Well, I THINK this brass bushing needs to be rotated 180 degrees. Any advice?

I did the oven thing. Sure enough the bushing started coming out but mechanically, once I got it half way I had to pull from the other side and it was pretty thin and delicate so I put it back and I'm going to use a Dremel to cut the bushing the way I need it. Hopefully I'll succeed since there's no parts to replace it if I don't.

It has some resemblance to a O&R ignition front housing. Can't tell from the pics provided....

The "window" in the bushing is likely for the cam follower for the points.

   Ohlsson 60 sideport, maybe.   It is a bit difficult to see how it could get rotated to the wrong spot.

    Brett

It's a fleetwind 60. In all probability I'm doing everything wrong and destroying the engine. However, I grinded the opening larger to get the timing at the right point in the stroke. Can't figure out how it used to work with the timing where it is. Maybe it didn't. Thursday I'll get a few minutes to remount it on the test stand and see if I'm a huge fool or actually figured out something. The jury is still out till then.

Maybe like this?

Hi Dave, exactly like mine. No, I put it back together and can move the timing further, but still the same rpoblem. It pops, it smokes, it even flames, but it never runs. I think I'll switch back to gasoline. I'm running the fuel Floyd recommended, but as I recall, I had my biggest success, maybe five second runs, when I was using gasoline. I'll try it tomorrow and by flying by Sunday.

This is an interesting discussion.  I'm going through an estate with a lot of 1930s and 1940s items, learning just a little about the points, coils, condensers, battery holders to get everything together to fly ignition.  Probably about fifty or one hundred ignition engines I'm offering.  If i'm not too busy with flying stunt, this year's Brodak's may be good to get an ignition demo.  I'm interested in learning the practical aspects, such as how to engage the battery, how to set the timing, etc.  Some automotive and motorcycle experience probably applies.

While the evolution of free flight designs 1930s/1940s is interesting, the period 1948-1952 was when quite a bit of the development of model engine and control line aircraft occurred.  While I was directly involved with a hobby shop in the 1972-1978 era, I have to imagine that sales were strong in the 1948-1952 era.

An offering:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/325048610544

Steve,

Without the advantage of holding one of these Fleetwood Mac 60's in my hand, I do not understand your comment that "...the rear rotor/drum might not be assembled correctly, thus shifting the cam."  The points are at the front of the engine, and I assume, perhaps dangerously, that the ignition cam is machined into the crankshaft. So if there actually is a timing issue, it would stem from the cam follower making contact from a different position clockwise than it was designed. Thus, any aftermarket points or ignition module would need to be positioned to get the engine back in time.

If it had only popped and burped a few times, then I'd think that the timing was completely hosed. Back in the thread a ways it seems that it ran for variously 5 seconds or 20 seconds or...? If it was continuously firing, then simple timing isn't the whole story here. At least, that's what those symptoms suggest to me.

Dave

Steve,

Without the advantage of holding one of these Fleetwood Mac 60's in my hand, I do not understand your comment that "...the rear rotor/drum might not be assembled correctly, thus shifting the cam."  The points are at the front of the engine, and I assume, perhaps dangerously, that the ignition cam is machined into the crankshaft. So if there actually is a timing issue, it would stem from the cam follower making contact from a different position clockwise than it was designed. Thus, any aftermarket points or ignition module would need to be positioned to get the engine back in time.

If it had only popped and burped a few times, then I'd think that the timing was completely hosed. Back in the thread a ways it seems that it ran for variously 5 seconds or 20 seconds or...? If it was continuously firing, then simple timing isn't the whole story here. At least, that's what those symptoms suggest to me.

Dave

You're right about the points being on the front! I blew it, my forgetter failed me between the top and bottom of the thread. I'm not into spark ignition engines, but did get my fingers thoroughly smashed (not bloody) while flipping a Super Cyclone with a worn-out main bearing. Hurt like the blazes. That can make the timing bounce around and work awful.  Steve