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Engine basics => Engine set up tips => Topic started by: Bill Johnson on June 05, 2015, 01:32:53 PM

Title: Swanson Fireball Glow Plugs
Post by: Bill Johnson on June 05, 2015, 01:32:53 PM

What's the consensus on Swanson Fireball HOT (#H30) R/C Glow Plug (LONG)s for use in stunt engines, primarily newer ones. They're about half the cost of TT, OS and all the other recommended brands. 

Title: Re: Swanson Fireball Glow Plugs
Post by: BillP on June 05, 2015, 02:27:00 PM

I first tried Fireball about 20 yrs ago in rc & cl and had very good results...and basically stopped using other brands since then.  I fly standard hots in cl. Before Fireballs I used mostly Fox and Thunderbolts. My flying is with 5% & 10% nitro, no lean mixtures, combat or pipe use.

Bill 

Title: Re: Swanson Fireball Glow Plugs
Post by: Bill Johnson on June 06, 2015, 11:17:45 AM

So no one else has any experience with these? The company states they've been making glow plugs for over 50 years and that, among other things, "These plugs perform equivalent to the O.S #8 in all 2 stroke and 4 stroke engines running low nitro (5-20%) glow fuel."

At $2.67 shipped (12 for $32), are they worth trying?

Title: Re: Swanson Fireball Glow Plugs
Post by: Bill Little on June 06, 2015, 11:47:44 AM

Hi Bill,

Yes the Fireball hot plugs are worth using.  I used them all the time until Randy Smith started selling me plugs for the PA engines.  I use them a lot in my "classic" engines.

BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM

Title: Re: Swanson Fireball Glow Plugs
Post by: Howard Rush on June 06, 2015, 11:58:16 AM

The seals used to leak.  We used to go to a lot of bother putting high-temperature glue on them to get them to work. 

Title: Re: Swanson Fireball Glow Plugs
Post by: Greg McCoy on June 06, 2015, 01:05:40 PM

Quote from: Howard Rush on June 06, 2015, 11:58:16 AM

The seals used to leak.  We used to go to a lot of bother putting high-temperature glue on them to get them to work. 

I recall it was BR-22 adhesive. Two part, a powder and a liquid. Fireball cools, for combat. Put a dab around the seal and bake them in Mom's oven.

http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheet/vishay/br22.pdf

Title: Re: Swanson Fireball Glow Plugs
Post by: Bill Johnson on June 06, 2015, 02:06:49 PM

Thanks, gents.

I'm crashing at a pretty regular rate, which I expected, but the last one I thought I could at least salvage the glow plug but my T Bolt plug filament is warped from the impact and I don't trust it.  HB~>

I decided that while I'm destroying aircraft at a regular rate, I'll save the expensive plugs.

Title: Re: Swanson Fireball Glow Plugs
Post by: Carl Cisneros on June 06, 2015, 08:51:23 PM

I started using the Fireball hot plugs again when I came back to CL flying last year and to me they are
a very good plug.
And lets face it, you can't beat the price either. ~> ~>

I say, go for it.

Title: Re: Swanson Fireball Glow Plugs
Post by: George Hostler on June 06, 2015, 09:01:20 PM

I've been using the standard (CL/FF) non-idle bar plugs for a while, red hot bot long and short, and they have worked for me. However, I have found at least those, which I purchased 15 years ago will work for a while then go sour. They might be 20+ YO stock. Seems once they get coated with Castor, lose some of their catalytic action. Might be that the catalytic metals have degraded in them.

I've heard that their new ones are good, although I haven't tried them. Have a card of a dozen medium yellow idle bar long I bought not long ago, yet to try. Might give them a shot next time I fly.