proptop

My Feedback: (8)

Just got a Merco .35 R/C w/ a black case...never seen or heard of those before...but then again, I don't really know much about Merco engines anyway.

Anyone got an approx. time span when these were made?
Looks like an iron piston in a steel sleeve?

It's in a purple box w/ muffler...and a rather cheap / sloppy carb.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

The black ones were the last series, I have two black .40s, a black .30, a black .50 and three silver .61s. They are basically 9,000 to 9,500 rpm engines so they need to be propped to that rpm. I ran 10x6 three blades on the .40s when they were on a Kombat Twin. All below the .50 were bushed engines, the .50 and .61 were ball bearing. I also have a gasoline (petrol) .61 that turns a Graupner 12x6 at about 9,000. The Mercos will run all day long without so much as a hiccup, 5% nitro or no nitro is the rule for them. I picked these up in the early 90s

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

Thanks...the guy practically gave it to me, so I ain't complaining, but don't think I'll ever use it either...
Might make a good C/L stunt engine though, w/ the appropo venturi?

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Back in the late 60's I had a Merco Black Streak 35 stunt engine. It was made up a lot like a OS Max 35 except with a black plastic venturi. It was a bushing engine. I liked my OS Max's better. I just sold the engine 2 years ago but the guy has never used it.

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

Yeah...this Merco looks like a typical loop scavenged / bushed crank type.
I kind of figured that this one was near the end of the line (they're not still in business, are they? ) because it doesn't have the quality feel that the old (all ) silver 2 plug .61 I had back some 30 years ago.
This .35 is brand new, but the throttle barrel is so loose that it wobbles around in the carb body's bore, so I don't think it would want to idle very well if at all?

j.duncker

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I suspect it is "collectable " .

proptop

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Might be? You wanna "collect" it?

dennis

My Feedback: (90)

The last Mercos [ black case and earlier silver ones] were made by a company called Premier Plastics in the UK. Quality varied through the line and they went under in a relatively short time. None of the origional designers or owners of the Mercos of yesteryear were involved with this venture that would explain the lower standards.
dennis

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

Prop, just for kicks I dragged out my .30, it is silver not black as I indicated above. You need not worry about the carb barrel it will throttle like a rheostat when the needles are adjusted properly. I ran a Graupner 10.5x6 on the .30.

Merco .30
Fuel== Fox 5%/20% castor
Plug==Fox IdleBar
The engines from left to right, .40, .50, .61 gasoline, .61 glow. As you can see all the mufflers are the same except they get progressively shorter as the engines get smaller. There is one Merco I'm still trying to get and that is a .61 Diesel, Ed Carlson thinks he has one but has not found it in 5 years, maybe some day.

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

[8D] Thanks gentlemen...

Yep...it looks just like your .40 Hobbsy, w/ the same carb.
I have some 5% w/ all castor (20% ) so maybe I will try it out, along w/ a few others come springtime.
Actually, if I were in the mood, I could have done it today! We're havin' a heat wave (a tropical heat wave ) here in central NY [X(]
50+ degrees in January?!?!

downunder

Here are my Mercos.

Top left is a near new Merco 49 Black Streak with the twin plug head (the front plug can't be seen because it's got a much shorter terminal then the rear plug). This is the later version and what's called a "heavy case" because of the massive rib running down from the exhaust port plus the way the front end appears as though it could have been machined for a removeable front end.

Top right is a brand new 61 Mark2 in what's called the "light case" which is the same as the original Mk1 but with revised internals and of course the twin plug head. The twin plug heads were only used to get a more reliable idle for RC, the original engines were mainly used for CL stunt so idling wan't much of a problem .

Bottom left is an early genuine 35 stunt only engine as can be seen by the cast venturi. This particular engine has done massive amounts of flying time (as you can tell from the colour of the head which should be orange) and helped me win a state championship 3 or 4 times.

Bottom right is a slightly later 35 which used an inlet bored for either a venturi or RC carb. One thing about these smaller Mercos is that you don't ever want to lose the prop nut. It's a Whitworth fine thread (1/4x26) and probably near impossible to find today.

For some info on the early history of Merco and quite a few engine tests go to
http://www.iroquois.free-online.co.uk/merco/index.htm

Harry K

Hi, Hobbsy!

Wondering if you ever heard of a "Bar" muffler for a Merco .61

It's just literally a hollow bar, about 1-1/2' long, and bolts right onto the engine's threaded muffler holes. The exhaust ports are a series of small holes on one side of the bar muffler, which can be positioned to face downwards or upwards when installing it in a plane.

Harry K.

Harry K

I'm looking for a couple of these bar-mufflers to use in additions to my fleet.

Can you direct me to any source of these mufflers?

Harry K.

proptop

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I think those are Slimline "tongue" mufflers?

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

Harry, I only have the mufflers in the picture above, I have never seen the ones in your pic. They are nice and compact though, good luck on finding some.

downunder

Tongue mufflers are available from [link=http://www.brodak.com/shop.php?CategoryID=30]Brodak[/link] and from [link=http://www.clstunt.com/products.htm]Stuka Stunt Works[/link]. They're quite often used in CL stunt because of the very light weight compared to normal mufflers.

Harry K

Thanks to all for your information and advice re: tongue mufflers!

I'll be looking into the sources you referred me to!

Harry K.
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