Welcome to Club SAITO !
My Feedback: (1)
Jim
My Feedback: (1)
The 200Ti needs bearings before being put into service. After fixing the stripped out brass glow plug insert I ran it long enough to realize the bearings were not going to smooth out and stop making noise.
All things RC came to an abrupt stop for me last year when my wife's health worsened. No time for recreational activities at the moment. Not much to post about on the forums.....sorry.
Last edited by Glowgeek; 10-15-2023 at 01:40 AM.
Senior Member
Lonnie, would these be the tappets for the FatHead, I stumbled across them on MacGregor's discontinued parts list. https://www.hobbyplastic.co.uk/index...ducts_id=12903
Lonnie, would these be the tappets for the FatHead, I stumbled across them on MacGregor's discontinued parts list. https://www.hobbyplastic.co.uk/index...ducts_id=12903
In many cases the old lifters can be re-surfaced. No rocket science required.
I was able to resurface some Saito tappets by drilling light interference fit holes in a hardwood block and sanding them with progressive grits on my cast iron table saw top. They came out very nice. Thing is, If the tappets are badly beveled you have to take off a lot of material to recondition them. That can lead to max ing out the rocker adjuster in some cases. Not all Saito engines will allow for much material to be removed from the tappets. The FA-91 and 200Ti are two engines set up with the adjusters fairly low when brand new from the factory, I discovered. Darn scary to see the top of the adjuster buried a couple of threads deep into the adjuster nut on my 200Ti after installing reconditioned tappets. I'm on the search for new 5038's. Need one pair for a 91 and two pair for a 200Ti.
A lathe would make reconditioning tappets a little quicker.
A lathe would make reconditioning tappets a little quicker.
Last edited by Glowgeek; 10-15-2023 at 07:07 AM.
I was able to resurface some Saito tappets by drilling light interference fit holes in a hardwood block and sanding them with progressive grits on my cast iron table saw top. They came out very nice. Thing is, If the tappets are badly beveled you have to take off a lot of material to recondition them. That can lead to max ing out the rocker adjuster in some cases. Not all Saito engines will allow for much material to be removed from the tappets. The FA-91 and 200Ti are two engines set up with the adjusters fairly low when brand new from the factory, I discovered. Darn scary to see the top of the adjuster buried a couple of threads deep into the adjuster nut on my 200Ti after installing reconditioned tappets. I'm on the search for new 5038's. Need one pair for a 91 and two pair for a 200Ti.
A lathe would make reconditioning tappets a little quicker.
A lathe would make reconditioning tappets a little quicker.
Don't think for a minute that I hinted they all could be simply resurfaced. Nor spinning them against a stationary abrasive on a flat, stationary surface will produce the prefered finish. That system can leave undesriable, concentric rings. Never use that method here. You need to spin the abrasive finishing surface orbitally across the tappet face which is also spinning. I pretty much duplicate the tappet refinishing system we had at our automotive machine shop 35 years ago. Just on a much smaller scale.
In most cases much better off making new tappets from scratch.
Last edited by Jesse Open; 10-15-2023 at 10:29 AM.
Don't think for a minute that I hinted they all could be simply resurfaced. Nor spinning them against a stationary abrasive on a flat, stationary surface will produce the prefered finish. That system can leave undesriable, concentric rings. Never use that method here. You need to spin the abrasive finishing surface orbitally across the tappet face which is also spinning. I pretty much duplicate the tappet refinishing system we had at our automotive machine shop 35 years ago. Just on a much smaller scale.
In most cases much better off making new tappets from scratch.
In most cases much better off making new tappets from scratch.
Nothing but relaxed here Lonnie, no excitement in the least. Hoping you are okay though
Firm clarification is all, needed to be certain nobody had the silly impression that all worn tappets were candidates for resurfacing. Far from that!
Followed up with my personal experience . Having made lifters as well resurfacing a few of them, large and small for quite some time now. Calmly adding to the conversation as well.
Last edited by Jesse Open; 10-15-2023 at 07:10 PM. Reason: Corrected spelling/diction.
My Feedback: (27)
Hey Gary
The beam for 20M will be up the tower this Saturday weather permitting. My son is coming home from college for the weekend to help me on top of the tower. I should have a few guys here for the groundwork. That huge antenna weighs 65 pounds so it will take the two of us up there to get it in place. It seems like everything weighs twice as much on the top of a tower. And I don't climb tower as fast as I used to. At the same time, we are going to put the side arm on the tower for my UHF repeater. I hope to get a couple of delta loops up for 40 and 80 in the following weeks.
Sure, I would be interested in the 65!
73 OM
Pedro
The beam for 20M will be up the tower this Saturday weather permitting. My son is coming home from college for the weekend to help me on top of the tower. I should have a few guys here for the groundwork. That huge antenna weighs 65 pounds so it will take the two of us up there to get it in place. It seems like everything weighs twice as much on the top of a tower. And I don't climb tower as fast as I used to. At the same time, we are going to put the side arm on the tower for my UHF repeater. I hope to get a couple of delta loops up for 40 and 80 in the following weeks.
