Reliability or Performance
 

Let's suppose that there are no engines out there that give both reliability and performance. You either get one that starts with one flip, never dead sticks but lacks the brute power of the performers. Or you can get one that is difficult to start, won't stay adjusted, dead sticks every other flight but will pull stumps. You can only have one engine.......ever. Which one would you buy?

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

This question does not make a whole lot of sense to me, to post a question about a situation that does not seem exist.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

I would agree, I don't see this situation as existing either.

The high strung high performance pylon racing engines need to start easily and fast too, as they have a time limit to get started and ready for a race heat.
Then the control line folks have to have high performance and fast easy starting engines too. Especially the control line Goodyear racing types of events. You have to race against a couple of other flyers, and land and refuel and get the engine going again while it is hot, with one flip being typical.

One guy might have a certain brand and model type of a engine that starts and runs easily for him. But the next guy gets the same engine and has no end of trouble with it.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

Reliability, every time.

There is a trade-off betwixt power and reliability, I think. I just like non-critical, soft, engines.

What I'd like best of all, is for someone to "crack" the throttling problem with diesels ... such that large-capacity, really practical diesels could be made available. I often fly my friend's Enya .40 four-stroke diesel and that is phenomenally reliable, even with fixed timing. The prospect of .90-sized four-stroke diesels would excite me greatly. Bigger would be nice, too.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

Hobbsy, it most certainly was not a troll. I was asking an honest and sincere question. As to whether or not the situation exists, it is not important. It was creating a hypothetical situation asking what appealed to most common fliers, reliability or performance. Sorry you took it the wrong way. I have several hundred posts in this forum and I don't troll.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

the later choice is being adjusted by a roookie [8D]

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

I would say the OP exagerates, but there is some truth to his statement. I think Fox and Enya have had the best compromise between performance and reliability, though not for all of their engines. You probably could put some of the Jett engines in that class as well.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

my higher performance Rossi, an YS 2 strokes are pretty sensitive (especially Rossi), but really perform when compared to the main stream brands... i have a harder time getting them to start, but once they do, they really run well, seldom dead stick.... on the other hand i have my classic OS FSRs, they start really easy , are easy to tune and rarely deadstick...welll maybe once or twice, and are reliable but not powerhouses

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

A high performance engine does not necessarily exclude reliability. The winner circles combine both!!!
So IMHO there is not the matter of choice. If I have to choose, we are discussing the wrong brands.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

I'm confused as to why some folks are having a problem with the question I asked, Of course both extremes are exaggerated. But the question as to which most folks prefer if he could only have one engine, reliability or performance, remains. If I named particular brands as an example of either extreme, I would really be attacked, so I tried to stay away from that.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

I've had high strung engines such as Conley, Abitar, OPS, YS, Fitzpatrick Bros. and others, the only problematic performance engines I've seen are the YS. Other than YS, I can't think of any to stay away from. I've never owned a Rossi but know that they are quite reliable, Jetts are very reliable. So, where is this imaginary choice you're looking for?

Fox engines are very reliable as are MVVS and as to Diesel I have them from an LA .10 to a SuperTigre 4500 and all throttle cleanly when the carb is set correctly.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

G'day Jolly Popper

For me it is reliability. The planes I fly don't need raw power. I don't race.

I did do a little control line racing back in the 70s and even then I found that reliability would nearly always win anyway. I used to use a Super Tigre G20 diesel (2.5cc) in Goodyear racers. The Tigers were every consistent, easy to hot start and powerful enough to be near the front of the pack. Later I got bored with this and bought a Rossi 15 (glow). I did even better with the Rossi but there were occasions when it would just not re-start.

Most of my engines now are four strokes. They are reliable, and do what I need them to do but I do have some Enyas and a Jett if I want to play power games.

So if I could choose only between power and reliability, I would choose reliability every time.

Mike in Oz

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

+1

After you have spent an hour trying to get a problem engine going, reliability wins every time.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

Hobbsy, my imaginary choice has been stated several times. It is between high performance and reliability, pretending that the two conditions cannot exist in the same engine. You say to stay away from YS engines because they are problematic (your words). So if you had your choice between a .91YS engine and a .91OS Surpass II engine, which would you choose if that were to be the only engine you could ever use? This assumes that YS engines are problematic (your words) and OS engines are much less problematic (perceived as such by a lot of folks).

