Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Hi guys,
Been reading up on the new Evolution engines, in particular the 1.00 to power my new CMPro extra 300s 90.. i was origionally going to just pbuy the OS 90fx but came across this and its had some awesome reviews and statements that quality is as good and in some cases better than OS.. is this true?? Thanks, james.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

They are made in the same plane as the Magnum and ASP engines and have the same dimensions except for the .46. The Evo trainer engine is a match for the Magnum .46. The Evo .46 is a longer stroke, smaller bore engine and is closer to a .47. I have heard the 1.00 is a good engine, but tends to be on the heavy side.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I bought a Evo 61 engine to try. Using thee same size/type of prop the man claims to get 12,0000 rpm. I am lucky to get just over 11,000. Out of the box it was way too rich on the low speed. Fuel burbling out the top of the carb and would instantly die if I touched the throttle. After some adjustments it ran ok but not great and seemed to lose power with every flight. I have read more than few reports of this happening with other Evo engines as well. Brought the plane in, tyed down and throttle up to try and find out whats going on. At high throttle you could see the low speed idle knob turning! Pulled the engine and its sittting on one of my benches now. [>:]

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Disclaimer: I have never used and Evolution engine, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.....

OK... there are a few people who use them at our field....
One is a good friend of mine... he had the .46 worked great on the test stand.... but never reliable in the air..and he (and the several other people who have helped) knows how to tune engines...
He is now borrowing my OS .46ax so he can fly...
The wierd thing is it ran fine last summer

another gentleman has an Evo .46 in a trainer..... if the temp is remotely cool... the engine will not run...and MANY people have tried tuning this engine...

Now, I'm not saying they are bad... and these may be very isolated instances related to cold weather flying....
but I don't think I would be in a hurry to grab one....

Just my very humble opinion

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Thanks for the speedy words guys... looks like i am going the OS lol... can't beat 'guaranteed' reliability.

I'm going to throw a question out in the open here, is there anyone in the states that is will to help me with purchasing an engine from over there and shipping it here for me?? Due to the Aussie dollar at the moment being fairly strong, the US prices beat out RRP by a big margin, and have tried to buy through an online store, but there is only 2-3 major ones i can find, and was hoping maybe someone had a personal connection with a hobby store that could get a price for a desperate aussie after an OS powerplant ;) I say this because the Australian suppliers are out o f the 61 and 91fx, and whatever is here as old stock is going for the same price per ounce as gold! Let me know ;)

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Everyone at our field that has the "Evolution engines" of any size say that they have nothing but trouble with them. Some have gave up on them and a few others are still tinkering with them. I personally run O.S., Saito, and Super Tigre engines.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Newbie at field has one in his trainer, a few friends and myself, all experienced modelers spent a frustrating afternoon trying to get it to run well, , most things were tried, we changed the plug, changed the prop, took off the restrictors on the needles in case that was the problem but nothing worked, it would start and pick up fine until mid throttle then just lean out and die. After about three hours of fiddling we abandoned it, one of the guys, who works for a model fuel company took it to his workshop and eventually found that the baffle in the muffler had a really small notch to allow the gases to pass into the second chamber, once this was opened out to a similar size to the tailpipe internal bore the problem was solved. I gave the newbie three flights last weekend, engine starts and runs well, no flameouts and seems to produce average power for a 46.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Dave, thankx for the heads up! When I had the mufflerof my 61 apart I noticed that there is baffle with very small passages as well. After reading your post I will take the muffler apart and see about making those openings bigger![8D]

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I have one, and I'd get another in a heartbeat - Runs great

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I have been selling these engines since they were first put on the market and have not had one problem. There is a post on RCU under glow that has the power of the 100. These engines are too easy to set and run. If someone is having trouble setting the engine, it's not the engines fault. Dennis

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Run great but so do my mds's

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Thats a pretty bold statement......

