Tripp2loo

My Feedback: (15)

I have an OS 1.60fx that needs a new crank case (damaged), and can’t seem to find one for less than 50% of the cost of a new motor.
Maybe I am getting a little cheap these days[sm=greedy.gif], but I cannot justify spending 50% of the original price of a new engine on just the crank case.
Does anyone know where I can get a new crank case at a reasonable cost?

Thanks

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

Unfortunately, that is the sad news for OS owners when it comes time to
buy parts. The even worse news is....OS quits making parts when they quit
production on an engine. Which means.....a few years after they quit production,
you can't get any parts for the engine.

If they had any brains, they have the replacement parts made in Taiwan, or China
and have happy customers.....but I guess they don't want happy customers. []

FBD. []

Phil Heller

My Feedback: (9)

Watch the marketplace on RCU and Ebay. Check with your local clubs. You can often buy a used engine for your purpose fairly cheap - especially if it an older one, doesn't even have to be running, that can be a "donor" engine and will give you the parts you need and a few more.

Phil

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

This is one of the numerous reasons why I don't buy OS engines anymore.

It's total BS that a piece of cast aluminum costs almost 50% of the entire engine.

I rebuilt a 46FX once. Cost me MORE than the cost of a new engine put a new piston, cylinder, rod, wrist pin, and bearings. Rookie mistake. I won't do that again.

Best thing you can do with any OS engine is run the snot out of it for 2yrs and hope that it pukes it's guts out before the warranty is up. Then send it in to Hobby Services and pray that they replace it.

Sport_Pilot

Yeah, but since lots of people simply through busted engines away, or sit them aside for a future repair project you won't see many ads for busted engines. I would recommend putting out a part wanted ad, offer to buy any damaged engine with a good case.

Tripp2loo

My Feedback: (15)

All good points, I should have known.

I have had problems with OS in the past, and then moved on to ST's mostly for glow, been very happy with these.

I found this one on RCU, had less than 2 tanks of fuel through it, and had never got off the ground. Apparently the first take off didn't take off [:@]. The casing is damaged at the muffle mounting bolts, and I figured it would be reasonably simple to fix (I payed $120 with a standard muffler) I though where could I go wrong. Well my welder guy seems to think it will be more of a costly job than I hoped, so I am looking for a spare.

Cheers all, keep me posted if you come accross a CrankCase....

pikebishop

home depot sells a special pack of brazing rods just for exotic metals like aluminum and stainless steel. works with a standard plumbers torch. not too expensive and can be used for many other repair projects.

Flyer95

My Feedback: (1)

Here is a "old style" type mounting for either a muffler or a pipe header to the cylinder and it works great

Tripp2loo

My Feedback: (15)

That might just work with a gasket.

I will look into it and let you know.

Thanx

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

We must disagree. O.S. stops making parts for discontinued engines about 5-7 years after the engine's discontinued. That's because parts demand falls so low that it's not even economical to take orders for a year and then make parts to fill those orders only.

jagnweiner

My Feedback: (1)

Bax-

Thanks for the clarification. Amazing how quickly rumors can get momentum. Even more interesting, since the shot at OS didn't even have anything to do with the original question.

-Scott

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Eventhough this is off topic per the original question, you would be surprised how many requests there are for those old parts that there are no longer any demand for.

Enjoy,

Jim

Tripp2loo

My Feedback: (15)

I agree with your disagreement, I have always found parts to be available for a considerable amount of time, but it doesn't get away from the fact that the parts are WAY OVER PRICED [sm=confused.gif].
This fact alone is enough to prevent someone from buying a product.

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

It doesn't really matter if one agrees, or disagrees.....the fact remains, you can't
get any parts for older OS engines....period.

It boils down to customer support, and ultimately customer satisfaction. An example;
last year I bought from a Yamaha dealer all the parts necessary to do a top end job
on my old 1978 Yamaha three cylinder 750. Every part is still in stock. I got the
gaskets, the valve seals, everything....even the master link for the cam chain.

That's 27 years after the production of the bike.

Say what you like....OS Engines does not support their products....period. []

FBD.

RaceCity

I just bought OS parts though the local hobby shop for a 17 year old OS engine. LHS ordered them for me and they arrived a few days later. Not a bad price at all.

Oddly enough...ALL of these parts are also available from Tower. Just go to the parts listings and choose.

No support? Where do all these parts come from if they don't exist?

I didn't even have to look hard. "click" and there they are!

????

Somebody got a bad case of the poopies for OS I think....

