Please tell me the Fox .35 needle looks like this

After the 40th anniversary engine, the needles were tapered. The replacements that were offered no longer had the flat ground into the taper. I prefer your version due to the replacements barely hanging on by a thread or two when adjusted.It all depends on the version of spraybar.

Confession time.

I always thought Fox a second rate engine. Not as nicely finished as the Japanese engines and other offerings. Even the McCoy's were more impressive. But, knocking the the dust off this one revealed a well finished engine that turns over with authority and draws and expels air like right now. Talk about POP.

I have a sealed quart of Brodak 5%/29% that I have been hoarding for an engine like this.

Bob

Bob, the Fox is a great engine in terms of plug and play. I find them to be darn near indestructible assuming one doesn't crash it.However, I've found that also to be a part of the break in process which makes them run even better once it's all loosened up. It's light, about the same weight as the Mccoy redhead. I just never found the red heads to be durable enough in terms of running them hard, they just wear out. The Fox typically overheats and seizes, once cooled off it's game on. The redhead gets thrown out. I like the redhead in terms of the run it offers. From combat to racing to stunt I have used the Fox.35 in all aspects of the hobby. The Fox .35 probably sees more use than any other engine I own. I have some real runners not to mention the ABC versions which I enjoy equally. One thing I honestly enjoy is when we have contests like Foxberg racing where everyone is using the Fox.35. At one of our picnics we had 13 of them all up in the same circle. It was going real well until one of the pilots engine quit. He landed and the guys got him restarted and then the carnage. He took off practically vertical into all of us which turned many of us into lawn darts ending the fun. It sounded pretty cool when they were all running.

I would have like to been there for that Foxberg event Ken. Must have been a sight.

I forgot, I do have two other Fox engines. .15's. One R/C the other C/L which I believe is a fully qualified "Hurler". I can't find the R/C version but it's around somewhere.

The .15 CL you have is a steel fin, not the hurler. The RC version you have is what is considered the hurler, but real fox guys won’t hurl it. Looks like the backplate is on backward on the steel fin.

Ron

Bob, the .15X as Fox referred to it is a good running engine. They're light and offer a lot of punch for a small engine. It seems as though users had a difficult time starting them. I firmly believe this is due to the overly thick head gasket Duke installed in them. This was to facilitate easier starting when new. I have a whole bag of these thick shims. Looking at my engine and noting yours in the picture, it appears to me that your engine might still have this thick shim. This lowered the compression too much causing real difficulty in starting once the engine had some runs on it. Pictures are hard to tell but it certainly looks to me that your head is jacked up higher  than mine. I have the identical engine to yours and my space is probably half of what yours is. This in my opinion is to why modelers would rather throw them .

            The steelfin .15 was known as the Rocket, it doesn't offer the same power and running characteristics of the .15X. I like the steelfin but one has to recognize it's limitations. I fly them on slightly shorter lines. A Ringmaster Jr. is a good candidate.

FWIW Robert, My old Fox .29 Stunt and .35 Stunt engines have that same needle with the two opposing flats in the taper.. although the .29's is a shorter taper than the .35's.




I can tell you that the .35 was my Grandfathers.. and likely has the original needle.

The .29 however; was purchased by me in the early 1990's.. for $5.. seized.. in a paper bag.. from a fella that "used to" run a hobby-shop in the early 1980's in my home-town of Franklin, MA. Franklin Hobby Center/David Savadyjga owner. He told me that the engine was seized and its' needle was broken-off.. but I bought it anyway. It looked like it had never been run or mounted in a model. Soon after, I was told by "Dave Cook" of N.E.S.T. that the .29 engine was pretty much equal in performance to the same vintage .35 engine. I was somehow referred to a hobby-shop in Central Falls, RI owned by a "Louis Peters" who might have a replacement needle for the Fox .29 Stunt engine. I drove there.. only to find out that the shop was only open on "Thursdays".. from 4-8pm. I later learned that Mr. Peters was in poor health.. and not a young man.. by any means. The following Thursday, I drove to Central Falls again around 4pm. and waited. Soon after 4 o'clock a car pulled up and dropped off its' passenger. It was Mr. Peters. He made his way slowly to the shop's door and unlocked it. I went in a few minutes later. His shop was well-seasoned.. with disorganized hobby-stuff EVERYWHERE. Thinking back; I wish I had taken photos of it. Mr. Peters had a Fox replacement needle for the .29.. and he also sold me a spool of Pylon .004" x35' x2 C/L solid-lines.. of which I still have.. unused. The below photo is of the Fox replacement needle.. and that spool of Pylon line.



I store the Pylon line-spool in a plastic bag with a desicant-pack enclosed.

Regarding the Fox .29 Stunt engine.. It was merely castor-seized.. and has loads of compression.. and "pops" like you mentioned of your recent Fox .35! My Gramps's Fox .35 Stunt is just as sweet.. and complete! Both of my engines are RTR....

Robert.. I feel that you would appreciate the following information that I have on this man; "Louis Peters". He was instrumental in our hobby. The "RCM" (Radio Control Modeller's magazine) lists Mr. Peters as holding the Rhode Island AMA charter.



I have no idea when Mr. Peters first became involved in our hobby.. but I feel "Lucky" to have met the man.

Yes, and the Fox .19 and .25 that had the two needle valve set up, if one wanted. Both of mine, the .19 and .25, have the same Fox .35 stunt spade needle and spray bar. those two were smaller stunt engines.