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

What about the engine is supposed to be broke in and set up with factory settings? My low speed needle valve was open way too much and I have read about several cases where the low speed valve was closed off completly! [>:]

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I have owned the Evo trainer system engine and an NT .61. My brother had an Evo trainer system. Several people I fly with have Evo's in all different sizes. I have not seen nor experienced any of the problems discussed here. Maybe we're all just real lucky and got good ones, but I doubt that is the reason. I'd buy another one if I were in the market for a small 2 stroke.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Maybe its every 5th engine when the boss is watching that does get set up properly and runs great. If you get one of the other 4 engines, well good luck! From what I have seen and read they have a common characteristic with the Tower Hobbies engines. Some run great out of the box, some never run right.[8D]

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I'm flying my trainer .45 for the second season. Last year I had a bit of trouble at first getting it to run correctly. I had several dead sticks at first but it has run well since. My only complaint is I can not keep the muffler from vibrating loose into 2 pieces, I've tried everything. I am going to JB Weld the halves together this weekend.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

they are very good however i looked at there new gas line and they look exactly like mvvs engines!

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

My Evolution 100 on a Funtana 90 started right out of the box, idled and transitioned perfectly. Needed to lean the top end slightly, went flying. No problems, hovered the Funtana at 1/2 throttle with, shot skyward with ease. I am impressed with the engine.

LHS sells a lot of them, all have been trouble free. I agree with Dennis, it probably isn't the engines fault. However an occasional crapper can be had with any manufacturer, including OS.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Well... it seems to me like the engine iteself isn't to bad, its just the factory is inconsistant with factory settings?? As far as quality goes what are they like? Is the finish as good as the OS engines?

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

It seems no matter what, there is always some cheerful fellow that will tell people on here that they'd have to be an idiot not to be able to get something to work...

"If someone is having trouble setting the engine, it's not the engines fault. Dennis "

I thought the Evolution engines were factory run and pre-tuned so that even an idiot could get them to work. That is the marketing of them. Clearly there are folks that have not had the simple experience the engine promised, but it must not be the engine right? If the engine is a great performer but requires some addtional tuning to get that way, then it is still a failure based on the bold statements by marketing that anyone can get this engine going. How can the customer be a fool when the engine is fool proof? Maybe the customer is a fool by believing the marketing hype....

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Thanks aviti for expressing my feelings so clearly, its amazing to me that some people on here always assume that people are somehow fools for expressing an opinion other than there own. I replied to the original posting with my findings on the particular engine that I had dealings with, those were my honest findings and I truly resent being told that Im somehow inadequate for not getting this engine to run.

"Please resist the urge to curse, flame, degrade, insult or embarrass someone in your post. We encourage the free flow of your ideas, but believe that they can be communicated (and received) much more effectively if you keep things civil".

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Can't see where anyone is flaming others here. The valued opinions expressed illustrate a cross section of modelers's experiences with Evolution engines, thus allowing a reader to arrive at a conclusion as it pertains to them.

This hobby includes plenty of idiots who trash anything they touch, other idiots who claim to know everything, numerous idiots who never admit to a wrong, expert idiots, clueless idiots, helpless idiots, don't need your help idiots, and everyday idiots like me who have spent 40 years in this hobby with both good and bad experiences.

The Evolution engine series serves it's purpose and most idiots understand advertising claims are overexagerated. The engines are well made and finished and reasonably priced. In my case the 100 performed exactly as advertised and a number of local club members obtained equal results.

As in most instances on the web, complaints come first from the idiot having a problem, then others pile on. Then some other idiot comes and bursts the negative bubble by saying they love it and no problems exists. How dare them!

From one idiot to others, read the posts, evaluate, then make your own decisions about the Evolution engines.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I have 3 of the 45's, 2 - of the 40's, 3 of the 61's & just bought the 100. All of them run great, would recommend these engines to anyone.
My 61 on a H9 stick, out preforms a friends stick with a 76 on it!

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Jolly good!, I repeat again I was merely expressing an opinion, I therefore bow to your superior knowledge and withdraw from this conversation.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

davej78,

Don't miss the point here. Your experience with the engine, and the modification that solved it is just as valuable as those expressing a trouble free experience.

