MP JET .061

That's my plan Rusty. All my engines must find a use on the front end of something. Snazzy little engine you got there.

Ron

gregorie.org has a nice description of several small engines including some of the MP Jets

http://www.gregorie.ukfsn.org/

I think I got it this time.

http://oea.modelenginenews.org/pricelist_2012-07.pdf

Here is another source for current production MP Jet stuff

I just won a NIB MP Jet F1J factory tuned race special on ebay for less than the current stock production engines are going for. Woo Hoo!

I had my eye on that Bob. Good luck with it and I'm sure its going to a good home. Ken

fit90 wrote:I just won a NIB MP Jet F1J factory tuned race special on ebay for less than the current stock production engines are going for. Woo Hoo!

Okay when you mount that on a plane, I want to see a video of you keeping up with it. Or if you fly it CL and get mummified by the lines, I'll want to see that too.

I have a pair of sunglasses with a dvr in them that I am trying to figure out. I also have a fob type dvr that I am still trying to figure out. When I figure out how to use them I hope to mount one on a plane and use both to record the same flight. Right now the "on line" instructions aren't much help. If I ever get them going it should be interesting, probably comical.

Bob

I bought some castor oil and alcohol to make the recommended break-in fuel for my .061 PB(plain bearing). The alcohol is Klean Strip S-L-X denatured alcohol, which I saw lots of people at RCU using for fuel and working well. But I read the MSDS and it's half methanol and half ethanol. So I decided to look for Heet(methanol fuel line antifreeze and water absorber) at Lowes today, but it's seasonal and none in stock. I might try Advance Auto Parts.

If I was using it for an already run-in engine I wouldn't be concerned. I suppose 50% methanol will keep the glow plug lit. So, what do y'all think, will the 50/50 methanol/ethanol be okay, or should I return it and keep looking? The ethanol shouldn't cause any harm, but I doubt if it reacts at all with the platinum alloy glow element. Besides that, it will be further diluted as the total solution will contain 25% castor oil. I bought drugstore castor oil, which I normally use to supplement Golwplugboy Rocket Power 24 nitro fuel, but in this case it will be the main component. There are mixed opinions at RCG about drugstore castor, and I haven't looked it up at RCU yet.

Anyway, a slow night at the forum, so here's something to think about. I'm open to suggestions.
Rusty

Rusty, are you suggesting mixing your own fuel to break this engine in? Ken

Ken Cook wrote: Rusty, are you suggesting mixing your own fuel to break this engine in? Ken

Actually the MP Jet instructions are adamant about it. 0% nitromethane/25% castor oil. After break-in, nitro fuel from 20% on up is recommended.

I often run in engines on 0% nitro (due to the lower cost of the fuel) I but don't think that it is absolutely necessary to run it in on 0% nitro, 5-10% will be fine for the engine. Just make sure that you have several heads shims, they used to come with at least 3-4, but check that they are all installed (or add extra) and you should be able to run with up to 10% nitro without any problem. 25% castor is always good though. The engines can be really tight when new so use a heat gun to relieve some of the pinch (it works although these engines are iron/steel and not ABC)

When you go to 0% nitro (in any engine) it will have to be set leaner to run properly. That seems to happen even if you compensate with a reduced number of head shims. That is why engines tend to run hotter on 0% nitro compared to some nitro in the fuel. So for inexperienced users (not you) I think 0% nitro could actually be a little harder on the engine for running in.

Gkamysz at RCG said the ethanol in the S-L-X does react with the glow element. Others agree, but say it's less reactive than methanol. Gkamysz goes on to say the ethanol in the mix will result in a leaner needle setting which in turn causes less oil in the engine.

All of that seems ambiguous. If the ethanol reacts less, it seems to me that the needle would have to be richer in order to supply enough methanol from the 50/50 mixture to keep the plug lit, resulting in higher oil flow.

The ambiguity alone answers my question.
I'm going to return the S-L-X and find Heet or some other source of pure meth... anol.


EDIT: Here's the stuff: http://www.deltaindustrial.com/MSDS/FuelsLubesAntifreeze/HeetAntifreeze.pdf
Heet fuel line antifreeze and water remover (Not the fuel injector treatment).

Rusty,

Out of pure laziness I have broken in several MP Jets on Sig Champion 25%. It was what I had so it was what I used. I did add between one and two ounces of castor to each new quart of fuel, though. None of my engines have a lot of running time so I can not comment on the long term affects of using this fuel. However, none of the engines have shown any problems in their first hour or so of running.

While using this fuel for break in then engines were initially hard to start, not quite as bad as the Norvel, and then required a several ounce break in with better running with each tank of fuel. The plain bearing model is a very versatile little engine. It is comfortable spinning up pretty fast and also turning props up to and including lightly loaded seven inch diameter props.

Good luck and enjoy it,

Bob

Thanks Bob. Since my flight surgeon "advises" me not to fly(as I had planned to do this morning), at least I have my shop projects to keep me busy.
She's right , I'm making my stitches sore just tinkering anyway. I was all set to fly though. I had my Li'l Satan and Kom-Bat ready to go. A nice and simple excursion, just playing around was all I had in mind. I get the stitches out Thursday, hopefully.