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

Same question that I was asked by an engine building guru when I decided to build my first roadracing motorcycle engine. What are my goals? Do I want the nth degree of performance (that would last maybe 3 races of a 10 race season)? Or, do I want to have an engine that will last the season? What are your resources? What are you goals? Then it's a simple matter of buying / building an engine that fits your personal needs.

Btw,. I wanted reliability because $5000 a pop was too much for a novice.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

Currently owning four OS engines and expecting a 5th in the mail tomorrow, an older .60 FP I would choose the OS every time. If a Saito 1.00 were in the mix I would choose it. At one time I owned four YS FZs, never again. I have owned an OS 1.20 AX and an OS .52 fourstroke, fine engines. As to performance another I owned was a Webra 1.20 which was very reliable and for its power was very frugal on fuel. Since there are a lot of engines which are capable of high performance and total reliability that makes the choice easy.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

Kinda like do I want a hot wife that tolerates me or an ok one that loves me?:eek:

I go for performance first but don't like buying engines or not starting up in my 1 minute on the line. If I don't have an acceptable balance I look for one.

To quantify this...glow plugs. It has been noted by many racers that Merlin plugs give a little extra oomph, so I buy some. After having three of them fail on the line, I have gone back to the reliable No 8.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

Well, this has been like pulling teeth, but reading between the lines and considering the few straight answers I got, I believe I have my answer. I have been offered a .91YS or a .91OS Surpass II for virtually the same money. I can only buy one because of money constraints. I have to give my answer tomorrow or the guy will sell them to someone else. These are sold as used but I don't believe either has been run. They are from an estate and the seller has no clue about RC or RC engines. There are guys waiting in line to buy these things, but the seller is waiting for me to take one or the other. I'm going with the OS.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

Good choice. That's what I would have done.;)

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

G'day

If I were offered the choice of those two motors, I would make the same choice you did. They are both great engines but the OS would be my choice for it is simplicity and therefore, greater reliability.

That said, in the right hands, and with the right maintenance, the YS would be quite reliable too. But my hands are not the right hands for a YS. I'll stick to Saito, Laser, Enya and OS. Without pumps.

Enjoy.

Michael from Oz

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

JP, I'm glad you got your answer but I think if you had stated the choices in the first post this would have been over long ago and you would have come to the same conclusion.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

Do you only have those choices? There are better engines, IMO.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

If you only had to choose between the YS or the OS engine, then I would go with the OS too.
Granted the YS engine will way outperform the OS engine, but unless you are experienced in getting them adjusted, you will have problems. Folks have been rebuilding the YS fuel pumps a lot on them too. That isn't to say you have to do it a lot, but eventually it needs servicing. Basiclly if you have problems and the engine was running OK before, and the valve gaps are set OK, then the fuel pump needs servicing.

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

I'm looking for a four stroke engine to put on a Sig Four Star Sixty. What engines are out there that would be a better fit for that plane?

RE: Reliability or Performance
 

G'day

A friend has a Four Star 60 with the OS Surpass Mk 2 91 in it. It flies really well. I have one with a Saito 100 in it. It flies pretty much the same as the 91 but with a little more power. The Saito and the OS fit the same engine mount. I am using an OS engine mount with my Saito though I did have to cut part of the mount away to clear the way for the fuel lines.

Then there are the clones of the OS made by Sanye and sold as Magnum and ASP. They are pretty good too and a deal cheaper.

And then there is the new OS 95V series four stroke. Or the Saito 115.

Any of these will do the job. The YS will too and be the most powerful so long as you know what you are doing.

And then there is the Laser 100 if you want a Rolls Royce engine. I have one in a Decathlon. Brilliant and quiet too and really easy to use. Not cheap though.

I am sure others will chime in with other possibilities.

Michael from Oz

PS. That's my Four Star 60 on the left. At the time it has a Saito 72 in it which was fine for normal use but the 100 really brought it to life.