OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

Well im gonna get an OS engine after what I have read and learned about them... Someone told me to make sure I get the ones with ball bearings in them. He said "The non bearinged are not good at dependability (running adjustment wise)".


Now im still flying a trainer and I plan to use this engine on my second plane in the future. Is the LA that much worse than the AX? Its not quite double the price for the AX but it is close... Your Thoughts?

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

The LA's are good engines for the money, and will last a long time, if you take care of them, run them a hair on the rich side, and run fuel with some castor in it. I run Powermaster 10/22 with equal amounts of castor and synthetic. I've had good luck with the LA carb, in fact I get reliable idle and good transition, and have never touched the low speed needle. Glen

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

I agree the LA's are good engines. I recommend them all the time to new students. If your still in the 1st to 2nd plane stage it will be fine assuming you put it in a suitable plane.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

Sounds great. Thanks for the help!

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

All what Glen said is true. The part that can be not "dependable" is the carb settings. In my experience, an air-bleed carb can be a little picky to properly adjust.

On the subject of $$$. Yes, the AX is a lot more expensive. However, you can buy an LA now and an AX later, or buy an AX now and not have to buy another engine when you move to sport planes.

Dr.1

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

I have the LA46 in a Tower Fun 51. [link]http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJA64&P=ML[/link] No unlimited verticals with this plane though.

It has been one of my most dependable engines - no flame outs this whole summer. For the money it is a good engine and it will last as others have mentioned.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

The LA's run reliably, but they are difficult to tune for optimum performance.

The low end mixture is controlled with a bleed carb, as opposed to a needle carb.

It is difficult to adjust beyond certain ranges.

e.g. on mine I can't lean the low end out sufficiently and I've already drilled the bleed hole as much as I dare.

As a result my engine runs overly rich, but it never deadsticks...

The LA .46 gives you ABOUT the performance of a .32 FX type engine. O.S. rates the LA .46 at 1.1-1.2 HP (which is very optimistic!), while they rate their own .46 AX at 1.7 HP.

So the AX will give you more power than the .46 LA.

I foolishly installed a .46 LA into a Seagull Spacewalker II.

The is about 6-7lbs, so it is a bit heavy for a .46 though that is what it calls for.

The Spacewalker was anemic with the LA engine and an 11x6 APC prop.

I swapped it out for the .46 AX, and the plane was transformed.

IMHO pay the difference for the AX engine. You'll be glad you did.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

The LA .46 gives you ABOUT the performance of a .32 FX type engine

Just curious...will the LA turn a 10-4 prop at 14,000 on the ground on 10% the way my OS .32 and Webra Speed .32 will? Actually, the Webra unloads like crazy and, judging by sound, turns that prop a LOT more than 14,000 in the air.

Dr.1

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

Frankly I doubt it.

I put the LA .46 into a .30 plane and it does very well on that plane, including good verticals.

I've tach'd it to about 10.5K with an 10x5 prop sitting on the ground.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

Hmmm...I'd expect it to run a LITTLE better, jose. Another good reason for getting the AX.

Dr.1

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

I have two LA .46s and a .65, look in the air inlet hole on the front of the carb and set the airbleed screw halfway across that hole. You will be within 3/4 of a turn either way from a great idle, the midrange is controlled by a metering slot in the carb barrel.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

That makes mine WAAAY too rich. I have the hole completely uncovered and it's still very rich.... spewing fuel at idle.

I've reamed the hole out a bit to make it a bit larger, but I didn't want to take this any further.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

Ok, maybe 11K... ;) but then not consistently....

(this is backed off peak about 4 clicks).

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

I have one that I had on my trainers, and it was a great engine. They are great for starting out in the hobby. Yes, they can be a ***** to tune sometimes. I would recommend them for trainers but not much else. I have a .65 la on my cloud dancer and it does great. of course, I have a k&b 65 nib maybe I should try that one!![>:]

Edited by moderator to remove foul language.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

I also have a 46LA that was my first engine. In my opinion it's a great first engine. You won't notice the lack of power until you're good enough to move to more advanced planes and at that point, it's fun to buy a new engine anyway. When you work you're way through the trainer, throw the 46la on an Uproar 40 arf- an absolute blast! No one at the field believed it had a 46la until I landed.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

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You and I look at the OS LA .40 - .46 engines from opposite ends of the spectrum. I think they are good engines, but they cost $20 too much. The Thunder Tiger .42 is just as good and was cheaper the last time that I paid attention. Also, both of these plain bearing engines get their butts kicked most thoroughly by the less expensive, but ball bearing equipped Super Tigre GS-40.


