Author Topic: .removing wicked fuel.. (Read 3508 times)

Bootlegger · « **on:** February 17, 2017, 05:34:54 AM »

Guy's what ways do y'all suggest for removing wicked fuel from mounting bolt holes? I have a problem with engine viberating loose, and have some brass 4-40 inserts to mount the engine on, fuel has wicked in the mounts and I want to remove as much as possible using lacquer thinner and acetone, unless some one has a better idea.

Sure do thank all y'all...

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2017, 06:19:12 AM »

I would maybe suggest packing the holes with baby powder and let it set a short while. The acetone might remove epoxy or paint so be careful.

I bought a bag of oil dry and took a oil soaked cowl and put in a large zip lock bag of the stuff for about a month. It pulled out some. Might have got more if I gave it more time.

Good luck.

Phil Krankowski · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2017, 06:57:15 AM »

Corn starch and alcohol. The FUEL isn't the problem it is the oil content that will not evaporate that needs removed. Denatured alcohol or methanol mixed with corn starch to make a thin sticky paste then slathered over the area in question will, with repeated application and cleanup, draw the oil into the cornstarch for removal, eventually.

If the inserts can be removed and then the wood cleaned, then the inserts re-bedded using epoxy on the cleaned wood the epoxy will prevent this from happening again.

Phil

George Truett · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2017, 07:15:30 AM »

One thing that used to work well cleaning oil soaked engine compartments was K2r Spot Lifter. Don't know if the new stuff is the same formula, I have not used any in quite a while.

david beazley · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2017, 06:20:04 PM »

Quote from: George Truett on February 17, 2017, 07:15:30 AM

One thing that used to work well cleaning oil soaked engine compartments was K2r Spot Lifter. Don't know if the new stuff is the same formula, I have not used any in quite a while.

I don't think K2R is available any more, at least the formula we used back in the day. I haven't seen it for years.

George Truett · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2017, 06:46:21 PM »

I checked before I posted it, shows still available from the manufacturer as well as a number of other places including Ace Hardware. What I'm not sure is if the formula has changed from the one that worked so well.

Norm Faith Jr. · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2017, 08:22:04 PM »

Quote from: david beazley on February 17, 2017, 06:20:04 PM

I don't think K2R is available any more, at least the formula we used back in the day. I haven't seen it for years.

I think you're right David...at least not in any of the retail stores. I have seen it on the internet. One thing for sure, it works quite well for fuel soaked wood.
Norm

Air Ministry . · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2017, 09:27:08 PM »

Baking Soda , to absorb the oil . Use the heat gun & acetone too .

Allan Perret · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2017, 11:39:57 AM »

Drill out with 5/16 or 3/8, epoxy in hardwood dowels.

Joseph Patterson · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2017, 03:08:55 PM »

Through bolts w/T-NUTS. Hide nuts with thin lite-ply, or thin balsa if not wanting nuts to show. OOPS!! Sorry Gil, wrong thread!
Far away buddie

Bootlegger · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2017, 02:21:08 PM »

As usual the folks here on Stunt Hanger have good ideas, and I want to say thanks a lot. Hopefully this year I'll be able to make some contests..

Doug Patterson, I thought that you might have gotten to close to the edge of the earth and fell off, glad to see that did not happen...

Joseph Patterson · « **Reply #11 on:** February 19, 2017, 04:37:41 PM »

I'm hanging on..!
Doug

Fredvon4 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 20, 2017, 11:08:47 AM »

Gil

Just a thought for the future... I have usually thought that IF fuel and exhaust Can get in-- it Will ---so I make sure all my fuel proofing efforts include driller holes and any corner ...too the point of being real OCD about this process and set cure times...

I also much prefer Tee Nuts to the inserts...but this is simply becaus I can make a slightly over sized hole in the engine bearer...coat it... the fit the engine with too long bolts... set the TeeNuts and then do a final fuel proofing.

My two attempts at brass 4/40 inserts was not precise enough

I had a very hard time getting one or more of the bolts to line up and thread into the insert going through the engine lugs and the offset wedges into the insert squarely.

The other thing I dislike with the inserts--- was the over large diameter hole into the Maple dramatically reduces the surrounding solid wood cross section say in a typical 3/8" by 1/2" maple bearer ..

And not to be really too critical of the insert method... I know many modelers prefer this method

the time or two, I drilled the recommended size hole to put the insert in... the Maple was so hard that I destroyed three brass inserts just trying to screw them into the rock hard maple

As to the original question... I never can find K2R so use a home mix of either corn starch, talc, ZS, or crushed cat litter in MEK, Acetone, or cheap Lacquer thinner as a paste.. a lot of poultices are just differing ways to thin and absorb something

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #13 on:** February 25, 2017, 02:43:26 PM »

Fuel isn't wicked. Batteries are wicked. Future ex-wives are wicked.

