Engine Winterization
 

I'll only be flying a couple models this winter, so for the engines in the non-flying models is there anything I should do for maintance care over the winter? Such as, should I fill them with oil, keep after run oil in them and turn them over occassionally or what? Thanks for any advice.

RE: Engine Winterization
 

For two strokers:

empty the fuel tank and unhook the fuel line from the motor. Apply glow to the motor and turn it over with your starter to remove any remaining fuel from the motor. Put about 10 drops of afterun oil or Marvel Air tool oil in the carb opening and turn the motor over about 10 times. Remove the glow plug and shoot about 10 drops in there also and put the plug back in.

thats all I have been doing and it works fine.

For four strokers:

Ask some else :)

RE: Engine Winterization
 

If only I could do likeI do with my grass clipper.
5 years, zero servicing, it's been ran wet, dry, without oil. Left out in the rain...even frozen. Stored wet, soaking wet in a damp garage with no heating or insolation.
First day for spring it's brought out and after 5 pushes of the priming bulb... it fires straight up and then ran 3 times aweek.
If that isn't an insentive for the average sports/weekend pilot to go Gas (self ignition of course!) nothing is.
That leaves only the receiver battery to concern your self with.
Disconnect it.

RE: Engine Winterization
 

Gas is the ONLY way to go. I would gladly pay hundreds more for even a .46 sized gas motor if it was made, in the long run it would be worth it :D.

Glow is such a pain in the arse [:'(]

JettPilot

RE: Engine Winterization
 

IF you hate glow so much, why are you reading the glow power forum?

If your engine has bushings, just squirt some oil in there, turn it over a few times and call it good.

If you have bearings, you might wan't to be a little more throrough. i.e. take the back plate off and make SURE the bearings are coating with oil (not glow fuel). I can tell you from experience that bushing engines are cake to clean up after sitting unpreserved for a few years. Engines with bearings are a different stroy (Read: you have to buy new bearings).

RE: Engine Winterization
 

Actually that sounds like most of my glow engines, except fot leaving out in the ran, except of course when I fly in the rain![sm=drowning.gif]

RE: Engine Winterization
 

Ten drops? Doesn't sound like enough to do much. When I know I am storing them for a long time I put a lot of 3 in 1 oil in them, not 10 drops, probably closer to 100 drops of 3 in 1.

RE: Engine Winterization
 

Thanks to all ... looks like the general guidance is ensure fuel is out, which I do after every flying day, and ensure she's oily!!! I might even remove the backplates for a bearing inspection.

RE: Engine Winterization
 

I use a slightly more aggressive approach to storage. I'll remove the muffler,
put the piston down, and fill the engine with a mix of 50/50 kerosene and motor
oil. Then I'll rock the engine back and forth for a couple minutes to remove all
the old oil, fuel and such from the inside of the engine....then simply pour the
mixture out by holding the engine up side down, and allowing the mixture to
dump out the exhaust port.The kerosene will eventually evaporate, leaving the
internal parts of the engine with a light coating of oil.

Then I'll rinse the carb out with some rubbing alcohol and work the carb back
and forth with the radio control...then I'll blow into the carb with some air, with
the throttle closed to blow out the thinned mixture from the internals of the carb
barrel. I do this about three times to insure I have rinsed all the castor oil out
from the carb barrel. If the carb is not serviced in this, or a similar manner, it
will freeze up as the oil solidifies.....and the carb will be stuck....quite tight.

FBD. :D

RE: Engine Winterization
 

I have a similar ritual as FBD's...except I use air tool oil...and I don't dump it out, I use a small alum. pie "tin" under as a drip pan.
I usually set the fuse. on a rack w/ the cyl. pointing down so the oil will get to the wrist pin.

Dave, I didn't know you had "winter" as such in Ca.?

Edit: Forgot to add smiley after wise guy "winter" comment...:D

RE: Engine Winterization
 

I use that procedure any time I pull an engine out of service. I have a
jar with the solution mixed up all the time, ready for use. ;)

It does snow where I live. :)

FBD.

RE: Engine Winterization
 

Jez... theres a lot of complex proceedures going on in FBD cellar.
one million mile from my Lawn Mower Theory.
No voodoo here. The YS's are just ran dry and thats that.
Back in the two stoke days, ran dry and a squirt of ARO.

People worry about rusting the bearings/ rings.
I replace them every season anyway.
Never picked out any rusted ones because of my simple winter storage method.

Don't make the problem bigger than they are.
They're little hobbly motors from toy airplanes... treat them as such.