The 3 bolt backplate Fox .25 ( Mini stunt .35) is not a common one. I have the .19 myself, a bit underpowered for my style but neat nonetheless. I always wanted to replicate the Don Stills Stuka using the old .25.

Thanks all.

Great story roddie.

My eyes just see one beveled side on the Fox needle, but will get out the magnifying glass and check for sure.

These old Foxes keep coming out of the wood work. While looking for something else this .35 surfaced missing the needle and prop drive/prop washers. Otherwise identical to the other one. Checked ebay for a prop drive washer and I can only find ones for the .45 a clogged washer that I doubt would substitute.

Bob, Mecoa purchased the leftover parts and offers the prop driver.
more info, It's $15 and change. As cheap as most control line guys are, He will have these for a eternity

Part Number: 20f-3509
Old Part Number: 13509 35220
Stock Status: GOOD

Ken Cook wrote:Bob, Mecoa purchased the leftover parts and offers the prop driver.
more info, It's $15 and change. As cheap as most control line guys are, He will have these for a eternity

Part Number: 20f-3509
Old Part Number: 13509 35220
Stock Status: GOOD

.. Yes.. I fit that description.. and I'm not ashamed to admit it. If I had the means, I'd be machining some hard to find replacement parts for model engines.. and asking a fair price for them. In this/our time of 3D printing and CNC repeatability.. parts can be fabricated/machined with much less fuss.. and with greater accuracy. A hobbyist shouldn't have to pay an "arm and a leg" for a replacement-part for their vintage engine(s).

Ken Cook wrote:Bob, Mecoa purchased the leftover parts and offers the prop driver.
more info, It's $15 and change. As cheap as most control line guys are, He will have these for a eternity

Part Number: 20f-3509
Old Part Number: 13509 35220
Stock Status: GOOD

Nothing to grizzle about at that price.  $15.80.  You fellas have it good.  That's gonna end up near $40 AUD incl. shipping if I wanted one.  All their parts look reasonably priced for something you can't get elsewhere.

Just buy one if you need one.  Some of you probably spend that on coffee in a day.  Smokers most certainly burn more than that a day.

For all the complaints that I hear about MECOA, and I acknowledge their shortfalls in the way they sometimes do business, at least they have otherwise unobtainable parts that we need, and at a reasonable price.  By buying out dying companies such as Fox engines they have at lease saved a heap of parts from going in the trash. If I need something they have, I'm happy to deal with them. Several orders already and never a problem for me.

Rod.

Thanks Ken and all

It only cost me $34.65 to bring this $25/$35 engine back to life. Prop drive washer, prop washer, prop nut, needle. I could have done without the prop washer and nut, but so what, I will have a lot of fun with it. Maybe get them both running at the same time and do a tach race.

In my dreams I see a P-38 or B-25 being powered by them.

I never watch TV in the morning but I watched the D-Day Ceremonies in France this morning. Moving and impressive.

Bob

I love the Fox's even with the stock needles if they are in good shape they run fine, but the replacement needles are more expensive than a complete Super Tigre type aftermarket needle assembly so gradually my fox collection is being switched over to RSM ST needle valves, The 35's I file the sides down on till they mic the same as the fox OD in the throat area. The 15 needle I don't like and I think I think I have only had one good one out of 6, the spring doesn't allow it to hold a needle setting but the od matches the ST valve so you don't have to file it. A good glow plug and a ST type needle valve and you won't want to hurl a Fox 15 again. Next winter i'm going to experiment with milling out some tongue mufflers to try on the 15's as they are pretty darn loud. T.J.

Ken Cook wrote:          After the 40th anniversary engine, the needles were tapered. The replacements that were offered no longer had the flat ground into the taper. I prefer your version due to the replacements barely hanging on by a thread or two when adjusted.It all depends on the version of spraybar.

I understood that the flat needle was the "new improved" model. The older tapered ones would wobble from too much play giving erratic settings, and the ones with the flat would stay centred somewhat better.

The flat ground version was the early version, the tapered ( No flat ground on the taper) was and still is the replacement. The newer fits the older. The problem was with the indexing on the spraybar and or the needle which only has it into the spraybar by only 2-3 threads to achieve a needle setting. The thread size is 3-48 which is a bastard size to begin with. A Fox needle in general offers a erratic setting. The threads are poorly finished, the spraybars can also themselves be oversized. It's Fox, Duke was frugal. It's a necessity to find the proper length piece of fuel tubing and install it over the threads. You can't even properly choke some of them with your finger for a prime due to air leaking around the needle.  Bob shows the other Fox .35 which is the older 50's with the wide bypass. That spraybar I believe was a single hole spraybar which in my opinion was better.

Ken Cook wrote:          After the 40th anniversary engine, the needles were tapered. The replacements that were offered no longer had the flat ground into the taper. I prefer your version due to the replacements barely hanging on by a thread or two when adjusted.It all depends on the version of spraybar.

Ken where can I find dates for my fox engines?
If I took pictures of them all and posted would you be able to tell ?

If you posted a picture, I can pretty much place a timeline on the engine. Bill Mohrbacher who's no longer with us did a great chronological order of Fox .35's. I might be able to post Bill's findings.

That would be very helpful and appreciated thanks. I will get on that. I hope it’s not to complicated to post pictures

Did they go through?