I've been working on this engine for a couple of weeks now and I'm about done except for putting the carb on and finding or making an exhaust for it.Also waiting for a couple of new rings for it.It's stock for now and as you see I like bling. I took off any unnessary metal and painted the case with 500 deg Chevy Grabber green engine paint as well as painting the cylinder with white 1200 deg paint.I bought a lightened and balanced flywheel off Ebay and also painted that with automotive chrome paint.I got the Homelite conversion kit from Wackerengines which has the mount,prop hub,rotator manifold and velocity stack.I have a Walbro WA 167A carb with an 11.11mm venturi and also a WA 167A that someone bored out to 13.50 mm,which I think is too big for this engine.I'll either buy or make a Pitts style muffler.I'd like to put the engine on a cut down version of a Senior Telemaster with a wing span of 84". I've only flown a plane already in the air, so I need to learn to fly.I figured I'd build the Telemaster into a SPAD,because it is tougher and easier to fix than balsa, then after I learn,then put it on a balsa plane.I built a SPAD Spadet LC-40 before and it doesn't take too long to build out of coroplast.I had a balsa Telemaster that I built ,but sold,so I have to start all over.
One thing I want to ask is what is a good plug to use on a Homelite airplane engine? I was into gas powered boats and used an NGK BPMR7A on a full mod Homelite marine engine. Oh ! If you notice the hole in the case,I have to get a plug for that .The engine was originally to be used as an r/c boat engine and the hole is for a pulse fitting to hook up a water pump.

Nice looking homie, is it 25cc or 30cc?
I like the green, need to get some for the motor on my (green) airboat.

It's a 30cc.I bought the green paint at Auto Zone.It's made byRust-Oleum and is a 500 deg engine enamel.The color is Grabber Green. Just waiting on the new rings and get a muffler.I sort of got tired of r/c boats,but wanted to stay with gasoline power,so the Homelite seemed like a good candidate for an airplane.I have another 30cc trimmer and a couple of 25cc that might turn into plane engines.I was going to turn my new Zen 260 marine into an airplane engine ,but will let it alone for now.

I got the WA167 on the engine using the rotator manifold from Wackerengines.Now I just have to decide what type of exhaust to use,a Pitts to put the pipes behind the engine or a canister on the side.I read that the Pitts with the two pipes is loud and that one with one larger exhaust pipe may be quieter.I wonder if anyone ever adapted a Team Gonads X can muffler to use on a plane using a Homelite or other weedeater. I used one on a boat motor and it was a little qieter than a stock canister muffler and had no loss of power.

Nice looking engine. I bet you can't wait to fly it.

I usually mount mine directly to the firewall with studs instead of using standoffs or a mounting plate. (Saves weight.)

AV8TOR

Do you have a photo of your plane that you are going to put the greenmachine (engine) on? Green & black go good together.

The Zenoa G23 and 26 and DLE 30 mufflers will fit this engine

AV8TOR,Do you mean put the bolts through the firewall from the inside and into the backplate holes?Has anyone ever used rubber vibration damping mounts like used in r/c boats?

captinjohn,No plane yet ,but thinking of a large SPAD or maybe the coroplast version of a Senior Telemaster, until I get the hand of flying.Coroplast planes are tough and easy to repair after I crash.Later I'll go to a balsa plane when I get confidence.

w8ye,I don't know about the DL 30,but if the Zen 26 air is like the Zen 26 marine the bolt holes are at about 1 3/8" and the homelite is about 1 1/2" If I could make an adapter out of aluminum to mount them I might use one of those.

The Homelite 25 and 30 are indeed 1.5" w/10-32 screws whereas a Zenoa G20, 23, & 26 are 1.350" w/5mm screw holes.

But in most aplications, you can take a G23 header or muffler and oblong each of the holes to the outside 1/16" and it fits the Homelite.

I wouldn't mind trying a X can muffler if I could get someone to make an adapter with mounting holes at 1 1/2" onto the exhaust port and then have bolts at 1 3/8" to enter from the rear of the X can.The X cans have a baffling system that you can add or remove baffles. Sometimes you can find used ones cheap. http://www.davesmotors.com/s.nl?c=88...0can%20muffler

Yes. I use studs to mount the engine backplate, with nuts to hold the backplate on. Then I put large washers on the studs, and then the studs go right through the firewall and get washers and nylock nuts on the inside of the firewall. Most of us don't do any type of soft mounting. I have read that soft mounting causes power loss, though I have never done any testing personally to prove it. It will work fine hard mounted.

