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[Rusty]

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[Randy Cuberly]

Most folks don't believe drilling out the mounting holes a small amount "ruins" an engine.  It is done to allow a bit more tolerance in drilling the mounting holes in the engine bearers and being able to insure a bit of adjustment in the position of the engine!  Get real.

Of course you are entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong headed it is!  

Another comment is that when they did it, it was their property to treat as desired.  While I don't personally agree with drilling holes in the crankcase it's apparent that the owner of the engine did.  The ruling question is "Why did you buy them"!?

It would seem that you think all manufacturers make perfect products not to be tampered with by a lowly owner!  

Randy Cuberly (a long time driller of engine mounting holes on all my engines)!
PS:  I also don't believe there's any such thing as a "Perfect Engine"!!

[pmackenzie]

To reduce the size I would make up some shoulder bushings. Same OD as the hole, ID for the mounting screws and a thick enough flange so it would not distort when clamped.

Something like these:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=spool&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjPjYK1uanTAhXF34MKHWpiAVUQ_AUIBigB&biw=1568&bih=852#tbm=isch&q=shoulder+bushing&imgrc=_

[Mark Mc]

It just hard to understand why people destroy perfect engines. 

Because only the Gods are capable of Perfection, and they will punish horribly any mortal that presumes to make anything perfect.  Thank your lucky stars you got two engines with a Persian Flaw.  Otherwise your house would burn down or your dog would run away.

Mark

[Brett Buck]

Hello and Happy Easter.

I would like to share this story about 2 engines I bought used at the hobby shop.

1) OS .25 FX r/c engine.  Like Brand New, EXCEPT some KNOTHEAD drilled a hole in the front of the block (one on each side) in order to remove the rear beating.  He put JB weld on them to cover them.  They will not affect performance, but it is ugly.  The reason is because he put ceramic bearings in it.   It is something I will live with, but why? 

2) Supertigre .40, G21, rear intake, side exhaust.  Another very nice engine, barely used, EXCEPT some KNOTHEAD drilled the mounting holes to a #12 size. 

It just hard to understand why people destroy perfect engines. 

Can somebody tell me of a way to reduce the bolt holes back to normal.  Maybe a spacer of some sort?  Maybe I need to call the Incomparable and Great Jim Lee! 

    These are very minor examples. You can do a lot more damage with internal modifications. I am not sure what the issue might be, but it seems like every other guy you run into is an expert on stunt engine modification and gets one engine after another, applies various hacky modifications, it doesn't work (and they complain about it in various venues), then they get another one and do something similar.  The best engines that have ever been available to the stunt world are available right now, but we still have people drilling and Dremel-tooling them without any idea what they are doing.

    Then there are those who do the "disassemble-clean-lube" routine on every single engine. This completely unnecessary ritual vastly raises the odds of problems, even when done by experts, no matter how accomplished. If there is a real problem, that's one thing, you have to fix it somehow, but just taking it apart to clean out the chips or somehow "inspect" it offers virtually no benefits with any reputable engine, but can cause serious issues. And it has, time and again. Yes, if it's an old engine that has been crashed, it's a slag motor from the mists of time like a Fox/McCoy etc, maybe if it is an Iron Curtain engine, but not from a modern manufacturer or a semi-custom builder like Randy or Dub.

   For the bolt holes, there are a bunch of possibilities. I have one OS case that is like that, and I drilled it further to the next size K&S stainless tubing, and then sleeved it and held it with the tubing and JB weld, facing it off with a flat file and then an Arkansas stone as it got closer. It's extremely important to not put a wedge into the mounting face, both because it will cause unintended up or down thrust, but also could rack the case out of plane and distort it.

      Brett

[Randy Cuberly]

Randy,  If you need to drill your bolt holes near 1/4" to adjust that is still precision building.  The term oversize is objective.  

Mark, Yes, I am still happy to get them.  It goes right along with the engines with deep plier marks on the thrust washer, striped glow plug threads, gouges on the side of  the head from drilling holes with the engine in place, etc.  

Thank you for the guidance on fixing the enlarged holes.

Cheers  

Rusty,
I guess in my haste I missed the #12 size.  That certainly is excessive and I would never personally enlarge them that much.  Like Motorman said I drill mine to .156.
However if for some reason a "former owner" drilled them to #12 I would assume he had a reason (if only stupidity) and would simply not buy the engine!  As mentioned they could be plugged and redrilled but would likely not be very secure and would probably still need large washers under the screw heads.  Why I would not know but perhaps HE wanted to use #10 screws to mount the engine.  Overkill?  Yes but then like I said IT WAS HIS ENGINE!!!

Randy Cuberly

[FLOYD CARTER]

I have repaired crankcases with a TIG welder.  Fill up the oversize holes, and start over with any size drill you prefer.

[Dan McEntee]

  In my early days looking for desirable engines like St.46's I found one some where pretty cheap. Took it home and looked it over, and some thing made me want to take it apart. Long story short, I had trouble getting the head off and noticed funny makes on it. I had to pry it out of the cylinder. and there were shavings caught in there. I looked at the bottom of the crank case and saw an indentation and jaw marks, and a small crack or two. Some one had pulled the engine apart and used a vise to squeeze everything back together again! I took it completely apart and saw the rear bearing out race was cracked. I located some new bearings, used the old bearing as a back up to TIG weld the cracks up, cleaned it all out thoroughly and re-assembled with some guidance from Tom Lay. The abused engine then ran just fine. I don't know if I still have it or it has gone down the road, but I usually don't sell engines like those! But after that episode, I ALWAYS look closely at any engine I think I might buy.
   I bought a brand new Cox TD-.020 from a local hobby/crafts store back in the early eighties and my free flight days. I was going to fly ,020 Replica in free flight contests. I got the engine out of the box to get ready to mount it on a Playboy and when I turned the prop, it stopped hard. Turned it the other way and it went just as far and stopped hard again. I removed the back plat/mount and saw a chunk of connecting rod crank pin hole in there! The rest of the engine looked OK so I put it back together and it ran fine. That is why some guys always at least take the back plate off to check things out on a new engine. Especially Fox engines from a certain time period when their quality was of some suspect.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Ken Bird]

I bought a well used TT36 through Ebay a month ago...

The individual from the UK that sold it didn't mention that he had tried to modify the engine beyond putting an "Enya Curly Venturi and OS NVA". The ad also mentioned that "Compression is good and has been bench ran, although my interest is now with 60 sized motors...".

The first thing I noticed when I received the motor was that the bearings felt rough through about 20 -30 degrees of rotation of the crank. When I opened it up I found that he attempted to stuff the crankcase by buttering the backplate with JB Weld. He had replaced the bearings but their life was cut short due to the crank pin gouging out and routing a path in the JB Weld.  He also blocked the boost port in the case with a whole lotta JB Weld there too. Along with that, he contoured the crank journal with, you guessed it, JB Weld. He also took his dremel to the outside of the piston liner at the boost and transfer ports in order to smooth out the flow. The piston/liner fit on the "little used" engine was almost non-existent and the chrome had flaked on a spot about 3mm before TDC.   

I got the JB Weld out of the case and off of the backplate by letting the parts soak in paint remover for 4 days. It can be rehabilitated. I understand that it is buyer beware and for me it was a $30 lesson. The needle valve and spray bar look okay...

Ken Bird   

[Dick Pacini]

I always found it interesting that some people would disassemble an engine to clean, inspect, modify, curiosity.  I remember back in the day when removing a piston and sleeve was a no no because the microscopic wear marks would never line up again.  Assembling the engine again meant the piston and sleeve had to re-learn each other, resulting in increased wear.  Maybe things are different today.

[Steve Helmick]

One of my Starrett drill charts says #12 is .189", while the other Starrett drill chart says #12 is .189"...I'll be dipped! About ideal for a #10 machine screw, actually. I have seen speed & racer types use oversized brass screws to bolt the engine to a speed pan type installation, thinking that the screws will sheer before the crankcase breaks. I wouldn't and didn't, but opinions vary.

Ken Bird: A heat gun would probably have popped all that JB Weld off without the solvent. Should still be good to build around, while you wait for an Aero Tiger to appear on your doorstep! Several good stunt grunts around here have tried to make a stock TT .36 run acceptably, but without luck. I fit into the "not me" catagory.  Steve   

[fred cesquim]

try to live with this:
here in Brazil some cheapo guys came out with the "perfect" solution to poor compression engines: hammer the piston, YES!
they do that, hammer the piston, or/and squeeze que sleeve in a vise. How about that?
obviosly the results are desastrous, but they swear that the engine runs like new lol

[Brett Buck]

try to live with this:
here in Brazil some cheapo guys came out with the "perfect" solution to poor compression engines: hammer the piston, YES!
they do that, hammer the piston, or/and squeeze que sleeve in a vise. How about that?
obviosly the results are desastrous, but they swear that the engine runs like new lol

   That comes up here from time to time, too.

