I am very new at this, How do you break in a new engine, in the plane or out? And how![sm=drowning.gif] I also lost to the 6 minute poxy, more like 1-2 minute, now my wings are about 2 inches from coming together....how do I get the glue off and re-apply?

the engine break in will depend some on the engine. I would try to follow the manufacture instructions. If you lost them just look on the their website, if you still have problems find info, tell us what the engine is. If at all possible, if someone could help you break in the engine that already knows how you will be much better off. I speak from personal experience (personally ruining an engine)

breaking in engines is best done per the manufacturers instructions, I do mine in the plane at the field with the plane tethered. I do this with my large 4 strokes all the way to my smaller 2 strokes that I race with. If the plane has a cowling on it , I leave it off for the first 2 flights or so after i break in the engine for adjusting needles etc.... The biggest concern I see with people breaking in engines is leaning them out to fast, especially on 4 strokes. Get with someone experienced at your field to help...

if you need specific help with an engine dive us the make, size and type .....

I agree that it's best to follow the manufacturer's directions when breaking in an engine. I always break mine in on a stand. The extra rich settings during break in can really really make a mess of your plane unless you put a muffler extension on to get the slime away. Also I find it beneficial to not shaking the airframe to pieces when breaking in. The Saitos I've broken in have run very rough before starting to break in. 2-strokes seem to run pretty smoothly from the beginning.

For the epoxy, I'd say use a dremel tool with a cut-off wheel or small cutting bit to cut the wings apart if you can without damaging them, then use a grinding attachment to remove the hardened epoxy. Then re-join them with 30 minute stuff to give yourself more time to get the halves lined up and joined properly. Epoxy usually starts to set sooner than what the label says. Mixing in too much hardener can speed up the process.

In general, most of the break-in instructions I have read (for ABC type engines) will tell you to start the engine running rich, and then lean (screw in) the high-end needle until the engine is running near its peak RPMs. Let it run for a short time (say, 30 seconds) and then richen (screw out) the needle and let the engine run cooler for a minute or so. Then repeat the near-peak-RPM run again for a slightly longer time. Keep increasing the length of time for the near-peak-RPM running until you are running through a full tank. But by all means if you have instructions for this engine try to follow them. An even better idea is to have an experienced person help you.

As for the epoxy-removal problem, that's a bit more difficult. I imagine you are talking about glueing a wing-joiner brace between the two wing halves, right? I don't know of any way to remove hardened epoxy from wood. Perhaps someone else here does? I think I would end up cutting the brace out and epoxying the wings together without it. Then cut the covering away from the wing center joint and wrap it with a couple of layers of fiberglass stuck down with more epoxy. Then you would re-cover the center with some trim covering.

Careful about manufacturer's instructions ... I got the Super Tigre G90 and the manual is nonsense. They say run the engine rich for like 10 mins or so then start to do the lean rich thing for a tank or so. That is not the way for ringed engines. Ringed engines are best broken in with about 45-60 mins running rich. Just be careful ... ask around from reliable old timers who have been succesful in this hobby.

For me I will just run the engine rich for a few tanks (2-3) if its a 46 ABC/ABN. That is on the ground and then do not lean too much in the air for a few more tanks, after each flight slowly lean the engine up a bit more. What engine do you have?

Break in depends on the engine type. Running an ABC engine rich will cause quick wear to the sleeve and a loss of compression, but a non-ABC engine HAS to be run rich for break in.

I agree with the wing issue. You really shouldn't use 5 (or 6) minute epoxy for anything that requires time for alignment etc. If you read the fine print on the bottles it will probably say "Working time 2 minutes", "Sets in 5 minutes". Working time means that's how long you have before it starts to set, and as you discovered, once it starts it's nearly impossible to continue.

You'll probably have to cut the dihedral brace, then use a dremel or some other tool to remove the hardened epoxy from the root ribs. You could wither drill out the dihedral brace and try to make up a new one to fit, or epoxy the halves together. But you should then wrap the joint with fiberglass and epoxy that as well.
Dennis-

Well I used to break in on the plane but the last one I break in on the test stand and test stand is not a big deal, you can buy a birch ply for $2-3 and mount the engine mounts you are using in the plane with blind nuts.

