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RE: # Everyone-Should Read The following L-I-P-O DISASTER!!!
Members, A seasoned R/C modeler located here in central New Jersey was charging a Lipo battery pack without the balancer circuits connected in his garage just a few weeks ago and you know what is coming next. The resultant fire gutted his garage and he lost a number of his models. The quote from his insurance company is well over $40k to repair the garage and I don't know about the loss on his R/C equipment. He was monitoring the charging cycle, but got side-tracked on something else and then a big surprize. I well understand that a cell balancer circuit ( shunt regulator at 4.20 Volts ) accross each cell will protect the cell from going into overcharge, but if any one cell balancer circuit should fail open you then will yield an over-charged cell. I don't know if these chargers have a self test routine to verify that each cell balancer circuit is active. I obtained the above story from the R/C modeler himself. FYI, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/3/2012 5:57 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11104580
RE: Sig Rascal 110
Fellow members, I have been flying the Rascal 110 since 2006 with an Enya R120 and the landing gear was my main issue. I fixed the landing gear issue with 3/16 music wire held in place with 5/16 U-bolts that I purchased at ACE Hardware. It's been working for me for many years without a problem. Jim Meighan
Posted on: 1/22/2012 5:50 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10920998
RE: Balsa USA 1/4 Sopwith Pup build
Members, This is just a general post in reference to the 1/4 scale Balsa USA Sopwith PUP. Many of my fellow club members have been flying the 1/4 scale PUP for the last 10 years or so. I decided to increase the size of the PUP from 25% scale to 28% scale which yields a wingspan of 86 inches with 2500 sq inches. It required a cowl diameter of 10 inches due to the size of an ENYA VT-240 engine swinging a Classic 20-8 prop. I also pushed the firewall out another 2 inches to accomadate 2 fuel tanks and batteries for airborn gear and keep-alive for the glow driver. What got me started was I found 10" aluminum stock pots on sale at a local Wal Mart and that was a perfect fit for the Enya VT-240. The 9 inch cowl utilized on the 1/4 scale pup was a tad too small. My son also built the 28% Sopwith PUP and he powered his with a Brisson 2.4 swinging a 20" prop. I had many photos of both of these planes and lost them due to a system crash. I should have backed them up. Such is life. Both of these PUP's are not true scale, but the workmanship was good and when in the air they handle well even in moderate wind. My PUP weight was 24 pounds and my son's was about 21 pounds. Many members in our club are building and flying WWI models and it's fun to fly the course with 7 or 8 in the air at the same time. It's like watching real gray-scale WWI dogfight footage, but this time it's in color. Visit our club at www.mcrcs.com and check out the WWI videos. Jim Meighan
Posted on: 1/14/2012 6:22 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10909097
RE: Sig Rascal 110
Members, I have been flying the Sig Rascal 110 with an Enya R120 for the last 5 years and this is my first ARF. The only problem that I had was the landing gear assembly and the light weight wheels. I fixed the landing gear issue by re-enforcing the aluminum metal gear with 3/16 music wire. I attached the music wire to the under-side of the gear with 1/4" U-bolts. I also replaced the wheels with Du-Bro balloon wheels and deleted the wheel pants due to a clearance issue. I think I paid around $400 for the ARF from my local hobby shop back in 2006. The new release with flaps would be a great design improvement, but Sig would be selling more of these if the cost was under $500. I also think that another good option would be to sell the Rascal in the bare bones so that the front end can the fuel proofed without the covering in place. FYI, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 11/29/2011 6:02 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10834278
RE: Club Enya
You will find that the fuel draw sharing problem is solved by using 2 smaller fuel tanks with 1 fuel tank per cylinder. I still utilize the exhaust pressure tap to feed each fuel tank. It's simpler to adjust the needle valves due to complete fuel draw isolation. That's how I solved the issue, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 7/11/2011 5:53 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10615828
RE: Club Enya
tiffitech The valves utilized in the Enya VT-240 have the same part number as the valves on the 120C and the 90C. FYI, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/17/2011 7:09 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10579623
RE: Club Enya
Guys, A trick that I used to lapp the valve seats on my Enya VT-240 is per the following. Remove springs and clips on each valve stem. Drive the valve stem with small fuel line tubing and connect it to a Dremel tool. I installed a drill bit into the Dremel tool and then you have a flexable drive line with the fuel line to the valve stem. I used rubbing compound on the seats and spun the valve up at a very slow speed. It gave me a perfect seal, but now the valve is matched to that seat. Do not mix them up. Also do not over-rev the valve during the lapping process. This worked for me on a VT-240 and a R120, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/16/2011 2:32 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10577541
RE: Club Enya
I think your problem could be intake manifold leaks. It happen to me with a Saito 182TD last Summer and it was hard to find. Repaired the issue and it now runs great. I run the Saito 182TD twin with 2 fuel tanks or 1 tank per cylinder. I also utilize the 2 tank system with a rebuilt Enya VT-240 and glow driver. The VT-240 is mounted on a 28% Sopwith Pup and it is a good performer at 25lbs. I'm running the Saito twin and the VT-240 on 20/20 fuel and I do use after run-in oil after each session. Hope this helps you, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/14/2011 4:59 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10574219
RE: Saito 150 spark knocks under power
That happen to me with a Saito 180 running on 20/20 fuel. The root cause of the problem was a in-line Du-Bro fuel filter that formed a gel like substance which restricted fuel flow. It was OK at the lower RPM's, but at the higher RPM it was too lean and started to knock. After removing debris from the fuel filter, the operation returned to normal. Jim Meighan
Posted on: 12/28/2010 11:20 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10223049
RE: 2.4 Glitches - It Does Happen!
