[jsparky]

Well here I am... I have a bunch of Stihl engines that I would love to try to use.. Why ??? you ask... why did someone what to go to the North Pole.. just because. I have search the internet endlessly with no answers... but I am looking for a prop hub adapter for these engines..

any suggestions ... besides quit while I am ahead...

[Nick Milligan]

The RCFAQ site has a lot of very good info about the conversions RCFAQ

This is a company that specializes in the conversion market Click Here
Wacker engines also sells parts & Pieces, but I have no experience with them http://wackerengines.com/index.htm

Nick

[OLD PRAIRIE RED NECK]

I turn my own up on my lathe. Very easy to do (I'm not a professional machinist, just tinker at it) and I also take the bulk of the cooling fins off of the fly wheel while I'm at it. Just be carefull not to go too far & upset the ballance.

If you don't have a lathe, maybe a buddy or club member does & can be persuaded to do it for you.

Mounting the prop is only one of 4 challenges in these conversions. #2 is engine mounts are often not convenient, #3 mufflers sometimes need to be reworked/fabricated, #4 Throttle linkage can be awkward.

In my experiance grass whip engines often don't work out due to port timing restrictions built in to limit unloaded condition RPM's. Chain saw engines are good.

Don't give up, there is a satisfaction to be had by doing the "it was there so I had to climb it" thing! After all this is a hobby - right? It doesn't need to make sense!

[jsparky]

amen to that brother... and I like your answer... it doesn't have to make sense... just because it is there.. it is like tring to get a glow engine to run on gas... so far I have had very promising results for only two tries.. I got an old fox 40 engine and punched in a couple of new bearings.. and fed it some gas.. and dam zazam didn't the thing just wind out like crazy.. never got a tach reading yet... but I know it had to be doing 10k ... so considering there are no seals in the front bearing ,,an old funky carb,, an old engine etc... etc... I was pretty amazed at what it did.. like you I am a tinker... heavy truck mechanic by trade... but I don't have a metal lathe... wish I did..

jeff

[jsparky]

and accually I just thought of it... but a couple of these engines are 4 stroke.. so that would be really interesting...

[OLD PRAIRIE RED NECK]

Keep us posted!

[Flypaper]

Got my trade in an automotive machine shop back in the 50s and 60s. At that time there were no jobber rebuilt motors. You took it to a machine shop for a rebuild. Used to do line boring, babbiting, lathe work grinding flywheels, drum and disc brakes. I have a little 5 in. Toyo lathe with a milling head that bolts to the back. Like Mervin, I make prop hubs, motor mounts etc. Last one was a 60 cc Homelite saw motor before I went electric, that worked well. Princess auto gets some very good lathes that, if I didn't have what I have now, I'd grab one of those. very good quality from what I saw. Grab yourself a how to book on machine work and enjoy. You'll find you'll use it for stuff you never thought of.

[OLD PRAIRIE RED NECK]

It's like having 3 hands!

[Flypaper]

Yep, A third cast iron hand
Something as simple as this motor mount for this 4 hp electric. I can crank them out on the lathe in about half an hr., otherwise you can wait for a couple of weeks to get them from China.

[jsparky]

All this chit chat about lathes and turning is just plain getting me excited... so I went looking again.. and princess auto is clearing out the mini lathe for 350.00..... and it seems that the only 3 left in captivity are here in the kitchener store.. so I bit down hard.. acted like a 5 year old in a candy store... and my wife said go get it... so who said acting childish doesn't pay.. It just seem like everyone I chatted to said they made their own hubs.. and my head is just spinning with ideas of what I can make..

Definition of a hard core modler.. they can't wait for their aircraft to crash so they can make repairs.. and oh yea while we're at it .. why not throw in those upgrades we where talking about..

in case any one noticed the one part that is sticking up out of the box on the left side of the pic.. but that is a gas powered drill... never saw it running but it would have been interesting..