Engine Doctor

If its cheap and chearful your looking for then have look around the pound shops . They often sell matt white aerosols that work ok as a primer depending on the topcoat used. Test the finish coat on a test peice as it can split or craze with some paints.

Speak to a car paint factors they should be able to help . Many paint finishes specify different coloured primers to get the required finish and white is often used for bright reds ,yellows and so e metallics. Many of the high build prmers these days are 2k so not an option fir many . All the 1k high build primers i used over the years were either grey or yellow often refered to as spray putty. Normal white cellulose primer is readily available but is mostly a light primer with little or no filling properties. Water based paints are , as far as i know for finishing and not high build . Correct me if you know othewise. They are brilliant for fading in repairs but have very low build and still have to be finished / protected by a clear laquer usually 2k. The high build primer i currently use is a very light biege and is 2k . Beware if you try 2k as it uses isocyanates in hardener with associated health and safety issues paint factors can advise.

Selling a SC AR 180 (30cc) two stroke Glow . Comes in original wooden case with exhaust etc and is in excellent condition. This engine has been stripped cleaned and had new bearings fitted and oiled to protect internals . It could be mistaken for a new engine . see pics . £100 plus postage but would prefer collection PM me if interested.

I've changed in my hobby direction so Selling off a few bits of stuff I've collected over the years . This Aluminium Engine cowling is all Hand made with opening hatches on riveted hinges . Its fitted with a Mills 1.3 Mk 2 Diesel and has a Service receipt from the £.s.d days . The spinner is also hand made and fitted with a silver nylon prop. Engine is fitted with a extended comp screw that doubles as a stand . £200 prefer collection or postage at cost via Royal Mail special delivery Please PM me if interested.

Selling my Pica mustang P51D due to a change in hobby direction. 89 inch span .All new and never flown fully Glassed structure with custom built in exhaust . New DL 50 fitted only run 1 hr on ground to test exhaust and for cooling . All good . All metal geared Hitec servos on surfaces . Air up spring down retracts inc tail wheel with scale oleos on mains and restrictors for scale like movement. Lots of detail. Passion Waggon Nose art (google it )and colour scheme. scale pilot figure and scale-ish cockpit £875 OVNO Obviously collect only from north Kent Pm me if interested

Also a square trailing edge it less likely to flutter than a tapered one , so ive been told.

A definite case of "caveat emptor" when buying a used item. The 120 R is generally a nice engine but yours has obviously been got at . You may be able to get spares direct from Enya ? Theres a lot of differences between the standard 1204c and the 120 R so robbing a standard 120 is I think not an option. Not a lot to be said really as only the perpetrator of the bodge really knows what was done . The cracked case could well be used and sealed with some 24 hr epoxy injected after a thorough cleaning but check all over incase of any distortion or misalignment. Hope you can get it sorted and let all know how you get on. E.D.

Come on Jon 5 min job.

Weĺl said GN i blame it on the clocks going back 😉

Forget all i said just been corrected its ann OS . Nice little engines.

Too much reliance on digital storage of photos these days. Print them on a proper photopaper for posterity, still easier to look at and appreciate . Then keep the SD cards etc as a back up. But who knows, when our grandchildren have grown up what tehnology will have come up with ? Will they know what an SD card is ?

Hi Dave a wise move going over to fully synthetic .The fuel you describe i think is SMC Double lube Hi . Thier synthetic fuel is just that and doesnt contain any castor. I have used this for years now and have mine mixed with lower oil content at 17% and recently moved to their Laser mix that contains 15% synthetic oil and whatever % nitro I want/ need and found it to be very good. I have heard through the grapevine that SMC will be taken over at the end of the year and the new owner intends to start mail order. Four stroke fuel from years gone by had a couple % extra oil in it and made propper mess. But back then engine production techniques werent as sophisticated they are mow so may be those old engines needed extra oil to run in . Like cars back on the 1960's you could buy a special "Running in " oil. Remember that all oils have improved a great deal over the years and As Jon says it was probably continued as a a marketing ploy just to sell more fuel. I have heard through the grapevine that SMC will be taken over at the end of the year and the new owner intends to start mail order. A big thanks to Dave Watts and his wife for their fuel and friendly chat at the shows over the years. They will be missed.

Sorry Dave but thats too ugly to give a name to ! Its obviously fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down 🙂. Le truck or thingy will do . I reckon its a Bitsa

Model aircraft in school . Those were the days 😍 just imagine trying that now ?