DBCISCO, Are you using the $99 WY SPY module for the spectrum monitor? If so, how do you like it? I'm on the verge of buying one for club use at our local field. Jim
Posted on: 6/11/2010 11:17 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9796110
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
[quote]ORIGINAL: GaGeeBees I'm in the process of some minor surgery on my Staggerwing. I've decided to change my single tank arrangement to twin tanks, one feeding each cylinder. I found a pair of Sullivan "slant-oval" 12 ounce fuel tanks that should fit in place of the old single tank without extensive mods. I found myself outrunning my fuel supply on the last few flights and attribute it to the single fuel line with tee arrangement. I'll also have to add a second Dubro quick fueler. I'm also going to fabricate a support for the exhaust header just above where it exits the cowl as I'm getting some play. Last, I'm going to have to enlarge the hot air exit at the bottom of the cowl. It's not cooling quite as well as I'd like and I think the 2" x 3" hole is a bit too small. Link to the fuel tank I'm going to use: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXFU59&P=FR [/quote] You are making the right modifications and should be pleased with the results. I'm utilizing two 14 oz DuBro tanks with a separate muffler tap to each tank with my Enya VT-240 and two 12 oz DuBro tanks with a Saito 182 TD twin. Please post your results, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 4/9/2009 8:47 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8664119
RE: Club Enya
[quote]ORIGINAL: GaGeeBees Thanks Ed. We're very lucky to have the flying site. The owner flies his full scale Cessna off the grass strip running parallel to where I landed. We also have a 300' crosswind runway that fronts the pond. The pond is great for float flying and is nearly seven acres. Of course almost all of us have done "float flying" with planes not equipped with floats. A flame out on takeoff or a deadstick on approach over the water will make for a damp day :) [/quote] I love that sound and it looks like a fun aircraft to fly. Best of luck with the VT-240 and use lots of after run-in oil in the gearbox. What type of 20-8 prop did you use and also what was the fuel mix? Did you get a chance to measure the engine RPM? Jim
Posted on: 3/23/2009 9:28 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8609458
RE: Club Enya
[quote]ORIGINAL: Hobbsy Double R, If you pre-pressurize the tank using a fuel bulb on the pressure line, a starter will start them in about 2 seconds. [/quote] Jim Cline told me to apply a positive pressure to the vent hole on the fuel regulator to force open the rocker valve with-in the assembly and turn the engine over with a starter to get fuel into the chamber. That was about five years ago, but i did not get a chance to try it. It takes a negative pressure from the carb pulling the diaphram to open the rocker valve during normal operation when the engine is running. Jim
Posted on: 3/21/2009 9:16 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8601817
RE: Club Enya
[quote]ORIGINAL: rrengineer Jim, The Keleo exhaust I had made has only one pressure nipple on one of the branches leading to the common output. Do you think a y fitting out to two tanks/clunks would provide enough pressure for the Cline regulator? Mike MacLean [/quote] Mike, If you use the Cline Regulator, you only need one tank and one muffler tap. But just like a gas engine, you have to be able to choke the carbs to draw fuel into the diaphram/chamber area. It is a closed loop system, but you have to fill the fuel lines and Cline Regulator with fuel to start the process. Two tanks with Tee's will also work with just one muffler tap and one-way valve feeding both tanks if you have a way of choking both carbs. I have two Cline Regulators that I'm no longer using only because all of the 4 stroke engines that are in my aircraft can't be choked due to the cowls. I switched to the two tank system 2 years ago with the VT-240 and a Saito 182TD twin cyclinder engine with one muffler tap per side. Treat each engine half as a seperate engine. Each tank will have an average pressure with a pulsatile peak from the pressure tap on the muffler. Hope this helps, Jim
Posted on: 3/21/2009 2:43 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8600853
RE: Club Enya
