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Author Topic: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?  (Read 2316 times)

Offline frank mccune

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How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« on: May 24, 2015, 08:55:24 AM »
     Hi:

     The first answer would be not to use it! Lol I would like to keep my engine as pristine as possible without all of the burned on castor etc. that makes an engine look bad! We take great care to keep our airplanes looking great but what about the engines?  I have seen some used engines that had many flights on them that looked like a piece of charcoal.  I want to avoid this look if I may.

       I will also avoid the clothespin style of glow plug connecter to avoid scratching the cylinder head.

                                                                                                                       Tia,

                                                                                                                       Frank McCune
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Offline BillP

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2015, 10:03:47 AM »
I only clean mine when the castor is built up to the really dark and almost blackend stage. The only way I know to keep them new looking is to simmer in a crockpot with straight antifreeze overnight. Only a few hrs would be needed if the castor isn't cooked on badly. Otherwise you can soak or spray them with some type of cleaner but that doesn't automatically remove the crude between fins or in the nooks and crannies. I use wood toothpicks and old tooth brushes to help but it is tedious.

You can make a good cheap general cleaner for the field by mixing windshield washer fluid, a small portion of ammonia and a shot of liquid dish detergent in a spray bottle...your mileage may vary. I make two different strengths...one for the plane and a less powerful one for cleaning my hands. Since I only use high % castor fuel it really helps keep them clean. I learned this from other flyers about 25 yrs ago.
 

bp
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Bill P.

Offline Gerald Arana

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2015, 02:49:04 PM »
NO AMMONIA! It will turn your engine dark..........Don't ask me how I know.  ???

Running your engine on the lean side (hot) will turn it black, so always run it on the rich side. (Cooler)

That'd be my opinion boss.  ;D

Cheers, Jerry
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Offline jim gilmore

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2015, 03:07:05 PM »
Put it in a plastic baggie an put it back into the box.
Thus it will stay clean.
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Offline BillP

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2015, 07:56:53 PM »
Quote from: Gerald Arana on May 24, 2015, 02:49:04 PM
NO AMMONIA! It will turn your engine dark..........Don't ask me how I know.  ???

Running your engine on the lean side (hot) will turn it black, so always run it on the rich side. (Cooler)

That'd be my opinion boss.  ;D

Cheers, Jerry

Let me clarify...I've been using the homemade cleaner brew for about 25 yrs to clean airframes. It gets sprayed all over and I'm not careful about keeping it off the engines. Everything on the airplane gets wet but it is quickly wiped off and none of the engines have turned black from the diluted ammonia.  They look no different after yrs and yrs of using the stuff. The black is from old baked on castor which happens no matter how cool the engine runs. Over time it builds up, turns black and leaves a hard coating. Eventually it collects on the piston crown and affects performance. The only time I really cooked and engine it locked up in air and when landed was crackling like bacon frying in a pan. It didn't kill the engine (Fox 50RC) but turned the liner blue. The case didn't change color.
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Offline Akihiro Danjo

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2015, 12:44:45 AM »
Quote from: frank mccune on May 24, 2015, 08:55:24 AM
    We take great care to keep our airplanes looking great but what about the engines?  I have seen some used engines that had many flights on them that looked like a piece of charcoal.  I want to avoid this look if I may.                                                                  Frank McCune

It's so easy. Use all syn lube (or only 1-2% castrol) fuel. Here in Japan, many or most flyers use all syn fuel.

Aki
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Offline Chris Wilson

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2015, 02:31:48 AM »
Quote from: frank mccune on May 24, 2015, 08:55:24 AM
 
       I will also avoid the clothespin style of glow plug connecter to avoid scratching the cylinder head.

                                                                                                                      Tia,
                                                                                                                       Frank McCune
Use a remote plug attachment.
(And are you talking about diesels clean here?)
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Offline frank mccune

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2015, 05:09:15 AM »
     Hi:

     I was thinking about glow engines as my Diesels will get very little use due to the high cost of fuel.


                                                                                                                Frank
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Offline BillP

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2015, 08:32:48 AM »
Like mentioned above you can always change from castor to straight synthetic to keep them clean. I used to run a 50/50 synthetic/castor blend in my modern engines and it took longer for the engines to get ugly. My vintage engines have always been run on all castor.  I reverted back to castor for all my engines after a couple yrs of using synthetics. To each their own.   
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Offline FLOYD CARTER

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2015, 12:48:53 PM »
It's a curious situation: most Fox 35 engines have blackened stuff all over the cylinder head, while my OS35FP, OS40FP, and even LA46 all have at least a couple hours running, and the engine still looks like brand new!

What is it?  I run SIG 10-10-10 in nearly all my engines, even the RO-Jett, which is supposed to run on all-synthetic oil.

Maybe the Foxes have tiny leaks all over to let castor oil escape?
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Offline Chris Wilson

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2015, 08:04:01 PM »
Quote from: FLOYD CARTER on May 26, 2015, 12:48:53 PM
It's a curious situation: most Fox 35 engines have blackened stuff all over the cylinder head, while my OS35FP, OS40FP, and even LA46 all have at least a couple hours running, and the engine still looks like brand new!

What is it?  I run SIG 10-10-10 in nearly all my engines, even the RO-Jett, which is supposed to run on all-synthetic oil.

Maybe the Foxes have tiny leaks all over to let castor oil escape?

Maybe the Fox runs a higher oil percentage (you did say nearly all my engines) , has older iron liner - steel piston technology that wont release the heat as readily as ABC/ ABN or whatever and the Fox 35 has much less in the way of cooling fins.

So it runs externally hotter with more oil - certainly sounds like a recipe for blackening!
« Last Edit: May 26, 2015, 11:28:57 PM by Chris Wilson »
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MAAA AUS 73427

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Online Brett Buck

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2015, 10:38:49 PM »
Quote from: FLOYD CARTER on May 26, 2015, 12:48:53 PM
It's a curious situation: most Fox 35 engines have blackened stuff all over the cylinder head, while my OS35FP, OS40FP, and even LA46 all have at least a couple hours running, and the engine still looks like brand new!

What is it?  I run SIG 10-10-10 in nearly all my engines, even the RO-Jett, which is supposed to run on all-synthetic oil.

Maybe the Foxes have tiny leaks all over to let castor oil escape?

   They get absurdly hot, you can smell it baking on the cylinder. It's almost unique in model airplanes.

     Brett
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Offline FLOYD CARTER

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Re: How do I keep my new engine looklng new?
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2015, 10:35:05 AM »

   They get absurdly hot, you can smell it baking on the cylinder. It's almost unique in model airplanes.

     Brett

I guess that's the reason.  I gave up on fox engines many years ago.
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