I recently underwent some shoulder surgery. No fun at all and the physical therapy just doesn't get any easier it seems. I tried to get out and do things that I enjoy as was instructed. Certainly, I should've worked my way back into things and of course I wrecked my Oriental coming from a wingover right into the ground. The wings departed and I've would've never believed what you could do to a aluminum spinner. It really is unimaginable. Well, I have something to work on now. The engine however once I cleaned all the dirt out of it is ok which was my biggest concern as it is my best running .40. All I can suggest is to just be patient. Ken

Yeaqh, can you believe those doctors? They spend eight plus years and hundreds of thousands of dollars learning all there is to know about a medical specialty and have to demonstrate their grasp of and use of this knowledge through incredibly rigorous testing and suddenly they think they know what they are talking about. I am just glad that there are still people with the talent and desire to go through what they go through to be able to help others! Maybe we should start calling ourselves the plane doctors.

Bob

fit90 wrote:Yeaqh, can you believe those doctors? They spend eight plus years and hundreds of thousands of dollars learning all there is to know about a medical specialty and have to demonstrate their grasp of and use of this knowledge through incredibly rigorous testing and suddenly they think they know what they are talking about. I am just glad that there are still people with the talent and desire to go through what they go through to be able to help others! Maybe we should start calling ourselves the plane doctors.

Bob

Nah, I'm just a plain doctor.
Ken, I've been on every day home physical therapy for my left shoulder for over a decade, and my right, more recently. I go in for a refresher and an ultrasonic treatment whenever I have a flair-up, and a pain management doc every month. The best therapy is keeping it moving and respecting your limits. My worst problem is respecting my limits... I think it's a man thing. Damned if we ain't nuthin' but a bunch of grayhairs. I was cringing, looking at the pictures of the NorthWest control line event (whatever it's called) from this Spring. A couple of young guys... in their 40s. Paul Gibeault was fairly young and spiffy looking. And his wife helps him in the pits too.

RknRusty wrote: Damned if we ain't nuthin' but a bunch of grayhairs.

HEY! I represent that!

George

You might try to find a VP racing fuel dealer locally and see if they might sell or stock one of the 5 gal cans of Methanol Rusty.
http://www.vpracingfuels.com/

PV Pilot wrote:You might try to find a VP racing fuel dealer locally and see if they might sell or stock one of the 5 gal cans of Methanol Rusty.
http://www.vpracingfuels.com/

I only want a pint or so. It looks like Advance Automotive has it. The MSDS says it's 99% pure methanol. Less than $3 a pint.

It sounds to me like they want you to run the engine on FAI fuel. I would certainly go the option of purchasing this fuel through a commercial distributor. I truly find Powermaster fuels to exceed every fuel out there I ever used. Randy Ritch from Ritch's brew http://www.ritchsbrew.com/story.html would also be my other choice as he does provide some of the best fuels around. In the event you do break in even using 5%, I would certainly add a few head shims. The only reasoning I can think of why they don't want you breaking in the engine using nitro is probably due to the high compression of the engine. Nitro being more difficult to attain in those parts of the world dictates how the engine compression is needed. Recently, we just did a test at the club to see if it was worth while to mix your own fuel. For starters, I didn't think it ran as well as what we already purchase. In addition, we purchase at least 100 gallons at a time giving us a good price. I truly figured the ingredients would be considerably cheaper and that just wasn't the case.

Even though purchasing nitro can be done in its raw form, it certainly is more difficult to obtain. I do understand this isn't what your after as the fuel you require has 0% nitro. We were able to purchase the nitro already in a mix of Klotz synthetic. I don't recall the ratio. For all the headaches and inconsistency it provided it certainly didn't seem worthwhile to me. Ken

RknRusty wrote:

PV Pilot wrote:You might try to find a VP racing fuel dealer locally and see if they might sell or stock one of the 5 gal cans of Methanol Rusty.
http://www.vpracingfuels.com/

I only want a pint or so. It looks like Advance Automotive has it. The MSDS says it's 99% pure methanol. Less than $3 a pint.

Oh, the yellow bottle HEET,,gotcha. I have a couple bottles of each (red/yellow) setting here. Napa used to sell the yellow bottle HEET stuff in there bottle, but they switched suppliers years ago.

Ken Cook wrote: Randy Ritch from Ritch's brew http://www.ritchsbrew.com/story.html would also be my other choice as he does provide some of the best fuels around. In the event you do break in even using 5%, I would certainly add a few head shims. The only reasoning I can think of why they don't want you breaking in the engine using nitro is probably due to the high compression of the engine.

Rich has a pretty good story, sounds like a good operation. The engine came with 3 shims, 1 in it and 2 in the box. I put 2 in it when I took it apart the other day. It is really tight, a lot like the Norvel, same sort of feel. I put some castor in it and turned it over a couple of times. Funny how that exhaust port in the sleeve is a tiny bit narrower than the port in the outer cylinder. There's a dot to sort of align it when you put the sleeve in but not another one to index it to. You have to fiddle with it to make sure it's all centered. Then try not to move it when you press the glowplug into the top and screw the head down. The piston rod has an oil hole that you have to make sure it points in the right direction too.

It's pouring rain today, no end in sight. I hate to open up the shop when it's raining, but if I get bored enough I might anyway.