No product is perfect and those experiencing difficulty may find a solution among these posts.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I think this engine also creates some problems that are unique to itself. I earlier posted that I had several deadsticks at first and these were due to the fact that I was sure that the advertising hype was correct and that I didn't have to make any adjustments outside the "range" that the collar over the high speed needle allows. After bending back the tab and then adjusting, the engine has run well since. If this engine didn't have this feature I would have adjusted it correctly from the get go with no dead sticks and I would have been singing its praises here today.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I agree that pinning the needle settings can cause some issues. A factory worker in China is probably presetting the needles using vacuum or pressure reading equipment. That's okay for their altitude, humidity, etc. However it may vary anywhere else. The engineering premise of presets and limiters is a good one, just needs some refinement.

One newbie here had a hard time with his, kept quitting in the air after a brief run. Another fellow changed his glow plug and the problem went away. Newbie didn't know a plug could do this.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Tying the model down and letting it run for extended periods on the ground will ruin any engine.

If you were able to do so, you would see a very fine cloud of dust being pulled from the ground and into the engine's carburetor.

Go to a pattern contest and see how much effort most pattern pilots go to to minimize their engine's running time on the ground. Those in the know will have a drill worked out to keep this time as a minimum. Dust/dirt is abrasive and is similar to running lapping compound through your engine.

No engine will tolerate this kind of abuse for very long without showing a drop in power production.

Years ago, in RCM, IIRC, there was a picture that was taken of a model airplane with running engine at dusk. Car headlights were illuminating the dust cloud as it entered the engine. It changed my behavior around engines permanently.

Ed Cregger

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Guys, take a engine and set it in Denver and then take it to LA and then complain about the factory setting. Any engine must be set for the area you live in. MDS was the biggest pain there ever was, but you'll still find soneone that likes them. Nothing works 100% out of the box. Ask some of the older guys about Fox and the twin needle carb. You had to re-set them every day. both needles. when you talk about factory setting, think China. My statment was made on the number of engines sold against the number returned which is zero. Should have been in my store during MDS days. I still stand by my first statment. When MDS went down the grapper, Horizon took every one back. This is the kind of company that is behind the Evolution. You pick. Dennis

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I am not familiar with the Evolution series of engines, but I do know that bad handling habits can cause any engine to experience premature failure.

When one considers the fact that it is mostly newbies that buy the cheaper "beginner" engines, and couple this with a lack of knowledge concerning proper engine handling, it is no wonder that certain brands develop a reputation that is often not deserved.

Does anyone remember the Fox two needle carbs that had a cast carb body with a tapered fuel nipple also cast into the body? Those carbs worked just fine, if you filed a groove in the tapered nipple and placed a lock washer on it for fuel line retention. If you didn't do this, the fuel line would keep slipping off. You also had to adjust the low speed circuit first, as plainly pointed out in the instructions. If you did these two things, the carbs worked just fine. If you didn't, you were in for a world of agony.

Fox used to push the envelope on large carb air flow rates. One of the symptoms of doing such a thing was a carb that needed readjustment just about every time you went to the flying field. Why? Because the carb openings were so large that just the minor variations between day-to-day air pressure levels would cause yesterday's adjustments to be inappropriate. But when you got it dialed-in - LOOKOUT! Lots of power.

Ed Cregger

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Well, for what it's worth, I owned (past tense) three. An Evo 40, 61, and 100. NONE of them ran well enough to keep. The .40 started out ok, but after several tanks, it would start but not transition. The same with the two others, except the 100 never would run right no matter what I did. Our club has several guys that could be considered engine experts, one is FAI Pattern level and absolutely KNOWS engines. He could not get it to run right. We would get it set up at idle, hit the throttle, and it would die. After we got it adjusted to what we thought was correct, I put the plane in the air. One flight, land, refuel, back to 'normal'. I went back up, and it would die on throttle transitions. At times, I could not get it off the ground because it would just die.

I went to my LHS and bought an OS 1.20 AX and replaced the Evo 100 with it. Never again did I have a problem. When I go out to the field now, I fuel up, turn the engine to get fuel flow to the carb, attach the glow driver and flip the prop with my chicken stick and go flying. No more sweating over getting the stupid engine running. That was back in May. I still have that OS 1.20 AX and it still runs like a champ. In fact, it runs well enough that I bought another for another plane and it too runs like a champ.