Sure, I would be interested in the 65!
73 OM
Pedro
My Feedback: (1)
Not sure which FT-120 twin you are referring to, I've overhauled a few in the past. There was one that I sent back to the customer that was not salvageable, the valve guides were worn too bad and needed a cylinder. Unobtainium part.
The 200Ti needs bearings before being put into service. After fixing the stripped out brass glow plug insert I ran it long enough to realize the bearings were not going to smooth out and stop making noise.
All things RC came to an abrupt stop for me last year when my wife's health worsened. No time for recreational activities at the moment. Not much to post about on the forums.....sorry.
The 200Ti needs bearings before being put into service. After fixing the stripped out brass glow plug insert I ran it long enough to realize the bearings were not going to smooth out and stop making noise.
All things RC came to an abrupt stop for me last year when my wife's health worsened. No time for recreational activities at the moment. Not much to post about on the forums.....sorry.
OK Lonnie. I sure hope your wife gets better soon!!
my wife just started driving again, if you remember she had both knees replaced. one at a time. I can't drive because of my eyes.
Jim
My Feedback: (1)
making Tappets;
couldn't you make Tappets out of Drill Rod (tool steel)?
some of it is well priced. S7 is rather tough and cheap in the diameter that is needed for tappets.
Buy Tool Steel Drill Rod S7 Online (onlinemetals.com)
Jim
couldn't you make Tappets out of Drill Rod (tool steel)?
some of it is well priced. S7 is rather tough and cheap in the diameter that is needed for tappets.
Buy Tool Steel Drill Rod S7 Online (onlinemetals.com)
Jim
Last edited by the Wasp; 10-15-2023 at 07:32 PM.
My Feedback: (1)
I flew a couple times in NH on privet land. but that was early in the summer before my wife stopped driving. I don't think I will be able to fly next year. my son. now that he is a father, and is crazy happy about it, he shows no care about flying. I will be selling my planes.
but I want to tell you guys, Dave and Garry, the engines I got from you 2, along with the 91 I got to rebuild thanks to Lonnie. will not be sold!!! I have even told my son, to "never sell those engines" LOL I kind of feel guilty a bit for never flying them.
Jim
but I want to tell you guys, Dave and Garry, the engines I got from you 2, along with the 91 I got to rebuild thanks to Lonnie. will not be sold!!! I have even told my son, to "never sell those engines" LOL I kind of feel guilty a bit for never flying them.
Jim
Jim, Very sorry to hear that you haven't been flying. Maybe at least get some test stand run time(?)
Pete, Good deal on the progress.
Somebody looking for Saito FA-91 tappets?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/20446265326...Bk9SR8qi4bfnYg
Pete, Good deal on the progress.
Somebody looking for Saito FA-91 tappets?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/20446265326...Bk9SR8qi4bfnYg
Last edited by Jesse Open; 10-17-2023 at 06:22 AM.
My Feedback: (6)
BTW, The postman dropped off a new toy..
Prices on these beauties Down Under were surprisingly low after currency con-version
I recently received an FA-30 MKII (Open Rocker) . It has a notchy feel when turning the crank through TDC on the exhaust stroke......but not on the compression stroke....i.e. there is interference between exhaust valve and piston crown. When I pulled the head off I noticed it had no head gasket. Found a vid that shows it should have one.
To make this one run run I will need to fab a head gasket. What material and thickness should I use? Would brass work or does it have to be aluminum?
To make this one run run I will need to fab a head gasket. What material and thickness should I use? Would brass work or does it have to be aluminum?
Last edited by Glowgeek; 10-18-2023 at 07:48 AM.
My Feedback: (6)
You luck sods both of you! I probably wouldn't risk an open rocker (still remember my old OS's habit of throwing pushrods and followers on hard landings) but I would have to fly the engine above!
Senior Member
Great catch, one of those will go ahead of these tail feathers. Pin hinges all the way.
Mambo tail feathers, the control rods are in place, so I can sheet the top and bottom of the fuselage.
Mambo tail feathers, the control rods are in place, so I can sheet the top and bottom of the fuselage.
Last edited by 1200SportsterRider; 10-18-2023 at 11:01 AM. Reason: Add content
My Feedback: (1)
I recently received an FA-30 MKII (Open Rocker) . It has a notchy feel when turning the crank through TDC on the exhaust stroke......but not on the compression stroke....i.e. there is interference between exhaust valve and piston crown. When I pulled the head off I noticed it had no head gasket. Found a vid that shows it should have one.
To make this one run run I will need to fab a head gasket. What material and thickness should I use? Would brass work or does it have to be aluminum?
To make this one run run I will need to fab a head gasket. What material and thickness should I use? Would brass work or does it have to be aluminum?
Model Engine Company Of America - America's largest producer of Model Engines for airplanes boats and cars (mecoa.com)
Jim
Last edited by the Wasp; 10-18-2023 at 11:31 AM.