Turbobeaver

Hi guy's.After doing some reading here in this forum on some of the wacker engines that have been converted to glow,it got me thinking about these two Robin engines that I've had kicking around down in the basement for years.Never finished converting them because of the cost and complicity involved with these particular engines.The coil is not engine mounted and the flywheels are big and heavy on these engines.The carbs have to be replaced on these engines also so with the added expense of a CH ignition system on top of that.......these weren't going to be converted any time soon.After reading Volfly's thread on the Ryobi 31 on glow,I wondered why these Robin 26's couldn't be converted to glow as well.

Other than a spark plug to glow plug converter,a prop hub suitable to match the taper of the crank on the Robin 26(Zenoah 23 or 26?) and say a Walbro WT-499 for glow operation,is there any other reason gent's why this idea wouldn't fly?Any input on glow conversions gladly accepted.This engine should weigh less than 2lbs. hopefully after converted to glow.

Antique

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An old G23 converted like that with the back of the case and crank cut off weighs about 1 1/2 lbs and will turn a Mejzlik 18-6 about 8200 rpm...You can make a flat mount from 1/8 or 3/16 aluminum by drilling the 4 case bolt holes all the way through and tapping the mount plate for 10-32 allen heads, then grinding the ends of the bolts flush on the back...Been there, it works great....You can cut or grind off some extra casting on the front to save a little more weight...
I have 2 new WT499s here, $50 shipped each...Retail is $48.18 if you find one at a small engine shop, or slightly higher from Horizon if they have any..

Turbobeaver

RCIGN1,thanks for the reply.Is the Walbro WT-499 the only carb suitable for glow conversion of an engine of this displacement?What makes a glow carb different than a regular gas type carb other than jetting?

I was also wondering as to who might have the correct threaded adapter and prop hub to fit this particular engine?I think a while back you did a Robin conversion of this same engine for a chap named Harold26 if my memory serves me correctly.Did you just use Zenoah parts on his conversion job or is there another source that is available.I realize that his was an electronic ignition job but the only thing that would be done differently between the two is the lack of a hall sensor and magnet being installed.The prop hubs would install exactly the same way.

The Robin 26 has a very short crank up front(and out the back) and the flywheel was concave in the middle.There was a short M5 or M6 bolt that held the flywheel onto the end of the crank and key way.Zenoah uses a threaded adapter that has a M5 or M6(?) thread on one end and then the standard 5/16-24 on the other end to bolt the prop onto with the prop adapter sandwiched in the middle.Would these parts work on this engine?Unfortunately,I don't know anyone who owns a Zenoah 23 or 26 to find out.These are the parts in question and the Zenoah #'s which I got off of Horizon's web site:

G23 Prop Hub 1152-43260 [ZEN2359] $34.95(don't see a listing for a G26.Do they use the same prop adapter on both?)

G23 Prop Stud 1152-43281 [ZEN2360] $14.95(anyone know the dimensions of this part by chance?)

G23 Prop Washer 1152-43290 [ZEN2361] $11.95 (ouch![:@]For a washer?Think I'll be calling Peter on this one)

G23 Prop Nut 3350-53410 [ZEN2362] $1.95 (......ah yes........but what a perdy nut it tis......)

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

There is only 1 crank used by Zenoah on the G23 and G26..It is internally thereaded for a 6mm bolt or stud...The old style G23 had a spool type hub on the taper and a 6mm threaded rod to hold the prop on, using a 6mm nut...the new style G23 had a longer hub, held onto the taper of the crank using a stud that's 6mm on the crank end and 8mm on the prop end..The stud is necked down at the crank end for the 6mm thread, and sometimes breaks off flush with the crank...No stud sold by Horizon is 5/16-24...I make a 2 piece hub for my conversions...One piece is held on the taper with a 6mm grade 8 allen bolt..the other piece is tapped 5/16-24 for a grade 8 prop bolt and is held on the first piece with three 5mm grade 8 allen bolts..It WILL not break off....t
The prices for these parts from Horizon are ridiculous...$11.95 for a Washer
I used my own parts on Harold's engine..The only Zenoah part that will work is the $11.95 washer....
The WT499 is not the only suitable carb, there are a few more but I can't recall the numbers...The ONLY difference between the glow carb and a gas carb is the size of the fuel passages, any gas carb can be a glow carb with proper hole sizes...
Easiest way on your engine is to machine all the flywheel away, leaving just the center, and make a hub to fit on the crank threads and hold the flywheel center on the taper...

Turbobeaver

RCIGN1,did you use the center portion out of Harolds Robin 26 flywheel to make his prop adapter or did you scratch make the entire unit?Would like to find out more about your prop adapter for the Robin 26.Do you have a picture of this part by chance?Any ideas as to the cost of this part?Got to go back and take a better look at that picture of Harolds engine again from the previous threads in the archives.

Yes,Horizons parts for the Zenoah line of engines is rather pricey.After I started listing the cost of the above parts,I started to wonder if a glow conversion was even out of the picture.Thanks for setting me straight on the Zenoah parts info RCIGN1.I'm learning a lot from you guy's.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

I made the whole unit..Will not be making any more, too[8D] busy with other projects..I think the hubs that Ken Lambert makes for the Homies would fit on the threads of the Echo, he will know.....

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

Just ran a G38 on glow, picked up 400 rpm..

Turbobeaver

RCIGN1,when you were saying that the only Zenoah part that was listed above that was of any use was the prop washer,I went back and did some reading in the archives.This is where I came up with the idea to use the Zenoah prop hub in the first place on the Robin 26.The Homelite 25's,30's don't share the same taper on the crankshaft as the Robin 26.I got the idea originally from you.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_21...tm.htm#2160208