I got my last Homelite muffler from www.wackerengines.com Ask him to put slightly larger exit tubes than normal. I put larger tubes in one of his mufflers and gained 400 rpms.

AV8TOR

I was going to use the original backplate with a piece of alumimun on it to decrease the volume,but came accross this aluminum backplate with a milled out area for the transfer.I can get .020 clearance using the original gasket.Would this milled out area be benificial to performance ? Also has anyone golf balled their piston ? It's done on a full mod 25cc r/c boat engine I have.This engine was made by chipbreakr (Jim Johnson ) and is a one of a kind as far as I know.It was made into a full crank engine and revs over 16,000 rpm with all the modifications that he did.

Hi,

I would definitely use that backplate. That looks just like how I modify mine. Where did you get it?

AV8TOR

I bought a box of assorted r/c stuff from a guy years ago and it was in the box.Part of the bottom of it was cut off so I figured it was from some sort of Homelite.trimmer. I'll have to ask Homelite technical if any of their old trimmers had one like it.

I've had a couple homie's with the aluminum back plate

I found out it's possibly from a John Deere trimmer.I sent the tech person a pic of mine to see if it is the same before I buy any for a future engine build. I'll let you know what I find out.

After you stuff the crankcase , you can take a grinder and unshroud the rear transfer . I do it to all my engines . Does make a difference.
Jim</p>

For over kill on the rear port/backplate. Take JB Weld and form a fillet on the outside, then grind away, if you go through the backplate there is still the JB Weld to keep thing airtight.

I have a new back plate like that. It came from one of the racing boat places. It has mounting ears on the outside that could be cut off.

Yeah, I know there was an aftermarket out fit that made and sold special Homelite backplates. "Warehouse Hobbies?" I don't think they have them any more.

I have seen cast Homelite backplates, but the special ones had the crankpin/backplate clearance tightened up, and had the cutout for improved transfer flow, as shown in the picture above.

On my stamped steel covers, I bolt/JB Weld a piece of aluminum to stuff the crankcase, and I weld up the upper recess of the backplate with braze and machine out a passage for better transfer flow.

AV8TOR

The Homelite tech person I talked to ,thought it was a backplate off a John Deere UT20809 trimmer engine,but after looking it up,the diagram doesn't look like it.I think it's a stamped steel one and the part number is UP00019A in case anyone needs one.They're $5.00 each.The pic below and above is the cast aluminum one I have.I'd like to find some more of these and will check out some places that fix trimmers to see if they have any of them in their parts bins.I even thought of maybe making a mold of the one I have somehow and use a two part high temperature epoxy to make one.This one doesn't need any work to it as it's a pretty snug fit and gets the .020 clearance with a stock backplate gasket.

I've had dozens and dozens of Homelite 25/30cc engines from blowers and weedeaters apart and I have seen cast metal backplates, but never one on a stock engine with a backplate with a transfer port passage like that before. I've always wondered why they gave up some power by not providing for a transfer port passage/entry in that area.

I like that backplate/cover you have, and would probably buy a couple if we could source them.

AV8TOR

I want one for my Homelite!!!!!!!!!!! Capt,n

Here's a reply to an email I sent to Tony at Warehouse Hobbies asking about the backplates he used to sell which is the same as the one I have.If you have $1500 + shipping you can get all the Homelite parts he has left plus the molds for these backplates and the rights to produce them.

I have many molds for Homelite parts that were investment cast products. I had a person who wanted to purchase them recently and start to sell the older parts again, but when it was time to step up to the plate the deal never was completed.
I really don't have the desire to produce the parts as I would have to invest to do so, and with the Zenoah engines of today it really makes no sense on my level.
I will sell all of the molds and all of the Homelite parts I have left in stock for $1500.00 plus freight.
The molds when made from 1990 - 1995 cost well over $10,000, I think there are about 6 of them.
As far as parts there are crank cases, flywheels, bearings, some crank shafts, gaskets, and various other parts. I have some water-jackets maybe 25?. I am not going to do an inventory because of the time it would take against the figure I put on the molds, I will just put everything on a pallet or boxes.
Most of the molds are at the factory in PA, and they are willing to continue to hold them and run them again if I were to transfer ownership.
I do think there is a small market out there and that there may even be a nostalgic market? I am getting to the age where I am satisfied with my 30 years of contributions, and not as aggressive as I used to be.
Thanks,
Tony C.

Here's an idea for a plane. Its an Ultra Spad Stick down sized to 25cc size with a hopped up Homey 25cc on it. Check out the muffler. Its a gutted stock housing with silicone extension tubes that normally go on a .60 sized glo motor. They snap right in and I put some high temp rtv on them.