Engine projects

So during a tidy up of the workshop I found some boxes with some forgotten engines in need of attention, a couple had some work done on them but got left to one side because the old Myford needed a rebuild first, now that’s done (a project in itself !) and not having any where to fly, I think it’s time to mangle metal !

first up is the Merco that I wanted to give a the look of a old "sparky" engine

Well the merco was a straight forward job to do as I started with a complete engine, the next one however, was not. It came to me from a club mate’s estate, he had told me it was a Rossi 61, however I think it’s a 45 heli/DF engine. After striping and (a lot of ) cleaning, the bearings replaced, I had to make a cylinder head and prop driver with its split taper collar.

ready to go together

ready to run ! that's the original head next to it.

So with those two finished and the ASP120 2st rebuilt with new bearings, I can turn my attention to this little lot I got off the bay this week.

looks o.k here 5 engines in total ?

Looks like it could be a bit of a gamble, just a hint of bodging going on there !

So starting with the one in the lower left of the picture, that looks to be a mid ‘70s model before it was phased out in favour of the FS model that it ran along side with for a time. After striping it down and cleaning, time to get that flange off

DOH !! some people should have their tools locked away ! Well luckily there is a undamaged case for this model on the right of the picture,this is when experience and a good eye help when buying a job lot of bits like this.

So overall the rest of the engine is in very good shape , I had to swap the (correct) front case from the blue engine ,then a good polish and.....................

And so onto the next one!.

Looks like you're enjoying yourself there Jeff, will you be building models around these, or is it purely the love of the engines ?

John

Nice work there Jeff. Is that a Perry carb I see on that HP.61? Ooooh, touchy........... at least they always used to be.

For a while I think RJL Industries produced the HP.61, but I've no idea if they still do.

Edited By Percy Verance on 25/03/2016 11:37:24

I like this thread ! HP engines were/are brilliant , and the Perry carbs were superb, I have quite a lot from people who could not get on with them , They needed a packet of patience included in the box , but once set

cheers

It was the HP 61 Gold Cup and OPS Power pipe and the ED square carb that provided a powerfull combination in its hay day for me.

Thanks for the interest, John to be honest since losing our flying site a couple of years ago, the ME side of things has started to take more of my time, I’m still building planes but there’s no rush to finish them.

Percy, 5 engines 2 carbs! This was the only one I had that fitted.

Pete, yep, got a soft spot (between my ears) for HP’s

Bert,I think the black and gold finish gave it the extra power

next will be the Mk 1 that's in the middle.

I like the modded exhaust ports Jeff. What's the plan here, a tuned pipe perhaps?

Really?? I have no idea what was in the mind of the person who inflicted such engineering muppetry on these fine engines, general rule of thumb, modify the silencer/manifold to fit the engine, not the other way round!!.

So once it’s dismantled, on too the lathe and mill off the flange.

Yes, I know I'm climb milling

Excellent thread.

Hey Ed. How about an engine restoration feature (or 2) in the mag ? I know Brian Winch takes new engines to bits, but something about restoring old "club size" engines might be interesting.

Kevinb.

I like to think of these as working restorations rather than trying to return them to "as new from the factory " as I would then need a bead blasting cabinet and a means to anodise bits,but not on my pocket money !

Did I mention I like HP engines ?

Hi again Jeff

I remember the 1.20 twin being marketed, and wondering at the time who might buy one. It all happened at a time when there were very few (if any) two strokes over 10cc.

I seem to recall there was a limit of 10cc capacity on comp aerobatic usage back then?

I had an HP .40 at the time, complete with the open silencer. Big on power (and noise!). An awesome engine.

Hi Percy, I think they were more aimed at the collector as it’s far from a practical power unit for aircraft being long, heavy and a bit rev happy, I think I remember seeing a picture in a mag of one fitted in a large “flattie” boat with twin tuned pipes, must have been an impressive sight going flat out across the water.

Ah yes, the open front no loss (apart from your flying field) silencer, brilliant.Not the  best of ideas

Well in the end I had to do very little to engine No 4, just an external clean and I swapped over cylinder heads, putting the one with missing fins on it as this will be my “user “.The only thing I needed was a carb so looking in my “it might come in handy” box I found an old Irvine job.

A bit of work on the lathe

Not bad ,4 HP 61 's total cost £53 !

Next I will be doing something with these

Edited By jeff2wings on 29/03/2016 21:42:01

What a pleasure to troll through this post. I'm a big fan of the HP's too and still use both my .40 and 61 Gold cups.

Many thanks for rekindling my interest in 2 stroke IC (now where did I put my box of MVVS's!)

I too remember those venturi 'silencers'. The one that came with the HP61 that I had was fitted from new with a domed cap at the front making it quite a reasonable silencer for the day. Right up until the cap came loose and it reverted to being a performance boosting open front venturi - what a racket! As I recall, airflow through the silencer caused a negative pressure assisting with exhaust scavenging and allowing higher revs - making them popular with the racing crowd until the noise complaints started.

As for the Meteor in the photo, I still have my old 40, and the P&R silencer I used with it after the silencer bolt holes stripped in the cylinder. The bearings and compression were still good the last time I looked at it.

...and I have a Meteor 60 which I picked up for a song. Runs well, Super Tigre silencer.

Bob, this was a short lived (thankfully)fad in the early 70’s as a result of I think of the FAI requiring pylon racers to fit silencers resulting in this “work around” interesting to note that OS and Enya never offered this type for their engines. The Meteor 40 is on my hit list!

David, Meteors were a good alternative to the Merco and were used to good effect by Terry Cooper in his bulldog and super bulldog aerobatic models, although I think he used a Kavan pressure injection carb and pipe to make it go

So as I have some Meteors in my collection I fancy doing a “special”just for fun

more anon...............................