I was just looking for some input here on this engine. I own 3 of them but this particular engine is showing definitive weird signs. The engine doesn't belong to me but a fellow club member. This engine just constantly runs away. I witnessed this for the entire season last year. It was brought out once again only to do the same things. The engine has been on different planes, several different tanks. Its been run on uniflow, muffler pressure, suction etc. We've added head gaskets, different props, different fuels. We've used the same fuel from different people on those days. It still goes haywire and just screams away. I posted a post sometime back about an engine I owned in which I stripped the screws out. I took another engine of the same size and used its head bolts. This is when I discovered that the two engines I had, Had different portings within the sleeves. This engine was the LA.4o. I was wondering if this may be the case with the LA .25's as well. I didn't get a chance to take a peek in this engine as I suggested that we don't dismantle it until we get the jap standard screwdriver. The LA in question for other than being run from last season is a new LA-s version. The case is the natural color whereas mine are slightly older being the blue versions. This engine exhibits runaway characteristics half way through the flight as if its heating up leaning out and running away. The engine has been run without the muffler and still exhibits similar conditions. I thought it may be the venturi gasket but its in tact and seemingly doing its job. The rear needle has been removed and where on the conventional OS version up front. I compared venturi size by eye and all seemed good compared to mine side by side. This engine is and for the most of us a plug and play engine with literally no problems. When hooked up with the Flite Streak its a good to go combo as long as you follow certain instructions. This has been done to the letter. Sealer has been applied to the backplate and Powermaster 5-22 was used including Brodak 10-23 but to no avail all attempts went south. The fuel tubings all have been replaced on several occasions. I'm curious to know if anyone else has been plagued with these similarities on just the LA .25. I myself had a problem recently when I had replaced the plastic backplate with a metal FP version. This caused severe problems but not initially. The FP backplate doesn't protrude into the case as far as the plastic version does at least on my engine it didn't. The rod would work its way off and would cause a bind which at times wouldn't allow the engine to turn over by hand. It would require the engine to be turned backwards a bit and I suppose the rod would jump back and the engine would turn again.  I did a side by side comparison with the plastic and it surely is a little larger. This engine though has just been a headache. The owner ,typically an electric flyer is almost to the point of keeping an all electric air force. We just can't have that. Were both open to any suggestive ideas. Ken