    Brett

[dave siegler]

some people like to modify engines.  Some times it helps sometimes not.
They paid for it, they can do what they want.   They are not ruined. 

I have some speed limit combat engines that have been lightened.  The fins were cut down, crank shortened, mounting lugs machined off and a black plane mount used. 

The internal mods, just know what you are doing first.  gee its easy to mess up. 

Just don't buy that engine then. 

[Bill Johnson]

I could substitute "airplane" for "engine" and be "guilty as charged". Got a perfectly good airplane from Ty but wanted a bigger engine in it so had to epoxy some hardwood into the existing mount holes and redrill the mounts. Another perfectly good airplane, I had to plug the mount holes and open up the distance between the mounts to get one of my engines in. Went a hair too far so had to JB weld material back in. They ain't pretty but they fly.

If those planes survive my steep learning curve (which is typically sloping towards the blacktop), some day, someone may be looking at one of those used planes thinking "why does someone hack up a perfectly good plane".

[john e. holliday]

try to live with this:
here in Brazil some cheapo guys came out with the "perfect" solution to poor compression engines: hammer the piston, YES!
they do that, hammer the piston, or/and squeeze que sleeve in a vise. How about that?
obviosly the results are desastrous, but they swear that the engine runs like new lol

I remember the late George Aldrich telling us and putting it in print, that for an engine with low compression, disassemble it and bake the piston at a high temperature.   

[Tim Wescott]

I remember the late George Aldrich telling us and putting it in print, that for an engine with low compression, disassemble it and bake the piston at a high temperature.   

There's a specific type of cast iron that'll swell with heat treatment.  So it's a kinda-valid measure to take if an engine happens to have that specific material.

I'd try it on an engine that's junk anyway, because how much can you kill an already-dead engine?

[Brett Buck]

I remember the late George Aldrich telling us and putting it in print, that for an engine with low compression, disassemble it and bake the piston at a high temperature.   

      That works if it hasn't already grown due to heating during use, and if the piston doesn't crack in the attempt (which based on what I have seen, is about 50/50). My Uncle Donnie cracked the piston in my dad's Phantom P-30 trying to do this, for instance.

     I just got enough good parts to get that working again, after about 50 years.

    Brett

[fred cesquim]

I remember the late George Aldrich telling us and putting it in print, that for an engine with low compression, disassemble it and bake the piston at a high temperature.   

at least you will have a regular result, not a hammer hitting the piston anywhere lol
pretty sure Mr Aldrich technich worked!

[fred cesquim]

There is some very sophisticated tooling to squeeze sleeves these days, google RayAracing. It's done with slotted collets on the OD then pressed into a tapered bore to squeeze. The OD is not effected because we're talking millionths of an inch.

I have hammered iron pistons to expand the crown. After pounding there is a bit of work to sand out the tight spots and lap it back to round but it works if you've got nothing else.

If you take a worn out Fox 35 put a 12-6 plastic prop on it and run it full lean on 25/25 until you think it's going to melt, the engine will pound it self out to a tight fit. Sometimes gotta' change the rod after that.

You try all kinds of crazy stuff on old junk when you're a kid, that's how you find out what's what.

MM

if you use specific tools for it, will work to some extent, but belive me, the guys here just goes to old Grandpa tool box, grap that rusty hammer and hit madly the por piston lol
then, swears that the engine is running like new!
 

[Fredvon4]

Haw this is a fun thread

I got no real opinion on stunt engines because I finally paid attention to most of you guys and focused on specific stock NIB or used engines

Yes I did get the one used OS FP 25 with a hole drilled and tapped under the mounting lug that is still a mystery as to why...but I ran it open and then closed it with J&B... ran fine either way.... a keeper and reliable engine for $40 so what the hell

In my mix of new and used good stunt engines are a few with drilled mounting lugs.... disclosed up front by the seller...I am OK with that ----but will not buy a broken lug or J&B in that area...

Before I knew better, I wanted to play big boy combat and failing to find a few Nelson N36c I bought a bunch of Fox MK IV/VI, ST 35, Torp Green Heads, Johnson CS...yadda yadda

The ST, Torps, and Johnson were arrived unmolested...