Steve

PS: Look up "wicked" on Dictionary.com, it's true. I have not been able to find an approved past tense for the woid "wick". There should be one. Any English teachers out there?

Bill Johnson · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2017, 08:14:05 AM »

Quote from: Steve Helmick on February 25, 2017, 02:43:26 PM

Fuel isn't wicked. Batteries are wicked. Future ex-wives are wicked. Steve

PS: Look up "wicked" on Dictionary.com, it's true. I have not been able to find an approved past tense for the woid "wick". There should be one. Any English teachers out there?

The verb version of wick:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wicked#q=wick+definition&*

although I heartily agree with the last 2 statements!

Phil Spillman · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2017, 03:42:08 PM »

Hi All, K2-R is available from Amazon but it's not cheap +/- $3.50/ per can by the case of 6 cans to the box maybe more now. The last I bought was about 3 years ago but they had it! If your mounting to a profile fuselage I embed my inserts using a 3/16 piece of aluminum drilled to be attached to the fuselage using the inserts. Then I counter bore the bottom of the AL to accept flat head 4-40 bolts with allen head inserts in the bolts. To these I attach the engine with the bolts running through the block holes of the engine. Tighten down with elastic stop nuts, washers, and lock washers to the AL plates. I have used this system for years without trouble!

If the holes for the engine aren't just right in the plates hog them out a bit same as for the fuselage bolt holes for the plates! No need to mess up the engine block's holes!

Phil Spillman

Russell · « **Reply #16 on:** February 28, 2017, 03:26:05 PM »

Acetone is what I use. Recommended by professional woodworkers. I've also used it to restore oil saturated gun stocks.

Shorts,David · « **Reply #17 on:** February 21, 2023, 10:04:02 PM »

this is an old thread, but I'll ask here first.

My black tiger was covered with butyrate and silk. I cracked the wing, stripped it, repaired it, and now am ready to recover. The wood does have oil penetration. Not a huge amount, but enough to make it feel a bit gummy. I tried sanding it down to 100 grit, but it barely scratches through the gum. I can buy K2r on amazon. Acentone is also recommended. Do I just spray it on, then wipe it down? I suppose I could try a few methods on a few sections. I'd like it to be clean enough to apply ultracote on my refinish. Just looking for any tips before trying chemicals.

Dan McEntee · « **Reply #18 on:** February 21, 2023, 10:40:07 PM »

Quote from: Shorts,David on February 21, 2023, 10:04:02 PM

this is an old thread, but I'll ask here first.

My black tiger was covered with butyrate and silk. I cracked the wing, stripped it, repaired it, and now am ready to recover. The wood does have oil penetration. Not a huge amount, but enough to make it feel a bit gummy. I tried sanding it down to 100 grit, but it barely scratches through the gum. I can buy K2r on amazon. Acentone is also recommended. Do I just spray it on, then wipe it down? I suppose I could try a few methods on a few sections. I'd like it to be clean enough to apply ultracote on my refinish. Just looking for any tips before trying chemicals.

I have tried all the methods, some of them twice, and THE BEST method is heating the wood with a monokote heat gun, then as the oil comes to the surface, and it will, wipe it away with paper towels. Keep repeating in small areas until you don't see any more oil rising. K2R comes in really small cans, and it really expensive and has to be repeated over and over, and is anything but fast . The same with making a paste from acetone and corn starch. Heating with a monkote heat gun works relatively quickly, and when finished the wood really does feel dry. The grain will be raised a bit and with need a few licks with a sanding block. If covering with an iron on, give the treated wood a coat of SIG Stix-It or Balsa-Rite to help make the adhesive bond as much as possible. I have done two recover jobs this way. The first was a test of all the known methods, and about half way through I could tell that heating was superior. The second model went much quicker without all the experimentation. Just pick a day that you are going to do it, start early and keep at it until finished. Don't worry about scorching the wood. As long as there is oil coming out it won't scorch, and it's very easy to see when the flow stops.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee

Perry Rose · « **Reply #19 on:** February 22, 2023, 05:28:53 AM »

I had the same thing happen on my Pathfinder. The inserts are the problem. Remove them, drill through, "T" nuts, quickest way. Either way you do it the inserts have to go.

aj bagg · « **Reply #20 on:** February 22, 2023, 10:27:18 AM »

I just de oiled an old engine mount and used the alcohol/heat gun method but followed with a 90-10 mix of water and Murphys Oil Soap. I left this mix on wet pipe cleaners and paper towels on the area. Then repeated with clean water and heat gun a couple times. The oil that had remained in the wood after the alcohol method was emulsified then rinsed away. When dry the wood was white. To avoid oil wicking into the wood I have been drilling my holes to size using my engine mount drill jigs then drill out a few thousandths oversize and fill the holes with JB Weld, then redrill the holes to size using the jig.

Shorts,David · « **Reply #21 on:** February 22, 2023, 05:35:14 PM »

Thanks, I'll give it a go.
David