RC_Fanatic

My Feedback: (1)

Club no longer sells 10% fuel, only 15%. What is your experience with these engines on 15% (Powermaster) especially cowled engines in hot weather. Thanks.

ben flyn

I run 20/20 fuel in my Irvine 53 & 39 all day long with no problems.

Razor-RCU

My Feedback: (50)

Not supposed to exceed 5%-10% per the instructions-

tiggerinmk

Initial runs on my Irvine 39 were on Byron 15%. Now I'm using Omega 5%. Not much difference in power...

BTW What is 20/20 fuel?

RC_Fanatic

My Feedback: (1)

20% nitro, 20% oil

DarZeelon

RC_Fanatic,

If your club doesn't sell low nitro fuel, buy your fuel elsewhere.

Why would you buy more expensive fuel, with excessive amounts of nitromethane, for an engine that doesn't need it at all?

High compression engines, like Irvine and MVVS, run reliably on 0-5% nitro. When they are confronted with more nitro, they need to be run quite a bit richer, to effectively retard the ignition timing, wasting still more expensive fuel.

If you exceed 20% nitro you will also need to add a head shim, to lower compression, so as to prevent overheating.

Morgan, Byron and every other model fuel company makes 5% nitro fuel. Just forsake your club, as far as model fuel is concerned.

Sincerely,

tiggerinmk

RC_Fanatic,

Thanks, a wild guess led me to that conclusion but the confirmation was useful. I was intrigued as the YS guys refer to it a lot.

I've had mixed results with fuel. When I bought my 1st engine (an OS 65LA) I was sold a gallon of green Coolpower. I'm sure the engine didn't like this at all, so I went to another LHS which sold only SIG fuel where I bought castor based fuel.

Now I only use only semi synth fuel, I think the castor helps with the running characteristics.

When I ran my Irvne 39 on the Byron 15% I got 13,600rpm on an APC 10x6. Now having switched to the Omega 5% I can still get around 13,300rpm but I tune to 13,000 on the ground. The engine runs nicely at that speed and the fuel is less than $10 a gallon!

If you're the only Irvine user in your area and you can't find a LHS that will stock 10% or lower then I guess you'll have to resort to ordering online.... Alternatively, a castor mix will probably help...

KC-Lovespeed

My Feedback: (26)

Use Wildcat 5 % on my .53 equiped shrike makes it scream.

RC_Fanatic

My Feedback: (1)

I forgot to point out that 15% fuel through the club is cheaper than 5% or 10% from the LHS. If I get a gain in performance at the same time, that's gravy. My concern was overheating or damage to the engine.

However, it sounds like 15% would be fine in the Irvines, even without an additional head shim.

Thanks to all for the info.

DarZeelon

RC_Fanatic,

If you open the needle more and waste 20-25% more fuel, because you have to run a richer mixture, with higher nitro levels, it sorts of counteracts the club's fuel cost savings.

Besides, you club surely sells 0% nitro FAI fuel, for the events that require this type of fuel (Q500, QM,...). Just mix a gallon of 15% fuel with two gallons FAI and you get 3 gallons of 5% nitro fuel.

Sincerely,

RC_Fanatic

My Feedback: (1)

Dar Zeelon

The club sells only 15%, nothing else. I did buy a gallon of 5% from the LHS and mix it with the 15% so I could stay at 10% until I had some info from the guys here.

I originally ran 5%, and switched to 10% while the club carried that. I do not recall having to open the needle up that much, and the fuel consumption was not all that different.

Also, I use 15% for the heli and some of my other engines so getting the Irvines on 15% will simplify things.

DarZeelon

RC_Fanatic,

When changing from 5 to 10, the difference is small, like tweaking. 5 to 15 it is larger. 40% needs about 1 full turn more. It is a fact.

Irvines simply don't like higher nitro. 5% is their best bet.

Sincerely,

tiggerinmk

Yup, I think my club does that too. They get together a bunch of people and buy a barrel (drum?) of fuel. I think they buy the green Coolpower though and I won't touch the stuff.

I'd rather spend a couple of $$ more and get decent fuel....

Having now found the Omega 5% at under $10, I don't think even the club can beat that...