[quote]ORIGINAL: GaGeeBees Flew the Staggerwing this afternoon and had a good time. The v-twin ran great but it's really a pain to get primed. I don't use an electric starter due to the big polished spinner, so getting fuel into the cylinders is usually accomplished by inverting the plane and squirting some fuel into the exhaust pipe and then rotating the prop until the exhaust valves open to let the fuel directly into the combustion chamber. You have to be really careful about hydrolocking but it works. Once primed, it's usually one flip and it starts. My engine will NOT run with the pressure tap from the muffler hooked up. It will idle all day, but won't run at wide open throttle regardless of the high speed needle settings. Anybody else experienced this? Would a Perry pump or Cline regulator help? [/quote] The Cline Regulator system is a good design, but you have to choke the carbs to draw fuel into the diaphram chamber of the regulator. You cannot choke the VT-240's carbs with a cowled installation. When I bench tested my VT-240, I utilized two 14 oz tanks to feed the engine. One tank per carb with a pressure tap on the ENYA R120 mufflers. To prime the system, just use your fingers to block the muffler outlets and hand crank the engine 3 or 4 turns. You cannot over prime the carbs because the carbs are inverted and the excess fuel will just drain away from the intake manifolds. I also use 20/20 fuel with a Master Airscrew Classic 20-8 prop. Jim
Posted on: 3/21/2009 9:29 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8600063
RE: Club Enya
GaGeeBees, I just noted your installation of the ENYA VT-240 with Glo Driver connectors. I'm using the same connectors and I had to trim the lower portion of the insulator boot so that the spring contactor would make a robust connection to the glo plug center stub. If you do not trim the excess rubber from the boot, the connector will pop-off. I had the same problem with an ENYA R120 and it was a simple fix. In the near future, I'll post a photo of my VT-240 mounted on a scratch built 28% Sopwith Pup. It's going to weight approx. 21 lbs. Jim
Posted on: 3/20/2009 3:27 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8597935
RE: Club Enya
Mike, I'm glad to hear that was your reasoning for mission success. When I rebuilt one of my VT-240's, the camshafts and followers were in very good condition. Jim Meighan
Posted on: 2/26/2009 8:25 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8520025
RE: Club Enya
Mike, What was the problem with the camshafts? It would take many hours of running that engine with low oil content fuel to wear those cams down. Jim Meighan
Posted on: 2/25/2009 8:08 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8518473
RE: 1/4 Scale RC Guys Agwagon Build.
I know that some of the guys in our club use 2 clunk pick-ups on Saito twins and it seems to work. I use two Du-Bro tanks (12 oz) with my Saito 182 and will be using two 14 oz tanks with the Enya VT-240. With installations that are very tight, use two saddle type tanks that are used in fan jets. I'm not sure of the sizes. Jim
Posted on: 2/8/2009 8:35 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8454388
RE: 1/4 Scale RC Guys Agwagon Build.
Mike, Do the following and you will be a happy camper with the Enya VT-240. Use 20/20 fuel. 20-8 Classic prop. Use one 14 oz tank per each cylinder with a pressure tap ( 2 tanks total ). Keep alive for the glo plugs during idle. OS "F" glo plugs. Use plenty of after run oil. Don't mount inverted. Jim
Posted on: 2/8/2009 10:31 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8452189
RE: My Enya 2.40vt
Just tought I would add a few comments reguarding those issues. I have bench run a VT-240 that I rebuilt and have 3 more NIB. It should be in the air next Spring. 1, Home design on-board glo driver. Both plugs are wired in parallel. 2, 20/20 fuel with Classic 28 prop. 3, Two 14 oz fuel tanks with a pressure tap on the exhaust muffler. 4, While the Cline Pressure Regulator works great, you have to choke the carbs to draw fuel into the regulator/diaphram chamber. When the VT-240 is mounted in a aircraft, you cannot easily place your fingers over the intakes to the carbs. It's just the design of the engine. 5, It,s a good design with plenty of power and what a sound. Enjoy, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 9/4/2008 6:09 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7920294
RE: Saito 182 twin, Odd needle settings...
My Saito 182 is mounted inverted on a Sig 1/4 scale Cub. I utilized 90 degree elbows on the exhaust ports and via flex pipes routed them to .91 type mufflers which are pointed down under the cowling. These pipes are rigid and I hope they remain secure. If this engine was mounted normal, the carbs would be above the cowl and the fuel tank would be too low.
