O-rings i found every 8 months. Power- well the O.S may not be a power house but given the right prop, fuel and pump it is awesome!
I have a magnum .46XL with a tower muffler and it is one of the most powerful (size) but also the most reliable ive ever had. If you really want somthing good get an mvvs engine. There is nothing better!

promag

Have lots of 2 and 4 cycles engines including MDS .68 and .28, both good engines after break-in. No dead sticks more. Mokis (180/135) are excelents and so others (OSs, STs, TTs, Enyas, Saitos).
Only getting problems to tune my Webra 120 internal pump. Not breaked-in at yet (2 gls fuel).
Motor is mounted inverted in UCD and dies on idle and has bad transition. Lets wait some time more![>:]

Johng

My Feedback: (4)

Man, I couldn't agree more. Nothing wrong with OS, but the gold-head K&B engines are excellent values. The K&B .48 thinks it's a .60 in a 40-size case (the "screamin" 48). The gold head .61 is true ABC construction and every bit as powerfull as the OS .61 FX - for less than $100! Subtract $20 if you trade an engine in on it. These aren't finicky or troublesome like some of the old K&B line. These work out of the box, and are tough to kill, as long as you follow break-in directions.

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

Funny, the Magnum I got as part of the trainer package didnt come with a pump and as a beginner I had never heard of a pump. You can make most any engine run if you start adding aftermarket bits to it, but I think the idea of this thread was discussing engines as they come out of the box.
The Magnum .40XL was the worst POS I ever had the misfortune to own.

1fish

My Feedback: (3)

I have had four Magnums, two 52's ( one was so bad I returned it they gave me another, I would have preferred a refund but no-go) a 91 and a 15, the 15 is very easy to start runs great and has plenty of power, the 52 are very powerful for their size, but they never run consistently during hot weather the dead stick regularly, the 91 ran great at first but now it is had to get a good idle and it will dead stick quite often, I would never buy another magnum again, I bought all of these engines when I was starting into the hobby but now I know better if your going to go glow, use a YS or a Saito, now I really prefer gas anyway..

jworosylo

Anyone have any experience with an older engine, the Enya SS 40... at least it is old now, it was bought 10 years ago .....

FlyNBHappy

My Feedback: (7)

I have one on a trainer. Great little engine. Not the most powerful, but very reliable and easy to tune.

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

One man's trash is another man's treasure. I never did understand why folks have such bad luck with the same engines that I find perfectly fine - MDS, for example. I have several of each of the .68, .78 and 1.48 and have not come across one that didn't run smooth and powerful after a break-in session on the test bench. Then again, maybe that is the problem. Some folks expect an engine to fly right out of the box.

I have had Magnums, OS FPs, and Towers, too. Not all of them are perfectly smooth, but none that I would say AVOID THIS ENGINE AT ALL COST!!!!!

Hughes500E

My Feedback: (16)

One of the first engines I owned was a K&B 65 Sportster [:'(]
Since then I care not to discuss K&B, my 2 cents. Gobs of power no idle, what's more important?
Another one for me is the FOX line up, too many good engines to deal with setting one of these up and OS 4 strokes LOL , love my Saitos
I just bought 2 OS 46 LA's to go on a twin project, I will be breaking them in on my wifes LT-40. So far no problems, very reliable engine. I also just bought 2 MVVS 49's and a counter rotating crank for another twin project. We'll see, many good things being said!

blackbaron

My Feedback: (92)

Of engines I have had, my (2) O.S. .40 FP engines ran perfectly and never gave me an ounce of trouble. As far as power, it was a little weak on my PT 40 trainer but my Falcon 56 was a rocket with this engine. I had a Magnum Pro .45 that was also an excellent engine that had massive power! It spun a 9X6 prop so fast it would shatter a nylon prop. I had to use wood props to eliminate the flattening of the pitch that would cause my props to shatter. I had my Scat Cat Pylon racer clocked at 127mph with this engine.

However, the first engine I ever bought was a bad apple. I bought a K&B Sportster .45. This thing is a boat anchor! I never could get this thing to run right. Even the senior rc guys could not get it to consistantly run without flaming out. I almost quit the hobby out frustration because of this engine. I gave it to someone and bought an O.S and my problems were solved. The thing is, my friend had an old K&B .40 engine and it was very reliable. I still will not ever buy a K&B engine again.

jessiej

I think you have hit the proverbial nail on the head, Volfy. We often hear that X engine is no good, etc. ad nauseum, but how often do we hear, "Gee, I dont know how to opeate my Fsatasssumbichi" , or "Gosh darn, I picked this Hitorkstumpulr when i needed one of them faswhatchamacaulitz?