E-Bay Fox Combat MK IV or Vis are a different story...I tried to get Jim Welch to help me figure it all out

I have half dozen double bubble heads...each slightly different
Some are refitted to AAC....but then the previous owner applied HIS recipe to stuffing or porting mods

I have hours on the phone with Marvin Denny and he had his own recipe.. different for slow or fast combat....took it to the grave BTW....RIP Marvin

He did tell me to NEVER run Duke Fox's pumice powder in the new engines

The good news is EVERY e-bay or M Denny Fox I have....from factory stock to very wildly modified..... runs just fine, and I do not have the skills to test their power or speed or durability...

I do have one I know is highly a modified Fox MK VI with AAC and all sorts of mods that is one mean assed growling engine that is actually scary to run with a rev up 8x8.... on my test stand...gravity...15% Sig high castor

Bladder on 35%~40% would be insane...until the melt down

I may have three or four of my 75 total engines I will not mar up just for future resale by my heirs

BUT all other engines.... I will drill, and carve on, or paint as I see fit

If I ever sell one or more I will fully disclose the changes... just to make sure the potential new owner knows it all before sending me my paypal buy it now price.... NO Auction Fred

[Tim Wescott]

Caviat Emptor.

People ruin perfectly good engines so that the prices of good unruined used engines will be lower.  That lets those of us who buy engines with a critical eye pay less for perfectly good unruined engines.

Fortunately there are a lot of old engines on eBay that show very little wear, particularly RC engines -- I look for engines that are known good conversion subjects, and show no signs of being molested.

[Paul Smith]

While I don't condone mutilating engines, I have bought several engines in which the exhaust flange interferes with the bolt holes to the point where it is difficult or impossible to get a long bolt into the mounting hole.

I can see how a hammer mechanic might deal with this in his own way.

[Ted Fancher]

Caviat Emptor.

People ruin perfectly good engines so that the prices of good unruined used engines will be lower.  That lets those of us who buy engines with a critical eye pay less for perfectly good unruined engines.

Fortunately there are a lot of old engines on eBay that show very little wear, particularly RC engines -- I look for engines that are known good conversion subjects, and show no signs of being molested.

I'm sort of scratching my head wondering why anyone who considers an engine ruined would buy it for any price.  I'm confused.

[Carl Cisneros]

As far as disassembly is concerned, all I can relate to every one here does not have to do with Stunt Motors.
My experience with having to take motors apart for inspection dates back to the 70's and 80's when I started racing model
boats. Just about everyone that ran K&B, OPS, PICCO, Rossi, Super Tigre and the then NEW CMB motors had to take their motors apart due to
left over swarth from the machining process.  The first 3 motors were ABC and the ST and CMB's at that time were ringed motors.

This was just a thing that had to be done or else you were REALLY playing Russian Roulette.

As for the Stunt/Sport type Aircraft motors are concerned, all I can relate to is that with those, I did not ever take one apart to clean out the
machining swarth left over from the factory. I still have 7 of my original CL motors from that era and they all run very nice.

Just something to chew on and think about here is all.

[Ted Fancher]

Well Ted, ruined is like other words, it is left up one's imagination.   To me ruined means it is defaced, damaged,  or value reduced.   I have fixed or hired a machinist / welder to fix many ruined engines, making them at least usable. 

Ruined is not as bad as destroyed beyond repair. (To me)
 

One can, of course, make up one's own definition but there are sources for generally accepted definitions known as dictionaries. A quick Google search found a variety of such sources which supported my understanding that the word ruin(s) means: "The state of being physically destroyed, collapsed, or decayed." 

According to your personal definition I've pretty successfully competed with engines ruined (by myself) to be installed in aircraft which performed better with the ruined engine than with the pristine one for which it was initially constructed.  I've frequently found it quicker and easier to ruin an engine which improved the performance of the aircraft in which it was installed and did so much more quickly than destroying the original airplane and making a brand new one in which to install a "not ruined" engine...which may yet again be found wanting in the performance department. 

I've found that in the long run "ruining" a better matched motor is often more economical than throwing out the airplane in which it was installed and building a new one in hopes that they would be better suited to one another.  Ancient history, I know, but the airplane that won the Walker Cup in 1986, the Citation V, was originally built for a pristine out of the box Enya .46 4 stroke which was found wanting; was replaced by a ruined OS .40FSR which suffered from terminal schnerle disease; and finally with a ruined ST .46 (and a bunch of lead weight) with which it won the big one.  Subsequently it was re-engined yet again with a ruined OS .40/.46VF avec pipe with which it served well to teach its pilot about the wonders of sonic-ally boosted exhaust systems.

