123Cat

I made up a steel washer between the prop driver and the crankase, on my 09 and half way through the 3rd flight the engine stopped hard ,

The washer seized up

fiery

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Perhaps bronze or alloy may have been a better choice?

Hopefully no major damage though. What are you flying? The Picador?

123Cat

I would like to be flying a Picador , a lot , but that kit from Vintage , looked expensive???? , they have the best looking nose ,,

, and no wheel??????I dont think at least , luckily no damage , just needs a thinner washer , and its a rough lookalike kind of mini Flitesreak layout ,

runs though

fiery

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The kit is not cheap, but the build (with modern laser cut parts) would be breeze compared to the original. What kills it for me is the cost of postage from the UK. I keep thinking of a Spectre for my FROG 349.

http://www.vintagemodelcompany.com/mercury-picador.html

Recycled Flyer

I don't understand why the engine stopped hard?

Crank case expansion jamming the prop driver up against the casting possibly?

If that is the case then it must have been set up tightly to begin with surely.

greggles47

What engine, and why did you make the steel washer?

did It seize onto the crankcase?

what's your set up? Fuel, prop and that kind of stuff.

Got any pics?

ffkiwi

Modelfixings.co.uk does a large range of stainless shim washers in thickness from 0.1mm up-you may find a suitable size in their listings, and the items are not expensive....the most likely explanation is the case expanded (as it must do) as the engine warmed up-and absorbed what free axial clearance there was....

ChrisM
'ffkiwi'

123Cat

OK flying season coming up , I have dismantled and checked all the parts they seem in order

and scrapped all the muck off
and even did some secret filing and polishing , hop ups,
to increase the brake horse power
Then reassembled with some special bike chain teflon lubricant ,

to keep the friction down
I just hope it does not take 3/4 's of an hour to start

I also added some to my fuel for more RPM's

123Cat

By gee wilikers
it did take just about right on 3/4 of an hour to start
Ive got bad left knee from kneeling and sore finger

It was minus 2 at 10 in the morning , I was there at 8-30
My model is all fuel soaked , and does not go very well

Lou Crane

We were around 32°C today... Aha! The world IS round, and the axis IS tilted! Been there, done that, moved to Arizona, USA. I can handle 35-37C okay, and we're on desert at the foot of modest mountains, here near the southern border. Mostly bone dry air - easier to live with the temperatures. There are worse places only a hundred miles (?160 k ? if you must...) north of here.

Buried in your weather report is an implication that it did start. So? Not very well, ok, so how did it run?

Personally, I have concerns about lubes intended for vastly different conditions. Chain lubes handle link pivots and high pressure, point or short width (link to sprocket), pressures, relieved almost immediately and not reapplied for a significant length of time.

There have been engine oil "improvers" based on silicones - e.g., Microlon, more than dozen years ago, had a brief run up here. Didn't last well on a longish run, or something else. I tried some, and it did clean gummed fits and slicken running briefly (minutes, not over several consecutive runs.)

It might have 'helped' your prop washer fit, briefly, at least. It was designed with our (relatively) large-surface sliding contact conditions of piston-on-sleeve and shaft rotation, under the vibration and heat of engine operation.

Curious, did you 'polish' your steel washer on flat glass with a gentle abrasive (some toothpaste, scouring powder or similar, first worked with water to make the 'grit' VERY fine?)

Also curious, did you think to slack off the prop nut to check whether the bind actually was between prop washer and 'case? (It could have partially seized elsewhere.)

Wishing you a quick and complete recovery...

123Cat

Oh well its a bit cold , here ,I guess I will have another go , I cant understand why it doesnt go like the blazes
kerosene is rocket fuel

123Cat

Ugh my motor cut , she crash bad
All mud in the engine and broken plane

123Cat

I got my ship up in the air and and it slowed at half flight , cracked crankcase

fiery

My Feedback: (2)

What engine is it Geoff?

123Cat

Hi Its
a Silver Swallow , 1.5cc