Posted on: 6/19/2008 8:23 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7636765
RE: Saito 182 twin, Odd needle settings...
I'm utilizing 2 seperate 12 oz fuel tanks with my Saito 182 and the needle valve settings are close to each other. Not sure if the settings would change if 1 fuel tank was used. What happened to your exhaust flex pipes and how much time did you have on them? Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/18/2008 7:10 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7634921
RE: saito 182 twin throttle
I just flew my Sig 1/4 scale Cub with a Saito 182 this past week. I had to invert the engine so that the carbs are under the engine and in line with the 2 fuel tanks. I utilized a 90 degree elbow on the exhaust outlet with exhaust flex line to each .91 size Saito muffler. The bottom line is that one 12 oz tank feeds each cylinder with a muffler tap returning to the tank. I also used a keep alive glo driver. Test results with 20/20 fuel and a Classic 18-6 prop yields the following after 45 min break-in: Max = 7600 RPM Min = 1500 RPM I can get the idle down to 1200 RPM but I just do not trust it. It also hand starts with 1 or 2 flips. I also made a 90 degree elbow for the crankcase vent and use larger fuel line to drain the excess oil out of harms way. FYI Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/14/2008 9:56 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7617891
RE: Enya VT-240 Disassembly
Mike, I need your home mailing address for the RCM VT-240 review from 1988. Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/13/2008 5:47 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7616045
RE: Enya VT-240 Disassembly
Mike, The caphead screws are case hardened and is difficult to drill off the caphead even with a drillpress. Go for a drill extractor set and plan on using a number of drill bits to just drill the pilot hole into the caphead. Also hide the panic button. This is just another speedbump as you go around thrid base and are heading for home plate. Stay the course, Jim
Posted on: 6/6/2008 8:55 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7587121
RE: Enya VT-240 Disassembly
[quote]ORIGINAL: Skypilot_one You can lap the valves yourself with Mother's mag wheel polish, that's what was recommended by Tim (MRC) if there was a problem with a valve seat. In every engine I have rebuilt other than Enya's, the bearings fell out with a tap after heating and the new bearings slid in with thumb pressure. The replacements I purchased to re-bearing five Enya engines they had to be pressed into the heated case, I own a press. I never needed to disassemble either of my two 240's but the singles 53, 90, 120, 155 used Stainless timing gear bearings. If the bearings aren't damaged there is no reason to replace them. Regards [/quote] Thanks for that tip on Mother's mag wheel polish. The compound that I used was a fine paste without any grit and I should have made a note of it. That's show business. Jim
Posted on: 6/5/2008 1:51 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7583879
RE: Enya VT-240 Disassembly
Mike, This is sounding good. I also re-lapped the valves on my rebuilt VT-240. I used rubbing compound and utilized a Dremel tool on very low speed to spin the valve. I used fuel line tubing to make the connection from the Dremel tool to the valve stem. I you want to try it, I'll send you the small bearing tool. It's no big deal. I also have a copy of the Clarence Lee review from RCM 1988. I can also give you a better view of the cam gear timing. PM me if you are interested, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/5/2008 9:15 AM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7582906
RE: Enya VT-240 Disassembly
Mike, The 2 small bearings are steel. The ENYA repair shop in the Northeast is BJ's Model Engine Service. Bill Jensen can be reached at Email wbilljensen@cs.com I purchased some spare rings from him last year. If you have trouble with removing the bearings from the front housing, send it to me with the new bearings and I'll do it for you at no charge. It will take me approx 1/2 hour to remove and install the new bearings. I made wood fixtures to position the front housing and utilize long reach 3/8 drive sockets to push the old bearings out and a larger set to insert the new bearings. When installing the bearings, I heat the housing and freeze the bearings. They almost go in with just finger pressure. You just cover the shipping and return to the east coast. FYI, Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/4/2008 1:59 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7579599
RE: Enya VT-240 Disassembly
mike, Inorder to pull a small bearing out of it's housing, you must get the thin fingers of a bearing puller behind the center race. I could not locate small bearing pullers so I made one with #4 and #6 steel panhead screws. You must grind the thickness of the panhead as thin as possible so that it will fit behind the center race. Use blocks of wood to bridge the assembly with a center hole for the screw. Install a washer and nut on the screw threads. As you tighten the nut on the wood block, It will pull the bearing out of the housing. Use a heatgun to heat the back of the housing. It does not take much force to remove the bearings. If you locate a source for small bearing pullers, let all of us know. Jim Meighan
Posted on: 6/2/2008 7:21 PM by Author "jameighan"
in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7572206
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