Ed Cregger

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

the 46la is a good engine had one in my trainer that was 8 years ago. the fuel that I use in all of i/c engines is 10% nitro 18% coolpower and 2% EDL I found that the engines run cooler and no dead sticks from over heating engines

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

Well opjose Now that you've leaned out your low end and drilled out hole you have to over compensate on your high speed needle . In reality your hs needle now contols the idle. OS has spent many man hours and thousands of dollars testing and drilling hole the right size and to be blocked half way and then some flyers think they didn't have a clue and tamper with the hole. Your idle is probably a little rough and high rpm now. LA's have to warm up more than other engines for one point. They are cold natured and spit fuel at first. Two they are a little hard to prime. Provided your passage isn't pluged put a needle in hole and get your screw blocking hole half way. You'll now be way rich and lean the HS needle. LA's seem to unload more in air and a lean idle will show up in about 3 minutes of flight with deadsticks or down in power and poor throttle responce. Just my .02

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

speedster 1919 Im glad you brought that up! I was gonna but I didnt. you are correct in your statement.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

opjose Date 12/15/2006 2:45:42 AM
Frankly I doubt it.

I put the LA .46 into a .30 plane and it does very well on that plane, including good verticals.

I've tach'd it to about 10.5K with an 10x5 prop sitting on the ground.


Not too sure about your tach readings, i'm getting 12000rpm with a 10x5 on a .40LA with 10% omega, i'm sure the .46 must have more power than the .40. My motor is stock with no carb alterations and the baffle is still in the muffler, motor has about 2 gallons thru it.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

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As someone stated in this forum a few years ago, "The OS .40 LA is the best .25 I've ever owned". <G>


Ed Cregger

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

All the foregoing is good stuff for you. None of the OS LA engines have ball bearings, they have sleeve bearings. The more expensive OS engines the OS 46AX or FX are ball bearing engines. As Ed Creggor said, go for a Thunder Tiger Pro which has ball bearings, cost less than the OS AX or FX and provides near same performance if not better performance. Do not rule out the Magnum engines either, they are also comparablae to OS AX and FX and also cost less too. You can also look at the Tower Hobbies 46 or the GMS 47, also comparable to OS AX and FX performance levels and cost less that the OS engines.

Frankly, there are a lot of good engines out there that cost less than an OS. There is no true mystic about OS except that they cost more.

Cheers,

Chip

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

There's nothing wrong with an LA engine.

But, consider that you can get a brand new Super Tigre RINGED 40 for $50 from Tower. [X(] The GS-40 is a good runner with ball bearings and a ringed piston. It should make a bit more power than an ABC (ABN, ABL, ANB, AQ2D, BFH whatever--ringless piston) of the same size and last a bit longer too. Just treat it right and don't be afraid to use a little castor in your fuel.

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

Hi!
But if you want light weight and truly good performance (throttle action and reliability) in a trainer, scale airplane and in a twin engined airplane ...the OS .40-.46 LA s are hard to beat. All they need to run well is 5%-10% nitro fuel, and a good glowplug like the OS 8 or Enya 3 plug and a suitable prop like a 11x5 or 11x5 APC. Follow these rules and your engine will perform perfect without stopping in the air and have low reliable idle and have perfect throttle characteristics...provided you use a 8-10oz fuel tank, set it up correctly (with uniflow set up) use the original silencer, set the idle screw in the middle of the airbleed hole and don't drill anything...

RE: OS .46 LA (Bad Engine?)
 

Well I've NEVER have had a dead stick with the LA .46. It's been highly reliable in spite of the poor low end settings.

And no, my H.S. doesn't control the idle at all. I can lean and rich it all I want and there is no change to the idle until I get it set too far... e.g. I'm all but cutting off fuel flow. Richening it has no effect on the idle. It runs rich period. Too rich, spewing fuel.


I -DO- have a clue ( and I can even show you my "has a clue" certificates...), so I merely enlarged the hole a tiny bit trying to see if there would be any net change. There really was very little effect. I stopped because it seemed pointless.

You said drill, I said "ream"... not quite the same thing.

Others with similiar engines in my club suggested taking this further, but I did not want to ruin the engine, by being overzealous... so the amount of change was rather limited.