You don't have to worry about holding the plane down, mess on the plane, and I think safer assuming that you mount good on the stand especialy with big engines, it is a lot convinient to do it. and you have both of your hands to do adjustments not holding down anything.

the next engine small or big, I want to break in on stand as it is just couple of minute extra work but convinient

WOW, what a great forum, the engine Iam trying to break in is a o/s 46fx. And for the wing problem, after throwing my fit I managed to get the wings apart, so I only have to clean epoxy off of one side of the joint and from one end of the joiner panel. What a neat hobby, maybe I will even get off the ground yet?

My guess is if you live in Fargo you dont have much flying season left. BUt stick with it, its a great and addictive hobby. Before you know it you will posting in the fun fly forum looking for a new 3D machine or practicing skill acrobatics on a giant scale Cap.

Glad to hear you got the wing problem resolved.

OS puts instructions in with the 46FX that includes "running it rich" for a while. Many of us disagree with that method because it could easily cause excessive wear if you're not careful.

Here's my preferred method, for what it's worth.

Start the engine and bring it up to full throttle, lean it to peak, then back it off to the "slightly" rich side of lean. (No more than a half turn out on the needle.)

Run it at full throttle for a minute or so, to get it to operating temp., then shut it down and let it cool enough to be able to hold your hand on the cylinder head. Repeat this through a full tank of fuel. You can also lean it a bit half way through the tank.

The engine will still be farily tight at top dead center, and won't idle well for a couple more tanks, but you also don't run the risk of putting a year's worth of run time on it in ten minutes.

Just remember NOT to run any engine at a peak needle setting because they all "unload" in the air and lean out a bit.

Good luck,
Dennis-

Yup, and they get more lean as the tank gets empty. Always better to err of the side of a little less power and have the engine last much longer.

One tank, a tad rich, and drive the fuselage around the yard. Stinson SR-9, goood!

Kraus

I always hear to break them in like you were going to fly them, but that carries a couple of provisos. For a 2 stroke like yours, start out with the needle about 2-21/2 turns out; it should start and run but will be rich. advance the throttle with the glow charger still attached until you get max rpm, then turn the needle in (clockwise) until you get peak rpm (best measured with a tachometer) and then back off til the rpm drops 1000-2000 rpm. back off the throttle to about half and let it run for a minute or two, and then drop to just above idle, then increase speed again. Vary the engine speed throughout the first tank of fuel (8-10 oz), but don't stay at full throttle more than 10-15 sec. at a time. Use the prop you will be flying with (dia./pitch). You can touch the head or muffler(careful of the prop!) to get a rough estimate of temp; it should be uncomfortable to the point of not being able to keep your finger there, but not blistering. A couple of tankfuls like that and you should be set. As far as fuel type goes, stay with 10-15% nitro and 18-20% oil. It's convenient to mount the engine on your plane to break it in, but it will be messy. Making a test stand is not difficult and allows a bit more freedom to move around the engine, and is less messy.

I use a tent stake and about 3 feet of heavy cord around the tail to run in on the ground. When you take it to the field, you throw the loop around the tail, fire it up till its warm, make any adjustments, go to the tail, pull the loop off, and she's free. Gives a bit of room to work around the ship also, and keeps you safe by yourself. It isn't a replacement for a good friend or fellow RC'r to give you a hand, but where I live, there are none.

on the wing/epoxy. no need to cut anything-- epoxy will soften with heat carefully applied. 30 min or better works for wing joints. instructions will tell you the WORKING time of the epoxy as opposed to the cure time.

I just need to remove epoxy from one end of the joiner, and one inside of the wing, just enough to re-join them, should I heat, then remove slowly, or should I just start cutting the old epoxy off?
As you can see, I havent progressed much, as I am redoing a house also........

I am also a big warbird fan, is this a plane to get now or should I not worry about anything but a trainer? (And can I disguise it as something else so my wife dosen't know?)