Frozen cox .049 engines

[DanielGelinas]

Hello,

Pulled out my box of NEW cox engines last week to find most of them frozen. Would you suggest putting them in antifreeze in a crockpot for a few hours? Not sure if its a good idea for the plastic parts though??

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Frank Imbriaco]

Toaster oven at about 200 degrees for a half hour or so should free the piston. Turn prop over easy, don't force. If that doesn't work, put a few drops of trans fluid  in exhaust port and repeat; this time set the toaster oven a bit warmer.
Don't crock pot.

[Dan Berry]

A heat gun aimed at the cylinder for maybe a minute until you can get the shaft to move a bit (attach a wood prop)
Once it will wiggle a bit squirt some fuel into it to get it freed up.
Five minutes.

[Dan McEntee]

A heat gun aimed at the cylinder for maybe a minute until you can get the shaft to move a bit (attach a wood prop)
Once it will wiggle a bit squirt some fuel into it to get it freed up.
Five minutes.

     Yes , a monokote heat gun will get it hot enough to soften the dried castor residue, and can of ATF, PB-Blaster, #N! or something similar to to give it some lubrication so it will remain free. Don't use WD-40.Heat the cylinder while holding the prop, then use a glove or rag to hold the engine at the case while gently trying to turn the prop. Once it moves through a few rotations, add the oil into the exhaust opening and also a drop or two at the prop drive hub, then flip it through. If you run any of them, and then expect to store them for a long period of time, be sure to apply some more ATF, PN-Blaster again to keep it from freezing up again.
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[DanielGelinas]

Thanks for the hints guys! I tried the heat gun last week. I’ll give it another try.
Kind regards!
Dan

[Dan McEntee]

Thanks for the hints guys! I tried the heat gun last week. I’ll give it another try.
Kind regards!
Dan

  You need to get it hot enough that you can't hold the engine, and then keep it there while the heat "soaks" into all the metal and looses the dried castor. It's not an instant thing. Some are easier than others..
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Fred Cronenwett]

The speed guys who fly at Buder use a product called Brakleen Brake Parts cleaner when they clean out the F2A motors after each run. If I have a frozen glow engine, I squirt some this into the cylinder it loosens up very quickly. Then the speed guys use a mixture of 3:1 oil and kerosene as a lubricant in the engine after it's loosened up.

I had to go to autoparts store to find Brakleen (bright green can)

Fred

[frank mccune]

     Do not put plastic parts in a crock pot containing anti freeze!

[Dan McEntee]

     Do not put plastic parts in a crock pot containing anti freeze!

   YES !! The crock pot should be for only the most extremely cruddy and stuck larger engines. I have never seen the need to even think about crock potting a Cox engine. If some application from a heat gun won't free it up, look for something else. Even on a new engine. I bought a brand new TD.020 from a local shop years ago, and it would not turn over when I put a prop on it. It would move a little, them would stop hard and solid, but still did not seem like it was stick like an old neglected engine. I took the back off and was shocked to discover a chunk of what looked like a rod end lodged where it locked the engine up. Was easy to remove and then the engine ran fine. Mess with engines long enough and you can learn to "feel" what is wrong with an engine.
  Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee