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IC Engine conversion to electric


Andy J
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Before being described as a heretic by the IC engine community and subsequently burnt at the stake has anyone done a realistic conversion of an old IC motor to electric drive?

 

Thinking along the lines of drilling a hole in an old IC engine back plate and extending an electric motor drive shaft to connect up the respective shafts with the motor subsequently hidden in the fuselage.  Piston and con rod would be removed and the engine main shaft modified in some way to accept the electric motor spindle .

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Cant believe the fiction losses would be that great as effectively it would be just an extended shaft arrangement with two bearings. Think the issue is how to extend the IC motor shaft to ensure alignment with the drive motor.

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Did not HobbyKing do one their UglyStick range this way. Plastic IC engine, with a leccy motor behind it. Bit ago now, but I think it was a 3s 2200 battery size machine.  Now I think a lot of HobbyKing stuff is sourced and rebadged. So a scout of the web might reveal the source if it still exists.
And I’m sure somewhere in the past I have seen a printed engine, Thingyverse would be my only source, as it’s not my thing, but there is one brain cell in the back trying to attract attention.
No heresy at all, I’m a petrol head, but no competition at that size. 

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Wouldn't it save weight and simplify the exercise to leave the engine as the manufacturer intended, take the battery/ESC out and fit a fuel tank in their place? ?

 

More seriously, if you want to make the model look like a vintage one (in many cases, especially scale, I'd be going to the effort of hiding the engine so I assume this is your intention?) then I'd agree that a dummy engine would be lighter, easier, cheaper and less destructive. 

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4 hours ago, Andy Joyce said:

 

Just think electric motors look naff in a vintage model like a Playboy Senior or similar model.

 

So do 4 stroke engines but they're usually considered "authentic", whilst electric motors are usually completely hidden from view.

OTOH a redundant cylinder head from a knackered engine can be quite convincing & serve the purpose of carrying a slug of lead for nose-weight.

 

DSCN0261.thumb.JPG.57fe0daab215c937f56c5c8b3a1b94b9.JPG

 

This one drew the genuine question "Where do you connect the glowplug battery?" from a clubmate who'd never come across a model diesel engine. 

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Just purchased a Merco 35 for a reasonable price which should serve as a good item to try my modification so will post some pictures when I start the process.

 

Do like the idea that Frank proposed of making up a new back plate and attaching the electric motor to that but suspect the drive shaft of the electric motor will be too short. 

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Well now wondering if I have made the correct purchase to modify as the main shaft in the Merco 35 has no bearings and hence without some form of lubrication the friction loss could be quite high.  Nevertheless I can always drop the odd drop of oil down the carb which should help.

 

Only just got the engine apart which was a bit of a struggle so will now have a rummage in my electric motor box to see if I can find a suitable size motor to attach to a modified engine back plate.

 

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Ah, your the chap with the merco 61, bearings.

 

The 35, are you going ahead with "electrifying" this engine ?

 

I assume you are making the modification to be reversable, to turn it back into a working ic engine again in the future ?

 

If not, would you consider selling the carb, or the carb spray bar.

 

I can send you my problem carb with the damaged spray bar as I think I am going to have trouble getting a new one, making a replacement is going to be troublesome.

 

My carb is ok, it's just the spray bar that was bent, but would look ok in a dummy engine.

 

Will be searching my odds and sods draws for some brass nuts and long bolts/machine screws ( think they need to be BA, that's going back some ) to possibly repair the spray bar, I may have some brass to make a new one, needs to be about 3/8 or 1/2 inch bar ( for fuel stub "collar" ) turned down and threaded both ends...I don't think I have ba taps and dies...but not checked yet.

 

The engine screws are quite small diameter and fine threads, will look for some on my brass nut search in the shed...

 

rich

Edited by Rich Griff
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