ASP engines

[Jon H]

that is a valid point. The problem is those 300rpm come from better materials, tighter tolerances and better q/c and those are expensive things. Also, if in a few years he needs to buy a new one because its worn out due to the lower spec materials then it could be argued he would be better off with the engine that is twice the price and lasts at least twice as long.

Clearly I can talk about the Laser side more than the OS or Saito, but in general the extra money goes on materials and refinement. The needle on an ASP would be a good example, yes it works, but they are known for being a bit leaky and there are loads of ways to fix it with fuel tube over it or whatever. The valves are also not that hard and wear over time etc etc.

Now that is not to say they are bad engines, in fact for the price they are quite remarkable and work well, but you don't get what you don't pay for and after many years using all sorts of engines I decided to go for all Laser and that was long before I had any connection to them.

My personal view is that ASP make totally excellent two strokes that cannot be beaten. the price/quality is great and a friend and I have even starting to swap dead OS46fx liners with the ASP ones as they are longer lasting.

The 4 strokes are different as they are made in a different factory (last I knew anyway) which is not as up to date in terms of tooling. As such the 4 strokes are more variable than the two strokes but for a sport model they are ace. I wouldn't use one in a scale model you spent a decade building but that is another level. Personal bias aside I still maintain that Laser are top of the pile in terms of quality, Enya are next (very nicely built engines) but they loose out due to no marketing and very high prices. I would then say saito and OS are on par quality wise with saito perhaps stealing the eye candy award.

ASP cant match the quality and it shows mostly in longevity. After a year of pretty much constant flying a friend's asp 61fs has lost a good chunk of its compression and some of its power. That said it still runs, just not as smoothly as it once did.

[The real Ron Truth]

I found the JE ASP 4 strokes were better than the SC range.

Not much in it though, just evidence of better finish in places and the comfort in knowing someone has at least looked at the engine between Beijing and my house to remove any obviously duff engines. JE do check them and can even run them in for you.

All my ASP ran very well once ran in, needles set and then left alone but after 2-3 years lost all compression and were door stops. My Saito ran year on year without any loss.

One area that was a problem was in the seating of gaskets and the finish to threads. Not well done and a rebuild was always needed after a few hours flying.

[..]

Going back to the original post "I was told that the ASP range of engines were now as good as the other makes" then I would have to disagree with that.

The overall manufacture and finish is generally poor when compared to OS , Saito and Thunder tiger engines BUT yes they do provide a very good budget option and many flyers rave about them. My personal experience having had a couple of two strokes and a 70 fourstroke is general ok but I have had problems with them all (mainly air leaks) due to the poor finish and fit of components. You only have to hold an SC and OS in your hands and then adjust the main needle to appreciate the difference in manufacturing quality.

As for power output I cant say I've noticed much difference in the OS & SC 70 size engines I own.

Personally I would much rather buy a good second hand OS over the purchase of two SC / ASP clones but again that is a personal opinion.

As for buying one???? Hobbyking maybe the best price but good luck trying to obtain a refund especially if you have run the engine & experienced problems. They wont even offer a full refund on stuff that has been opened and inspected so again personally I would pay the extra and buy from a local shop or Just Engines where any issues can be rectified in person or over the phone.

Edited By Justin K. on 18/07/2015 08:12:36

Edited By Justin K. on 18/07/2015 08:18:21

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Jon H]

Hi Percy, I do take some comfort as I know what goes into a Laser engine so I know exactly that every engine I sign off is spot on, has run up correctly and has its main and slow run needles set so that only a small tweak is needed by the customer. I cant see ASP testing their engines before sending them out!

As for enya, my 53fs is a belter even though the old style airbleed carb is not as accurate as a modern twin needle type. Newer engines have TN carbs though.

OS are a strange one as their engines used to be 100% bulletproof, but recently they seem to have gone off the boil a little with bearing issues, liners loosing their plating, engines like the 70 ultimate that simply didn't work (so I have read, no first hand experience), or the LA series that were nowhere near as good as the FP series they replaced.

In any event, the choices people make about buying engines come down to many factors. Price will always be a defining factor for many but some will choose to pay more for additional life/reliability and quality. If they didn't, we would all be driving the same cars.

[Reno Racer]

Lots of discussion about SC and ASP differences, as far as I'm aware that are made in the same factory to the same spec, but just stamped either SC or ASP. SC was the name used for the European market, Magnum used for the U.S. Market and ASP everywhere else. ASP came to acceptance in the UK through HK sales.

I have owned super tiger, OS, Enya, Saito, RCGF, thunder tiger and ASP/SC/Magnum engines. For value for money, ASP are cracking engines, I've never had a problem with them and they always run strong. No fiddly adjustments like super tigers, my ASP 2 and 4 strokes have run very well with hardly any adjustment needed for years. Yes, my OS looks nicer and gives a few more rpm, but, I can't see the engine in the air and I don't fly completion so for me ASP is a good quality, reliable and cost effective engine for my use.

[Former Member]

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[Area 51]

Good experiences from ASP, I have a .61 in a maganatilla t present.. its run in a treat and purrs around the sky, its the second or third I have had and i cant say a cross word! So long as you provide the TLC, the should return the favour in BHP and RPM.. I would never be looking for a 4 stroke to deliver the final 3-500 in rpm.. just too many working parts for them to be out and out performance / revving motors..

I tend to ear mark for scale sport and scale models.. for out right performance (not me mind) I'd go down the 2 stroke route..

I have an SC 52 that gave up some years ago, it locked up.. its was looked after but one day it just seem too tight when turned over so it awaits surgery on winter hangar day...

Cant fault Laser, love em, cant fault the saito's ,stump pulling power, love em, cant fault Os either.!

Guess we all have different experience .. but I find TLC, nice serivce and tappet reset after prolonged hangar spells keeps them running well (for me that is).

[David Hazell 1]

On 17/07/2015 at 10:36, Jon - Laser Engines said:

Andrew has hit the nail on the head.

The engines are the same, friends of mine have bought engines from both places and they are identical. The only issue is that IF something went wrong with the HK motor you are in for a 'fun' time where as JE have really good service and will help you out.

No matter who you buy from, make sure you run the engine in right...ie, ignore the instructions as they are out of date

 

I realise this is a very old post, but @Jon - Laser Engines do you have a link to a decent run in procedure for an ASP32 for example? I'm eyeing up a decentish offer of a new one from facebook marketplace (£35 posted) and curious what the master suggests?

 

[Jon H]

Not sure about being a master but I had an ASP36 2 stroke way back when. It was a great little motor and went very nicely. Standard 5/15 fuel will do fine, os 8 plug, probably a 10x6 prop and its off to the races. If yours is anything like mine was the liner will be mega tight at tdc so once you get it started get some rpm and heat into it asap, dont just leave it at idle or the little end may suffer. After 2-3 minutes at a slightly rich half throttle wind it up to full chat and very quickly tune it for about 90% of its optimum tuning and then throttle back. This will be a fairly coarse adjustment taking no more than 5 seconds to set. Set the slow run to be half decent, then mess about with it up and down the rev range for another few minutes with some short bursts (5 seconds or so) at full power and then pinch off the fuel line to stop it. Let it cool off, fire it up, give it a more accurate tune, fly. 

 

For the first 3 or 4 flights use full throttle in short bursts only, keep tweaking the slow run tuning as needed...Thats about it really. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Hazell 1]

Thanks Jon! I've closed the deal, just waiting to find out when he's going to send it!