I have somewhere in the neighhohd of 150-200 engines, manufactured from the 1930s to present. I can point to a few, a Thor for example, that I would say are "no good". I can also name a gentleman who can make a Thor purr like a kitten. (To my embarrassent, since I can't)

Previously mentioned in this thread was a K&B Sportster 65. In the proper application- big prop, lotsa torque proper fuel (castor, low nitro) It is a superb long lasting engine.

Sadly, this is the age of instant gratification. Witness the number of ARF models as opposed to kit built or (forget it) scratch built models. Most RC flyers today want an engine that functions as an on/off switch in a rtf, zero maintinence airframe. No wonder then that a poor choice in engine/airframe match, or lack of knowlege results in an engine that is "to be avoided at all cost"

jess

ronk1

My Feedback: (25)

Magnum 2 strokes carbs tend to have a problem with air leaking around the high speed needle. If you can correct this problem they run fine but Magnum needs to address this. I did have a XLS 91 that would not run correct with a pitts muffler; why I do not know. If you used the stock muffler it run OK but was hard to keep tuned. Bottom line YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

aaron2874

I have two OS 46LAs. Both are great engines for light weight planes. No complaints here.

Hughes500E

My Feedback: (16)

The point you provide is very well understood by many, it is quite obvious that some guys are better than others when it comes to tuning/setting up engines however, it is very unfair to label all as incompetent. The proof is in the pudding. Believe it or not there can be bad engines!
The determining factor here is proven by the numbers, if 60% of the members cast vote on engine X being no good or be it "hard to tune" chances are they are not a user friendly engine. This would be considered upsetting seeing as though 80% voted on engine Y being great.
We don't want a magical engine buddy we want reliability from beginners to advanced !
Enjoy your choice in engines for your given airframes.

jessiej

Hughes, a crarefull check of my post reveals that nowhere did I label anyone as "incompetent". It follows, then that I was unfairly labeled "unfair". My relief is unbounded!

Actually if you reread both posts you will find that we are in agreement-proper engine selection is key. Obviously the beginner or one with no interest in the internal combustion engine should put simplicity, ease of break-in and reliability at the top of the list. Competence or the lack thereof should not be a factor. Gearheads on the other hand derive great satisfaction from obtaining superior performance from dificult subjects, or simply engines that are not identical to most others on the field. My Fox engines are an example (they are not realy that hard to set up).

In any event, we are not discussing issues of great moral import or life threatening matters here. Just a hobby. I am frequently amazed at the amount of emotion some of our members express relative to their choice in engines, synthetic vs castor etc.

PS If one must use the term incompetent, apply it to me and radio equipment. I just want to plug it in and turn it on. My daughter says I can fix anything that runs on gasoline or gunpowder, but I need to stay away from electronics

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

I will never buy another OS ABN engine. Recentently have had three 46 fx liners peel and one I actually repalced the piston a sleeve to only have the same thing happen again for a total of 4 peeled liners. NOT good. BTW there probabliy wasn't a bigger OS fan than myself but now I am done with OS junk.

blw

My Feedback: (3)

Jobs aren't being sent overseas to build Japanese and Chinese engines. I bet you won't find a single American in the plants. Novels are designed by former Russian aerospace engineers. They don't need us right now to make super engines.

I buy what is worth my money, be it American or whatever. If an American company wanted to make engines as good as Saitos, the new Norvels and Evolutions, they would do it competitively. There aren't many trade secrets on model airplane engines. It could be done.

jessiej

[If an American company wanted to make engines as good as Saitos, the new Norvels and Evolutions, they would do it competitively. There aren't many trade secrets on model airplane engines. It could be done. ]

It is being done, and has been for quite a while, though not 4-strokes unfortunately.

jess

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

jess & hughes, going by statistics alone can be very misleading. Especially in this election year, it isn't hard to see that pollsters can make the numbers say whatever they want to say.

For example, if one goes by this thread alone, then the conclusion must be that the OS 40LA is a bad engine, since so many posts speak ill of it. But then again, how about those 100s of thousands other RCers who learned RC on a LA40-equipped Superstar? Anybody care to poll all of them to find out? I am not exactly a big fan of these plastic rear covered FP replacements, but I suspect the true overall success rate will be much in favor of the LA.

In the end, it matters little what 60% say this and 48% say that. This is simply because not everyone's experience level and conpetence is the same. The one that ***** the loudest is not always the one most credible.