millie

Complete Beginner

I've inherited a Super Tigre S40K Engine, can anyone advise me what fuel to use?

Carlos Murphy

My Feedback: (72)

All I can tell you is that Power Master makes a fuel just for the smaller ST engines and use it in my 45 but I've been using PM YS 20/20 fuel in my ST 90 K & G engines with great results.

millie

Thanks for the info, was having problems with one fuel have now found a differrent blend that seems to work ok.

Fuelman

My Feedback: (6)

Millie,
Any quality fuel with 0% to 15% nitro and 17% or higher lubricant with some castor should be fine for that engine.

Fuelman

Twanger

I have a supertigre GS 45 ABC. This engine really screams. However sometimes it develops erratic behavior as if the mixture keeps changing, and then it just dies in mid flight. All the adjusting in the world, cleaning out the carb, checking the tank (foam padded), changing glow plug etc. doesn't fix it. I took it apart to find that castor oil had formed a varnish buildup on the piston and in the cylinder. This happens with any fuel that has any amount of castor in it. I lovingly refer to this condition as CGS, or Castor Goo Syndrome. The last time this dreaded condition struck, the engine vibrated and shuddered as if the prop was out of balance then it seized. The seizing is only momentary until the goo cools. You can feel this condition when you turn the prop through the compression stroke very slowly by hand. You can feel it stick and bind slightly. To cure this I run straight COOL POWER through it. It took three attempts to get a full run, but the COOL POWER (the green stuff 10%) cut through the castor goo and I can again enjoy my engine. This has also happened on a Como .40, and a friends Fox .40. The guy with the Fox uses Fox straight castor, and his engine would never stay lit. A tank of COOL POWER cleaned out the goo. What a mess! He prefers to go back to the Fox fuel and that's fine. We live in Tennessee, and the humidity is quite high. This may be part of the problem, I don't know. I want to use castor and have nothing against it, but it gives me CGS. I've gotten pretty good at deadstick, however![8D]

RaceCity

Kinda strange.

My Fox motors run with 20% straight castor fuel. (sometimes I cut in a shot of Klotz for the smell)

No goo...no problems, and GALLON after GALLON of this fuel runs through my motors. In fact, my Foxes
use more castor in a single season than any 25 engines are likely to see in their entire lifetime.

Castor varnishes badly (while still protecting the metal) when engine temperature is sent through
the roof with scorching lean settings.

Interesting to note that you NEVER see any C/L fliers posting such woes regarding castor use. (and they use
the most of anyone)

I would say for the ST without reservation that a fuel (such as Omega) with a liberal qty of castor AND a sensible NV setting
(ie: not squeezing out the last .139098764 rpm) would yield a LONG life and completely hassle free operation.

Something to consider.

'race

Dr Nitro

Race,
I agree, running a little too lean or too hot will cause the castor to varnish up rapidly. A fuel with mostly castor is not needed but one with some is definatly beneficial. Run 5% to 15% nitro and 17% to 20% total oil and you'll be fine.
I run mostly fuels with at least some castor in them, even in my four strokes. If you want fuel with just a touch of castor and mostly synthetic, Cooper's and S&W are the only two fuel companies that have a fuel product I believe in anymore. They both have anything you want, but if you're running a ST 40 and similar engines, both compaines have several selections. I am not sure if either of these two fuels are available in the UK, but here's the links: www.cooperfuels.com and www.s-whobby.com

Hope this helps

RaceCity

Strange you should mention it..

I'm running straight castor S&W (with a dash of Klotz for the smell) as we speak. Wonderful stuff.

Straight castor is most likely NOT necessary, but I like it, the motors are pleased as punch with it
and that's the only thing that matters. <G>

Just one thing that needs to be pointed out with regards to varnish...

It's cruddy stuff to be sure, BUT...it forms at temperatures that would have sent lesser oils packing.
That nasty, sticky coating won't win any races, but it will keep the motor from harm. That's an important
issue for me, as I don't like to replace motors.


'Race

Dr Nitro

Race,
Amen with the Fox engines, I love mine.
Why don't you add a couple drops of "Thje Original Nitro Scent" for that dash of Fragrance? I picked up 7 bottles of it of different scents and what a riot that stuff is at a fly in. Everybody wants to know who's exhaust is smelling like cinnamon, cherry, vanilla, root beer, tangerine, watermelon, grape or combinations of such. About 5 bucks worth of stuff will last at least a couple cases of fuel.
Ask S&W, since you get your fuel from them and see if he can get it, I know Cooper's has it since they're the manufacturer, you can also find it in some hobby shops. Don't get the stuff from parma, it fouls glow plugs and runs funny.

RaceCity

<GGGGGG>

I think I'll stick with "Eau de Klotz", but it's a neat suggestion!

Too bad they don't have a scent additive like "Ernie's Bar & Grill"...

The plane could roar past reeking of stale beer and cigarettes...

<GGG>

'Race

Twanger

Does COOL POWER ruin engines?

Madd_Maxx

Twanger:

I've been runing cool power 15% in my planes and trucks (I know it's supposed to be plane fuel) with great success since around '97 or '98. I like to buy only one brand of fuel for all my nitro r/c's and cool power was available at 2 of my LHS's so I went with that. Did I mention that cool power is rather cheap (11-12 bux a gallon) compared to some other brands that are available. My LHS gives me a small discount if I by fuel by the case instead of single gallons....seems a case doesn't last me very long anymore.

The last motor(stock trx .15) I had on my T-Maxx ran for over 9 gallons without a rebuild....the thing that finally killed it was an over rev condition doing donuts on wet concrete (stupid me having to much fun) that broke the crank/connecting rod in it. My other nitro motor a TT gp.42 motor has served it's time in my balsa trainer plane for the last year and a half and now is on my spa3dt and still runs fine....only had cool power 15% through the thing (tried running a gallon of omega 15% one time...wasn't to bad). Fuel is like motor - prop or manufacturer selections in the r/c hobby. The choice's are almost limitless and it basically comes down to whatever works well for your climate or flying/driving style and it readily available at either your LHS or online shop.

Madd_Maxx

Twanger

Thank you Maxx! I've never heard of anyone burning up an engine because it was run on Cool Power. If your trucks can run on it, I won't worry about it. Like I said, I don't have anything against castor, in fact I use it in my 1/2A stuff. I always make sure that the needle is set so that the engine just breaks to 2-cycle, then richen it a couple or three clicks. I squeeze the fuel line to check the rpm increase, and hold the nose up to make sure it doesn't go lean. If I think it's leaned out, I bring it in for a re-adjust. Cool Power works for me. My Supre Tigre .45 has run every brand of fuel, and nitro from 0% to 25%, and even swallowed the remains of the rear bearing once. It slightly scratched the piston, but still seems to have full compression. The case lost some metal when the muffler was torn off in that first crash. That was 6 years ago. It's been smashed three other times, but it still screams. I was told that the sudden impact of a crash can be hard on bearings.