Piston Sleeve
11-16-2003, 10:27 AM
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RE: Piston Sleeve
The engines are made of aluminum as you know. In some small lawn mower, almost all week wacker, chain saw, etc…engines do not have steel sleeves. It’s an aluminum piston, soft ring to aluminum bore (cylinder). There is excessive piston to wall (cylinder) clearances and oil slingers to keep the two well lubricated. But they never last as long as sleeved engines of the same variety.
With an R/C engine, there isn’t any oil in the crank case to be “slung” for lubrication. 99% of your 2 stroke R/C engines are not ringed therefore they have to have very close or “tight” clearances in order have compression. All the while letting the lube in the fuel to seep past the piston and lubricate all the moving parts in the engine.
If it were not for the steel sleeve design, every R/C engine manufacture would go bankrupted because everything they sold would soon seize up. These engines can’t be over bored to the “next larger size” such as with an automobile engine.
It just so happens that many a year ago, the sleeves where not replaceable but some really intelligent person said that it should be and it was so. And I’m so happy that he did.
The sleeve, piston as well as all the parts of your R/C engine is replaceable. It’s a luxury you and I share.
Relish in it.
With an R/C engine, there isn’t any oil in the crank case to be “slung” for lubrication. 99% of your 2 stroke R/C engines are not ringed therefore they have to have very close or “tight” clearances in order have compression. All the while letting the lube in the fuel to seep past the piston and lubricate all the moving parts in the engine.
If it were not for the steel sleeve design, every R/C engine manufacture would go bankrupted because everything they sold would soon seize up. These engines can’t be over bored to the “next larger size” such as with an automobile engine.
It just so happens that many a year ago, the sleeves where not replaceable but some really intelligent person said that it should be and it was so. And I’m so happy that he did.
The sleeve, piston as well as all the parts of your R/C engine is replaceable. It’s a luxury you and I share.
Relish in it.
11-16-2003, 12:42 PM
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RE: Piston Sleeve
I've heard people say that when they have to rebuild their engine it costs them almost 60 to 90 dollars. If rebuilding an engine is only replacing the piston/sleeve then why does it cost them so much?[&:] I saw a piston sleeve set on tower for only 39.00. Is rebuilding an engine more then just the sleeve piston?
11-16-2003, 01:02 PM
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RE: Piston Sleeve
No, a full rebuild isn’t cost effective. A full rebuild would consist of the con rod, all bearings and bushings (where applicable), piston and sleeve, gaskets, O rings (where applicable), head buttons etc...
You have to keep in mind the #1 failure in an R/C engine is the piston/sleeve. In time, it all wears out but the piston/sleeve usually wears first. More often than not, by replacing just the piston and sleeve, you get many more hours, days, months and sometimes years out of the same engines “bottom end”. That’s cost effectiveness that works.
Prices of parts differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. That’s just the way it is.
At times, with some engines and manufacturing pricing, it’s just as cost effective to replace the whole kit and caboodle.
If a piston/sleeve kit is cheap enough and I have an engine “going bad”, I’ll pick up the kit and a new engine. Nothing beats a spare aye?
Example: (the numbers aren’t accurate, just an example)
Lets just say an OS .15 piston/sleeve kit sells for $40 but a new OS .15 engine sells for $120. I purchase both. Why? Now I have two good working engines for $160.
See the benefit yet?
You have to keep in mind the #1 failure in an R/C engine is the piston/sleeve. In time, it all wears out but the piston/sleeve usually wears first. More often than not, by replacing just the piston and sleeve, you get many more hours, days, months and sometimes years out of the same engines “bottom end”. That’s cost effectiveness that works.
Prices of parts differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. That’s just the way it is.
At times, with some engines and manufacturing pricing, it’s just as cost effective to replace the whole kit and caboodle.
If a piston/sleeve kit is cheap enough and I have an engine “going bad”, I’ll pick up the kit and a new engine. Nothing beats a spare aye?
Example: (the numbers aren’t accurate, just an example)
Lets just say an OS .15 piston/sleeve kit sells for $40 but a new OS .15 engine sells for $120. I purchase both. Why? Now I have two good working engines for $160.
See the benefit yet?
