My motor is starting to squeak intermitently and it sounds like the bearing on the props side which is the culprit. Can this bearing run dry and fail if you hover it ( the oil might not be getting to this bearing in a hover )? I am running a 14/6 apc prop.

A 14-6 APC on a 82 for hoovering is a lot of prop. A 14-4 might be a better prop?

Does the engine squeak when you turn it over by hand?

w8ye The 14/6 prop is recomended for this motor. The motor does not shriek when turned over by hand. I have read a post mentioning this shriek and there problem in there motor was solved by flooding the crankcase with marvel mystery oil however I dont think this is a permanent solution. There is also mention of the bearings in the new saito motors being of questionable quality.

I have a Saito 82 with a 13x6 MA prop... I only hover intermittently, but have not noticed any probs. Good luck.

Can't help with the squeak problem but we are running 15X4W APC props on our Saito 82's on 20/20 fuel.At 5000 ft elevation we are getting 9600 to 9800rpm.We break them in on a 14X6 APC so I think your prop is not the problem.These 82's are strong little buggers once they are broken in.

[b]Angel:

There have been reports of the cam bearings running dry and squealing. Your FA-82 has the crankcase vent in front, this in itself makes the cam oil better, but the synthetic oil you're using doesn't have the needed film strength for a lot of nose up running. Nose up the oil tends to stay in the back of the case, it doesn't make it to the cam in spite of the vent position.

You are also experiencing excessive cam lobe wear because of this.

So what's the cure?

Just tell the snake oil salesmen (synthetic oil lovers) to get stuffed, add some castor oil to your fuel. This IS a permanent solution. Until you can restock with Omega or Powermaster fuel, add four ounces of Baker's AA castor to each gallon of your all synthetic lubed fuel.

Don't believe the wear? Check the chart attached, valve timings from several different Satio engines. Note particularly the FA-72 and the FA-91. Both these engines had the same cam when new, same lift and same valve timing. The FA-72 has always had a castor/synthetic blend, the FA-91 has been run only on all synthetic.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Bill.

Bill, I would like to add that I have never had a bearing issue or a cam issue running my fourstrokes on WildCat Premium Extra which has 18% lube that is 80/20 syn/castor.

Gotta side with Bill and Hobbsy here. Some castor in the blend is your friend. Until you do get some castor in there, lube up the crankcase and cam box area real good with some air tool oil or Rislone engine treatment to help keep the rust away (might temporarly stop squeeling too). Being in South Africa, you may not have access to Rislone, so use any modern automobile engine oil instead.

I took the back plate off and saw the bearing behind the big end is totally rusted. This motor is 9 months old. The salesman that sold the motor and 10% Cool Power fuel told me I dont need castor or after run oil, well this is patently wrong. I have been reading on this forum around the castor versus none camps and I had to learn the hard way. As I am new to this sport I relied on my LHB to guide me but it is painfully obvious that I should have taken heed from the gurus here on this website. I dont think hovering has caused the rust. Question: How do you apply after run oil when your engine is in a cowl and do you think my LHB should fix the motor even if it might not still be under guarantee?

Are the bearings the same for the Saito 82 FA as the 72? Thanx.

Where did you buy the engine from? Take it back, the bearings might not be under warranty but the rest should be.

Rupurt I bought this motor from Grahams Hobbies in Somerset West near Cape Town. I have been on the phone to them and he says that there is no gaurentee on engines. He said he would phone the supplier in Cape Town and see what they have to say. The rest of the motor looks OK, it looks like I caught it before it did any damage.

That's pretty pathetic, Saito's around the rest of the world have warrenties, I wonder what Saito would have to say about that. I heard JK products was the distributor but I may be wrong, maybe call them if they aren't they may know who is. http://www.jk-products.co.za/

Thanx Rupurt I have spoken to Johan from J K Products who is the agent and he says that there is no guarentee on engine bearings and that after run oil is required if you lay the motor up for more than two weeks, well all I can say it would have been nice of the salesman to tell me this is required for this engine. He also said that castor oil added is not recommended as after a while you wont be able to turn the motor over ( cold seize if you can call it that ) do you add castor to your fuel and what fuel are you using?

Not at the moment but I am usually careful about using after run oil. It says on the Morgan Cool Power jug that you don't need after-run oil but synthetic oil is proven not to give good protection if left for any amount of time, so in otherwords I think thats bull...

The salesman at my LHS told me now that he has had no comebacks or problems with other 4 strokes he has sold. He is not saying it in so many words that I am at fault and this is the same guy that told me there is no need for extra castor added or after run oil unless the motor is stored for a long period, this I can understand but the longest this motor has not been used must be a month maximum. Now I have to fork out R200 for new bearings for something that is not my fault. The agent for saito told me that after run oil is necessary as nitro eats metal now what I cant understand that these two people are telling me two different things surely there is something wrong with this picture. The more I hear the more the motor gurus on this forum advising the use of a castor mix with synthetic oil in 10% Cool Power is the way to go and the use of after run oil a must after every run.

Use the Omega(pink stuff) then, It has a bit of castor in it. It isn't actually the nitro eating the engine rather the byproducts of it's decomposition(from what I have read). But they say castor is supposed to give better protection from that.

Are you getting the bearings from JK cos you could probably get them from Bearing Man in Maitland for less, give them the diamensions and any info you can get off the old bearings

PM William Robison
about the damage that can be done, He posted a couple of pics of a cam that had been etched badly. You can then print them and take them to your LHS

Thanx Rupurt I will try bearing man and switch to the pink stuff.

More misinformation! Don't worry Homesickangel, by the time we get you all up to speed on the do's and don'ts of engine care and maintenance, you'll know a lot more than your hobby dealer.

In a cowled application, use the crankcase breather line to inject some after run oil (ARO) into the engine when done flying for the day. Like I posted before, the common air tool oils on the market world wide will do a great job of protecting the internals from rust ans corrosion. Just inject it with a small syringe fit tightly over the crankcase vent tubing and do not be stingey with the oil. then flip the prop a few times to distribute the oil around. Any good lightweight modern automobile engine oil will work fine as well as automatic trans fluid, stay away from Marvels Mystery Oil, it will gum things up worse than castor if seft to sit for extended periods.

Fuelman thanx for the tip. Can you perhaps enlighten me as to what you think caused the rust in this motor as the gap between use was maximum a month over a 9 month period.

The rust is caused by a reation between the metal in the bearings, crankshaft, cam, lifters, etc..., and the nitric acid that is formed as a byproduct of combustion of nitro fuels and moisture.
The best way to combat this is to run the engine completly dry at the end of a flying session by keep trying to fire it up until it will not fire anymore to insure no unburnt fuel remains in the cylinder. Then inject your favorite after run oil into the tube connected to your crankcase vent and flip the prop several times to get the oil thoroughly distributed in the engine. Most my planes are hung from the tail to help let the oil run from the main bearing end to the front end where the cam box and lifters are and of course the front bearing. Every so often, I pull the valve covers to check the valve lash and give it a good healthy squirt of oil, like Bill Robinson mentions, an upright Saito can get a little dry up top sometimes.

[b]Angel:

Don't be stingy with your after run oil. You can not overoil the engine, any more than it wants in the crankcase will blow out the vent as soon as you restart it. "Too much oil" is a lot cheaper than a set of bearings.

I distribute the oil differently from what has been said though - I'll give the engine a long shot with the starter after oiling it, I think this does a better job of spreading it around inside than just giving it a couple flips.

Bill.

LOL SAITO

Squeaks

As

It

Turns

Over.......

Sings
As
It
Takes
Off.

[b]Bill.