<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial">Hi,

Can I use 2 solid wooden blocks to mount the engine on, made out of beech or something similar, instead of using aluminium standoffs?? The weight issue isn't a problem??

Thanks

3D er</span></p>

Yes you can.

There was a thread going on here not long back where a guy made stand-offs out of a balsa block that was hardened by CA and backed by lite ply. Goes to show that with a bit of imagination you can engineer anything to work.

I have used 3/4" dowel, squared wood stock would be a better bet as to getting more accurate cutting to size. I will stay away from balsa for this purpose.

Balsa compresses too easy. I would avoid it. You need either a nice hard wood or metal as a material.

I use hardwood dowel for short or medium length standoffs...up to 1-1/2 inches in length (personal choice), and then hardwood square stock, for longer lengths, so I can box the sides with some thin ply to form a strong, vibration resistant structure.  These options are light weight, and cost effective....

Yes, and your engine will vibrate much less than if it where on "leggy" standoffs.

Thanks!!

Thought they would be better than aluminium standoffs!! as there is more surface area on the softer plywood firewall with a solid beech block. I thought that over time the aluminium standoffs would eat there way into the firewall. And they also seem to be &pound;&pound;&pound;&pound; for what they are!!

3D er

....and besides....this is a hobby!  It's great to maintain some building skill and imagination, rather than paying high dollar for a shiny off the shelf item all the time   The icing on the cake in this case, is that its a better setup in the long run.

I have been using 1" red oakdowels to support a ZDZ80 engine on a 1/3 scale Super Decathlon for 5 years. I did cap the ends with steel washers. I don't know if that was necessary. I did build in a 2 degree slant into the dowels for engine offset. They are very light and have nevercaused any trouble.

Do yoour bolts go all the way through to nuts behind the firewall?

Yes and I epoxied the standoffs to the firewall for convenience.

Heres a link to a thread where Iused End Grain balsa to make a standoff for a 116cc engine.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8779841/tm.htm

This is how I do it nowadays.<a href="http://www.zrcgf.com/pages/files/Engine%20Mounting%20Technique.pdf">

http://www.zrcgf.com/pages/files/Engine%20Mounting%20Technique.pdf</a>