My LHS has the EVO's in his showcase for sale 'on consignment'. All of you evo lovers.. go on over and pick one up. I'd be glad to sell it to you. :D

DS.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Had an Evo .46...flew the plane three dozen times and had around a dozen dead stick landings [:'(]. Engine would cut out after 5 or 6 minutes. Nobody in our club could figure it out. In Evo's defense, the thing did hand start on the first flip.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Evilutiona are an excellent motor, I've had a few of them now and never had a dead stick with any of them. You do need to pull the limiter pins out of the high speed needle though, ecspecaily if you're at high altitudes. I've never had any of the needles move either during flight which some have had happen, I just pull the needle out and bend the tab slightly and re-install the needle so it is a little harder to turn. Just remember that these motors use a 4-stroke plug, such as the OS "F" type plug and not a typical 2-stroke plug. I fly at almost 6000ft and ocassionaly around 10,000ft and have had no trouble with RPM's. I do use and have always used 25% nitro fuel and it runs smoother and they all run strong. Just like any other motor, if you over heat it it won't last long. PM me if you have any questions.


Shane

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I have a Evo Trainer engine, that is a big pain. We cannot get it to run right for anything. I have change fuel lines, glow plugs, and taken the fly wheel off. These have helped a little, but it just will not run right. I, and everybody I fly with, am not impressed at all with this engine. I just borrowed an OS 46 so for the time being just so that I can fly. I would not recommend this engine.

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I have sold a lot of these engines, not one has given me or the club members any trouble. Sure some of them have to be fined tuned other then the factory setting. All you have to know is how. what I still don't understand is why no one that has trouble said anything about sending them back to Horizon to get fixed. They give you three years. I sell the trainer in the store and taught at the field, not one dead stick.. I have sold them since day one and not one customer has asked to replace it. I still say if the engine can't be tuned it's not the engines fault. Now that's just my experience with them. Dennis

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I agree, if you go buy the book on these you will never get them tuned right. You need to remove the limiters so you can actually tune it correctly. Also I have not seen one engine despite the brand or cost that hasn't had some sort of problem. Thats why they have warranties. In my racing days I was strictly an OS guy and they ran like a champ, but every so often I or someone at the track would get a bad one, same applies here. If it is truly bad and your tuning skills are up to par, then you should've sent it in for a replacement. I don't waste any time in doing so if I'd spent my hard earned money on something and it isn't right. Horizon kicks ***** in customer service and to think, you may in deed be missing out on your future prefered choice of engine. I have a buddy who is a OS/Saito guy and he always says that If I would've gotten the OS my planes would be faster, Well my Evo's have no problems keeping up with his OS's.. Also as I posted earlier, BE SURE you use the right plug, 4-stroke and not 2-stroke plugs.


Later

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

I just purchased a 1.00 and upon inspection had found the o-ring which goes between the carb and intake missing. I called horizon and had a complete ring set sent to me in less than a week. Not only the ring I was missing but all needle rings and the metal 0-ring.
Once I installed the o-ring the engine ran flawlessly and within the limiters.
I flew my CMPro Corsair last sunday and had no problems whatsoever.
This is my first Evo engine and if it keeps running the way it did I'll definately buy others.
Hangar 9 did right by me. NO CHARGE
I'm going to order their "Super Plug".



Happy Flying

Tom

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Heres a few things to try
check the oring under the carb and reseat
replace the clear line from the highspeed needle to the carb
use a new enya #3 plug they like hot plugs
remove the baffle from the muffler
15% omega fuel
my evo was on the stuburn side till I made these changes

RE: Are 'Evolution' engines any good??
 

Will just add my 2 cents worth....My Evolution 46 has been run for 2 years with the following observations: As new, ran great, although idle mixture set at far side of limiter. One off runway excursion w/ filp over and then engine would only run for 3 to 5 minutes and quit, both in the air, and on the engine stand. Cause......metal chips in the high speed needle area, I guess came loose during my "excursion". Chips removed, new seals installed, motor runs great again.

NCDaveD