fuel tank BACKPLATES FOR BEES

Could you just solder up the vents of a regular backplate? Or are there other differences between the two versions? I don't know how the backplate metal responds to soldering but I'll bet a nickel that someone around here has tried it before. This might work on "daily runners", but obviously not on collectibles.

Bernie has plastic non-vented backplates for sale, I think they are modified from regular vented ones.

What I normally do is just use a short piece of small fuel tubing and put it across the two vents. Not pretty, but it gets the job done.

The Glamorous Mark

Solder don't work, base metal is Zamak, a zinc alloy.  

JBweld is a mixed bag, it might work, but 25% nitro is enough to soften it.

Driving #0 (I might be wrong about the size) screws in has been done before successfully.  Injecting RTV sometimes works well.  Batjac probably has the best solution with the tubing.

Coxengines.ca and exmodelengines.com have the plastic ones which function very well.  The only metal ones I am willing to give up are pretty well trashed already.

Phil

Ok Sorry I didn't say that I was building engines to sell and am short on a few builds that I got that were not complete or a needle broken off in it . I have seen them soldier before but don't recall what they were using ///// Thanks Guys I'll just hold on too looking I did not know that they were that hard to get a hold of

Make sure you match the air intake size with the venturi-tubes' hole, if you're able to find them. I believe the Black Widow has a .082" air-intake hole. I have two Golden Bee's.. and one has the .082" hole.. and the other has the smaller .062" hole.. like the Baby Bee. This wouldn't be an issue if your tanks have the smaller hole on the venturi-tube.. but if they're the larger size.. and you put a backplate on that has the smaller hole.. the engine won't have as much power. Depending on the cylinder-porting it could have breathing problems too.