Reading all the posts re charging points/stations or the lack of them ; isnt the main problem in the UK the lack of our generating capacity to power them . The Uk is, due to lack of investment by ALL governments for decades woefully lacking in generating power for general consumption let alone EV charging . Now with the unrealist push for the so called net Zero they are even further behind . What company in their tight mind would build an all electric charging station with means of powering it. Fix that and things may improve although the time taken to charge is still the biggest hurdle. Things cant be that rosey for the EV markets today as nearly all of the articless on the Google home page are pushing the EV sector without a word of the downside of using one .

Dont know about lithium grease but have often used silicon grease without issue.

Deluxe materials Foam to foam is an excellent product and will stick foam of any type , plastic etc . Apply thin coat to both surfaces and assemble and leave for 24 hrs . Not instant but strong and reliable. As already pointed out only do this if you dont need to take apart for storage.

I usually get a copy of plan at local printers then cut the section I need for building and keep original for reference . An extra copy can be used to cut out formers etc and glue to wood to aid cutting out Copies only cost a couple of £'s and it make life easy .

Manufacturers have to play to thier audience and magneto engines are limited on their power output as timing is fixed to least it is in the basic magnetos fitted to our small engines. With electronic ign much more performance can be gained by a electronic variable ign timing. Hence virtually all model petrol jobs are electronic ign. If only ma manufacturers would fo do somethjng about the woefully inadequate silencers they provide!

Six year old oil will be knackered by now and probably turned to a very thick sludge. That in turn has probably killed the starter motor .Oil absorbs contaminants from burnt fuel and moisture from the air. It should be changed annually regardless of use. If engine has survived change oil asap.

You shouldnt get much oil etc on the airframe from petrol so most enamel varnishes would be ok but be careful as many go brown with age. Ive recently used Guild enamels that ive been very pleased with and would be fuel proof wuthout and clearcoat over them .They do a gloss or matt clear fuel proof varnish that seems to stay clear and will ho over acrylic ok. A thin coat of the gloss should give a satin finish and you can either by the brushable and thin with a dtop of cellulose for spraying or buy it in aerosols. If brushing thin it with white spirit as it dries very quickly for an enamel ( or hybrid enamel).

Like any old engines only worth what someone is willing to pay . But good ones are scarce and as they were mainly home made they vary wildly . They are Collectable though just have to find the right buyer. I sold mine in a boat a few years ago for £250 so taking inflation ito account I would think £150-£200 ish . Perhaps a Westbury aficionado will be able to help ?

Hi Jon . The four-stroke petrol (NO;2) Looks like a Westbury KiWi . I had a marine version . They were sold usually as a set of castings to be finished by the owner. Many slight variations to due to this .

Diesel fuel will spontaneously ignite if sprayed or dripped onto very hot metal like an exhaust as will other auto liquids like brake fluid . We found this when attending RTC's or RTA's as they used to be called back in the 70's and 80's when front wheel drive diesel cars were becoming more popular; The brake fluid reservoir on many cars would pop off the master cylinder on impact throwing brake fluid all over the hot exhaust just below it result... a fire until it burnt out then a small fire usually followed that either went out or built as it ignited other bits . The Brake fluid reservoirs are generally fixed more firmly now . Petrol unlike diesel or Brake fluid never seemed to ignite unless there was a flame or a spark or glowing metal. Now fire and emergency crews have EV's to contend with , Unlike petrol or diesel powered vehicles they are far mor difficult to extinguish due to design required to keep the battery protected from water ingress . Diesel and petrol fires are generally simpler to extinguish as the seat of fire or ignition point can be reached comparatively easier with a Jet / spay or powder extinguishing medium . This is not possible on an EV as the seat of fire or point of combustion is not accessible . Only option is to protect surrounding risks until the battery consumes itself , then clean up the mess. The Luton Airport fire was IMO a catastrophe that's been waiting to happen for many years and its could happen at virtually multi storey car park due mainly to cutbacks allowed by deregulation of building regs . Less on sight fire fighting equipment to put out a small conflagration before it gets away , no sprinkler/ Drencher system etc just to save money on the build . Any of these systems especially a sprinkler/ drencher system would probably have prevented the fire spread and associated damage/devastation . Think Triangle of fire , Fuel , Heat , Oxygen , remove any side of the triangle and fire will die out and a drencher system would certainly of cooled the fire, Deregulation of building / Fire regs has a lot to answer for Think back five years to Grenfell Tower ! Cutting regs allowing developers to make a bit more profit then spend In Luton Air ports case Billions of pounds and years putting right the consequences. As for temperature bending steel etc , A multistorey car park is basically a pile air rich chambers filled with Flams ( cars ) Temps will build in these furnace like conditions as air can be drawn or blown in. Its silly for EV or IC drivers to point a finger at one another saying their car is the less dangerous etc but they will .Any type car/fuel /battery etc is a fire risk albeit in different forms .

They will try everything to con you. Scrutinise everything and trust nothing or nobody on the net until your sure .