'Race

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

If you were ordering parts for a 17 year old OS 26, OS 48, OS 70 Surpass I, or OS 91 Surpass I they will have most of the parts because most of the parts are still common with the current models.

Enjoy,

Jim

Tripp2loo

My Feedback: (15)

This thread was not started because of a bad case of the poopies for OS, this was started because of the cost of parts, not availability.

Has anyone totaled up the cost of buying an OS 1.60 FX, by buying it in parts, hmmm[sm=idea.gif] would be interesting.
Now tell me the cost of manufacturing those parts was more than the cost of manufacturing the parts for an entire engine. ... You can't, in fact the parts should be cheaper, as they do not have to be assembled..

IMHO

GerKonig

The problem w/overpriced parts is global. Can you believe that a rear view mirror for a Ford Explorer can cost $450,00? This is not something new... Try to price a engine for a car (puchasing piece per piece)... This is a fact of life, and it is not a O.S. problem. If you think it is a O.S. problem it is because you only had to replace a O.S. part...

Tripp2loo

My Feedback: (15)

GerKonig,

You are correct, it is the same for a lot of things, I just think think it is a little more extreme with OS.

Maybe the solution to my problem is to part out all the good parts, (everything except the crank case), and if I get about 60% of what the manufacturers get for the parts I should have enough to buy a new engine

Its all good !!!!!!!

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

Try buying some parts for the .60/.61 FSR engines, of which I have several, and
were a very popular engine. The 7b carb has been unavailable for years. Look for
crankcases, pistons, rings, cylinders....you won't find 'em....sorry.

The 40/45 FSR...same story. .91 FSR.....nothing. []

I probably have more OS engines than anyone out there....more than most
hobby shops....I love my OS ringed (mostly) engines. But the fact is, they have no
parts for the best engines they ever made.

Nice try Race.

FBD.

RaceCity

Trip...


Re-assembling ANY item from parts is an expensive proposition. Why do people steal cars? Because a $15K Honda automobile is worth $50K in parts. Parts are big business no matter if you're Honda...Whirlpool...Sony or OS.

Try building any model engine from parts and you will find much the same. A $100.00 r/c system if purchased in individual components (Tx/Rx/Servos/batt/Switch) would cost $200+. This simply should not be a surprise to anyone, yet it appears to be!

The 1.60 is not a cheap engine. One shouldn't expect MAJOR repair parts to be inexpensive, and you have to admit...a crankcase is a pretty major part. There has been at least one suggestion that you purchase a "donor" engine on the cheap and get your needed parts from it. I'd second that recommendation.

'Race

PS: The "inexpensive" ($179.00) Supertigre 3250 would cost $557.65 (+shipping) if you purchased it as individual parts. The parts cost 3.11 times more than the whole engine.

In this example as well, both pieces of the crankcase if purchased together, would equal nearly half the sale price of a new motor.

Now because I'm sure you're wondering....

The 1.60FX which sells for $299 would cost you a whopping $805.61 if purchased in individual parts, or 2.69 times the cost of a new motor.

See something interesting here? When compared to the price of the complete motor...OS parts are almost 16% LESS expensive than the cheaper motor.

Neat huh?

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

I don't think they carry a single part for the .91FS engine. []

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

From my experience in manufacturing there is a situation that I call the "Rule of Fours". For spare parts, you charge four times the current cost to make the part when you sell it. This is so you can afford to stock the part and give the local tax man his share of the personal property tax each year.

In the model world, many of these companies that sell individual R/C components cheaper have parted out complete sets. One had a lot of Futuba 4 channel transmitters stack up on them. They sold them as Dummy boxes. When I called to order one they wanted to know what channel I wanted? There's no channel on a trainer box? Anyway I gave up and I got channel 42 for $25. I've always used it as a regular transmitter.

This has been going on for at least 35 years now.

Enjoy,

Jim

FlyingPilgrim

My Feedback: (26)

Best bet is to be vigilant in your search for a used or parts engine. Back shelf the engine for a while until you find the donor parts. In the mean time, pick up a different engine (if funds are available). If you never find your donor parts, list your broken engine on auction or for sale. You may be surprised how much you get. I planted a plane in the dirt a couple years ago and trashed the OS .46 FX that was on it. I listed it on ebay and got a few bucks from someone that needed the usable parts.

In defense of OS, I think they do a pretty good job of stocking parts, and it costs money to stock parts that are not big sellers. The smaller number of parts sales (in comparison to complete engines) does not always justify the cost to stock, so price has to be high enough to make it worth their while.