I guess my only point is that oftentimes there is value in "modifying" (not ruining) perfectly sound engines to improve the performance of an aircraft found wanting with its originally intended powerplant.  If done with a reasonable degree of care and workmanship  the resulting installation may be structurally sound and, with luck. make six months to a years worth of balsa labor in the shop a a more valuable investment of our rarest commodity, our time.

Just another way to look at it.

Ted

[Tim Wescott]

Well Ted, ruined is like other words, it is left up one's imagination.   To me ruined means it is defaced, damaged,  or value reduced.   I have fixed or hired a machinist / welder to fix many ruined engines, making them at least usable. 

Well, OK -- but why buy those engines in the first place?  I could see buying an engine like that, but only if I thought it had some parts that I needed.

[Eric Viglione]

Heh, if you really want to call the waaambulance, you should see what a typical Jimmy Casale's ST60's lugs looked like...

I bought one of his old engines many years ago, a special config ST60 with anodized blue head, done by our local southeast pro, I think its punched out to house 74 P&L w/st60 crank for a total displacement of somewhere in between... at any rate, you could get enough engine offset to satisfy a BiSlob with it, and they aren't just enlarged, they are, umm...trapezoidal? Ummm yeah, that's the ticket. LOL!

To be blunt, I could really care less what the engine lugs looked like, I was buying a piece of history. If I could have won half as many Nat's as he did against "The Paul" no less, as they traded it back and forth, I'd be on cloud 9.5.

When I buy an engine, I have 2 classes, runners, and collectors. I treat my PA's and runners well, feed them the best and use after run oil, and run an air filter, never run them over lean, and have yet to wear one out. But... I'm not afraid to do what needs to be done to get one into a plane. If you ever build one of Hunt's guppy planes to original spec, you will find out all about shaved mounts, etc. My collectors engines are for display, and oddly, I don't care if they run, just look original and pretty on the shelf, that's good enough for me.

To each his own and buyer beware, but don't be too hard on the previous owner if they were just trying to enjoy their purchase, it was their money, and theirs to do with as they pleased. It's up to the buyer to find out what he's buying and if he will be happy with it. There is plenty of fraud and bad descriptions on Da'Bay, and some unscrupulous characters that sell on there, and no, I don't agree with people who would lie to sell something, but if they tell you up front "enlarged lugs", and that bothers you, I would just dust off my feet and move on.
Caveat emptor!

EricV

[Tim Wescott]

The topic is, "Why do people ruin perfect engines."

How does, "don't buy it" answer that question?

Because as long as you're not causing harm to fellow humans or Really Bad harm to animals, it's not my place to tell you how to run your life, treat your property, or conduct your hobby.  Your "ruined" engine is clearly their "improved" engine -- you can tell that, because they went to the effort.  So why are you being judgmental about how they're conducting their hobby?  Do you want them to feel empowered to hang over your shoulder asking you why you're singularly failing to "improve" your engines by wallowing out the mounting holes, bending the cranks, and drilling random holes in the crankcase?  Because you're clearly not treating your engines right by their lights.

So instead of helping you to encourage the next guy to tell me what to do with my engines, we turn your question into "how can I not be distressed by people doing things to their engines that I would never do".  And the answer to that question is "don't buy those engines".

[Randy Cuberly]

Because as long as you're not causing harm to fellow humans or Really Bad harm to animals, it's not my place to tell you how to run your life, treat your property, or conduct your hobby.  Your "ruined" engine is clearly their "improved" engine -- you can tell that, because they went to the effort.  So why are you being judgmental about how they're conducting their hobby?  Do you want them to feel empowered to hang over your shoulder asking you why you're singularly failing to "improve" your engines by wallowing out the mounting holes, bending the cranks, and drilling random holes in the crankcase?  Because you're clearly not treating your engines right by their lights.

So instead of helping you to encourage the next guy to tell me what to do with my engines, we turn your question into "how can I not be distressed by people doing things to their engines that I would never do".  And the answer to that question is "don't buy those engines".

YES TIM!!!!

Perfect answer to a "Ruined" Question!!!  After all, it is a free country isn't it...Isn't it...ISN"T IT...Please tell me it is!!!

