One thing I have never quite understood about glow to gasoline conversions is why they are so complicated to do. In the 1930s and 1940s many ignition engines ran on 25% 70 weight motor oil and white gas.(similar to the junk unleaded we have today). They didnt have high tech ignition systems, they didnt have needle bearings on the crankpin, and they had very simple spraybars for mixture control. So why cant a glow engine be converted as rudimentarily as was done then? Of course throttle control would be nice, but how about for kicks ignition cutout as on the early rotary gnome in WW1? Just wondering---

It CAN be done and has...Not worth the trouble, you need more oil in the gas and unless you put a small Walbro on the engine you have no speed control....Even the smallest Walbro is larger than the cylinder on some of the glow engines....Smallest glow to gas I ever did was on a .40 four stroke..Worked OK, used the stock carb, it was touchy........The only good spark plug is the Rimfire, about $15....Then you need the special plug cap from C&H...You end up with the ignition and associated parts being larger than the engine....
One of my customers is flying a Sig Kadet with a 4 cycle OS Surpass .71...He has a C&H Mod-U-El mount on the back of the engine with the ignition inside...C&H made the parts...
He sometimes uses my ignition, sometimes the C&H.....

hi,
the surpass 70 tha you mension works with the stock carb or the walbro?
thanks