Old diesel model engines???

[Omniata]

It wasn't my intention to start an argument, my apologies

I'm just trying to get this going again and so far it seems I've learnt quite a bit


I'm not having much luck sourcing the gaskets, if anybody else has an idea let me know

 

[cookie munsta]

What arguement? I must have missed some thing?
Does the manufacturer still exist, maybe chat with them if that is an option, good luck with it

 

[gerrymoore]

When I was a kid I saved and saved for a 1cc ME Heron diesel engine...think it was £2.10 shillings...a lot of dosh. Eventually got it and spent hours and hours trying to start it. My dad went down to the model shop with me and said it must be faulty....two minutes later it was running like a dream!! I took it back home...but never ever got it started!!

Bought a glow plug motor and could start it instantly...diesels :-((

Happy memories though all the same :-))

 

[mike os]

is the engine still assembled?

if yes then remove teh head & measure the bore height off a point on the body, hen once it is disassembled you can work out gasket thickness & manufacture to suit.

 

[Dune]

Seems that your carb is missing...

 

[Omniata]

is the engine still assembled?

if yes then remove teh head & measure the bore height off a point on the body, hen once it is disassembled you can work out gasket thickness & manufacture to suit.

Gaskets have completely gone, but I've got a rough idea

Seems that your carb is missing...

No carb on this one, it's the way it's always been on this setup...

 

[Dune]

How does the fuel get in to the engine then? Nitro engines usually require pressure from the exhuast to pump fuel into the carb. You could gravity feed the fuel but that would just flood the engine without a carb.

 

[mike os]

IIRC mine were all venturi... suction only.... mind you its been about 25 years....

 

[Pyrobrit]

Yep, you have a MKII engine there and you are right its a glow engine running on Caster Oil/Nitro mix. Don't use any synthetics.

You can email enginesupport@greatplanes.com to see if they have any old gasket kits for your engine in stock. The gasket kit will have a cylinder head gasket and a crank case gasket for the rear triangle section.

The fuel air mixture enters the cylinder when the piston is at it's lowest which is why the glow plug (at the top of the cylinder) will not ignite the fuel straight away. Wind the needle valve all the way in and then open it 3 full turns. This will be your starting position. Once you have the engine running you can adjust for more or less fuel but a very small turn as required. You will hear the engine note change if the fuel is too lean or too rich. Long time since I measured rpm on these but prolly 8,000 to 12,000, maybe higher.

You will want to test that glow plug so take it out and use a 6v motorcycle battery to see if it still glows. If it's broke, you can buy a spare at your local model shop and one of the flats on the glow plug will give you the glow plug size/heat rating to buy.

So for starting. Attach fuel line. Connect glow plug to battery. Put finger over venturi and turn the engine over by hand (slowly) to suck the fuel up the line. Once fuel is in the venturi, remove finger and turn the engine over as fast as you can in an anti-clockwise direction.

We could do with a picture from the top down to see if the the venturi/needle valve assembly is complete. Fuel is suction feed and the tank to the side of the engine looks to be at the right height.

Spark ignition in model engines was for petrol fuelled engines and as others have mentioned, a diesel engine would have a compression screw on top. Model diesel engines do not have glow plugs at all.

 

[Omniata]

Thanks, I seem to be getting further

I had to get new needle valve assemblies as the original had snapped

I'll see where it goes from here, I sourced some gaskets off a Mk3, the rear crank case one seemed ok so fingers crossed...

 

[Omniata]

Well just to update, got the other engine back and it's nice and clean now...

I got some 15% nitro mix and tried starting as above and with the instructions...

It did take a little while, once I discovered it was easier to start it "hot" I put a little heat torch/blower on it for a short while and it fired up no problem...


As the second hasn't been run in +25 years, if at all, I'm following the instructions and running it slightly rich...

I've also managed to find a source for the gaskets so am trying to get a few before they all disappear...


The lightbulb that fits into the sockets on the end of the duct still works too

I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow, I can also see now why this probably hasn't been used in a school for a very long time, it's pretty loud!!

 

[shenion]

Here, all glow engines must have a muffler.

 

[Omniata]

There is one available for this particular engine if you can find it...

Fortunately it was originally designed without and won't fit in the duct with one on...

It is rather noisy but runs fine, as long as I keep it rich for the first few runs it should be ok...