 

Randy (I can't stop applauding and laughing) Cuberly

[John Rist]

As long as the ruin is just ugly and not functional it should lower the price.  This is a good thing  

[Randy Cuberly]

As long as the ruin is just ugly and not functional it should lower the price.  This is a good thing  

UUUUhhhhhh...Maybe but some "modifications" definitely RAISE the price!

 

Randy Cuberly

[Ted Fancher]

I am confused guys.  Seriously.

The topic is, "Why do people ruin perfect engines."

How does, "don't buy it" answer that question?  If you are more interested in that than this topic, make a thread, "Why do people buy ruined engines?" 

How does, "It is their engine to do what they please with."  How does that answer the question? 

I appreciate the answer that it is better to grind out the bolt holes than plug maple motor mount beams with a dowel and drill new holes.   Yea, that makes sense.   

My opinion is that if your modeling skills are such that you have to grind out mount holes, grind the block down, strip out and break the head bolts, GOLF may be your sport.   Really.   

How about leaving a note to your wife, "Honey when I die throw away my hobby stuff because I thoroughly enjoyed destroying it to where it is best discarded.   And, believe it or not I have seen estate sales where it did fit that description.  Nobody wanted the guy's stuff.   

Anyway,  have at it.   Cheers. 

Okay, Rusty.  Upon review of my post the answer appears to be: I "ruined" a couple of engine(s) in order to win the Walker Cup with the best performing ruined one which pleased me very much.  To me that sentence sounds more than a little silly but it appears justified per your definition.  I suppose one could call an elephant an ant and thereby justify letting it step on his toes. You go first!

Re "plugging" the old holes and re-drilling for the next "try it and see if you like it better" pristine motor.  What if the "better unruined" motor turned out to be poorer
 than the one it replaced?

C'mon Rusty.  Motors are tools, not diamonds or Modigliani originals.  Like any tool, they may need to be adapted to a specific task.  Doing so is not "evil".

Ted

p.s.  I've also ruined golf clubs to make them more amenable to my "special" half pint needs!  The results have been about 50/50 so far!

[Randy Cuberly]

Yeah,
And I have a couple of ST46 engines that were "ruined by your definition" by a guy named Aldrich.  He had the gall to strip them down re-chrome and hone the sleeves and install a different piston ring.  By some miracle they seem to run waay better than a stock one, oh yeah they have the mounting holes dressed out to .156 also.  I also have a couple that have ABC pistons and sleeves made by another fellow named Brian.  Amazingly enough they run much better than a stock one also...uhh oh yeah they also have the mounting holes drilled out to .156.  Oh yeah I forgot all of the above also have new socket head cap screws installed in all the threaded holes.  They seem to work better also.

I have another one that was taken all apart and "blueprinted" by a fellow named Randy Smith and lovingly put back together with new bearings and other thangs that "ruined" it and ...yeah you guessed it runs much better than any stock one...Wonder of wonders!

And...I also have a OS35S with a re-chromed sleeve and of all things a rod from a ST35 installed, by that Aldrich fellow...by golly it also runs much better than a stock one, and I don't have to worry about the rod going away like a lot of the stock ones do!

"Ruined" engines all that seem to do their intended task much better than a stock one...imagine that!

Don't pay any attention to Ted...according to a lot of folks He could have won the Walker Cup with a wheel barrow....'course I don't believe that because I know the fellows he beat, and they could win with wheel barrows also!

I guess that's what makes all your noise about ruining engines seem a little tainted to all us folks who simply know better!

That said I have actually seen a bunch of ruined engines.  I have a bunch of combat engines destroyed in mid airs...and a couple of stunt engines that met the tarmac at about 60 mph that certainly fall into that category...I just move on when that happens.  No sense crying over spilled milk, or broken engines.

I also saw a post on here just a while ago from a fellow named Motorman that resurrected an old Enya 45 that looked like it had been used for a boat anchor.  He cleaned it up and actually had to drill some new holes and put different screws in some places and what do you know...it turned out to be a jewel...obviously ruined by your definition but I think he probably loves the thing...and if he doesn't I'll take it!!

Randy Cuberly

[George]

Can somebody tell me of a way to reduce the bolt holes back to normal.  Maybe a spacer of some sort?  Maybe I need to call the Incomparable and Great Jim Lee! 

Thanks.

You might try Alumiweld, but practice on something else before tackling an engine.

George