So, I've got this engine problem

If it where mine, I would remove all heat damageable plastic parts etc. And heat in car engine oil and see if that tree's of stuck stuff any.

I have used this method many times to free off stuck stuff before, not only model engines but mechanical components for cars, bikes, marine engines etc. etc.

This " whole unit heating" will help in castor goooo softening and removal and help in c/case rear cover removal I think.

Some crank rotation is good, so maybe piston is stuck, hope con rod is not broken.

Have you ever heard this engine running at all ?

Hope it didn't sieze solid whilst running !

I also find that modern UK petrol is good at cleaning castor gooo'd up engines, but the baked on gum from some non castor fuels is really difficult to remove. Really difficult to remove.

Take your time, steady as you go, a a few " please God" 's.....

IF you have soaked the whole engine in Berrymans and heated it to smoking and haven't got any piston movement...that's a tough old bird. I've had similar stuck Testors engines. Injected PB Parts Blaster in the top and let sit a day, turnover and fill the bottom of the crankcase with PB flip it over so the penetrating fliud gets in the bypass port alongside the piston.Let it set overnight. With the glowhead removed I used a hardwood dowel sized to fit the center of the piston and gently tapped until the piston broke free. In your case with the Spitzy if you can't get the anodized head off maybe try a bamboo chopstick thru the glowplug hole.

EDIT: For future reference. The Piston at Bottom. bamboo stick reads .75" to top of head. Just so ya don't try tapping it down any further if it's stuck!!  


Glad to see you went ahead hard on that castor goo!

Well I got the backplate off.  Caveman style, when all else fails, last resort.........torch it.  

You can't cloth buffer it in the vice, torch would ignite. Wood blocks, forget it!  Vice it up vertical best position, Cox wrench in the slots, max heat and downward force, and hope.  Thankfully, no damage, not even a scratch.  






It's not the connecting rod, or the crank which spins 360 degrees.  Burned fingers and hands I got upward movement of the piston, but just a little, enough to cover the exhaust ports and full stop.  This cylinder is max goo.  I filled the bottom end with light oil, let is soak and cool then try the torch again.  

Rather than putting a strain on the con rod, I think I will heat the cylinder and using a wooden dowel tap the piston down and remove it from the bottom, then more Berrymans soak and a bore brush.  Less intrusive measures first.  

Stay tuned.........

Ah, Rene we were typing at the same time.  We read each others mind. Scary right...........

BTW, either this is a domed piston or there is a bunch of castor buildup on one side (viewed through the exhaust ports) on the top of the piston.

getback wrote:Isn't that the con. rod there in soak? That is a tough one must have been running on pure castor mix ? I had about 19 of them at one time and Had to get rid of most of them hate it now and then too . O well

19 of them Eric.............. You're going all rsv on me.   Yes on the connecting rod.

It is a domed piston and the cylinder is full of castor goo.  I'm going to have to remove the crank and tap it out the bottom.  But right now all those parts are soaking in Berrymans.  

I heated and removed the anodized head, short soak for that.  If your careful the torch works better than a heat gun, you can direct the heat right where you want it, and you don't get the smoke that you get with the gun.  Five second torch application vice 30 seconds + with the gun.  

Best friends.

When you stop being careful, good things happen.

After the Berryman's soak I just muscled it apart. Badly scored piston. I was hoping that I could reset the connecting rod but it's keeper is too far gone. I have a couple of parts Spitzy's that will contribute.

I could have removed the crankshaft, but that was the only proper working part of the engine so I left it. Heat gun and a dowel removed the piston through the bottom but it wasn't easy. Oiled bore brush cleaned up the cylinder to very good. Saveable.

You are kinder and gentler that I am. The last one that gave trouble got hack sawed!!
What round for McCoy .19?

crankbndr wrote:You are kinder and gentler that I am. The last one that gave trouble got hack sawed!!
What round for McCoy .19?

How about a "Mc" Knight 52 cal muzzle loader.  



Goodness CB, a hacksaw!  You even twisted that poor little con-rod.  

Got a little help coming for the pistonless Baby Spit.  Hopefully the piston is ok.  Parts engine.  Might not have to use one of my good ones.




There is an anodized version on ebay now for $175.00.  Dreamer.  Nice engine, but...........

From Kazakhstan

Simple temporary solution, just swap parts. When I get the parts engine in and replace the damaged piston/con rod I will just swap them back.

Done for now and flyable. Wierd prop nut #4 but thread is not forty. Infant prop stays on for now but it will find it's way to a K&B Infant and be replaced by a W/M prop. No need for the PO's adhesive medical tape. The broken tail stud is fixed.

That cleaned up nicely, Bob.

GallopingGhostler wrote:That cleaned up nicely, Bob.

Thanks, not too bad.  But it's what inside that hurts.  

Somehow.....

Finally got the parts Spitzy in but no wrench to remove the negative hex head case back plate. Points were worn on the hex, somebody tried to get in there before. Nothing to lose I used a 5/16" bolt with jam nuts, heated the case and it unscrewed pretty easy. Big improvement over the notched head covers.



Looks like a good conrod/piston too. Might save the original gold head engine yet.




I have never seen a Spitzy/Royal Spitfire wrench yet. Maybe they intended you to use the 5/16 but on tank equipped engines you would have to drill a hole in the head.

Bob, excuse me for questioning your knowledge of these engines, but I don't believe that the head is anodised gold, but is actually solid brass. I had my suspicions, but the link Eric gave us has confirmed that they, at least some, have brass heads. Maybe a bit of unnecessary care taken in the clean-up when trying to avoid damaging the anodising.

Rod

Thanks Eric, I have that site logged in my favorite places.  It's an excellent referance.

and Rod yes.  I'm afraid these mental lapses are going to creep into my posts as I get older.  I'm finding that 85 isn't 75 or even 80.

I made the piston/con rod swap. Fit fine. Flipped it over a couple of times. Put the back cover on flipped it some more and it hung up. Ok, so the connecting rod came off the pin. Took it apart again and found the other half of the broken keeper jamming up the works. (end of magnet)

Fine now with good compression. Now I have to press out and swap the NVA.