Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

[rivermouse]

I found this engine in a box when I cleaned out the attic of my Dads house. It came off of a model airplane I had when I was around 12 years old back in 1962. Im sure it came from sears but there seems to be no markings on it other than "made in USA" I cant recall how to crank it. I think a battery was needed along with some kind of fuel. Any ideas would help . I would love to awaken this little sleeping engine. thanks

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

That is an old, prop crank engine, I have a few of them floating around, the spring you see on the front is designed to engage the prop and wind up, the battery was for the glow plug in the top of the cylinder, when mounted on the airplane you would move the prop to open the port on the side of the cylinder, squirt a couple of drops of fuel in the cylinder, then attach the battery to the glow plug(positive lead) ground the engine with the black lead and then engage the prop with the spring, and wind it a few turns and let go! Just make sure your fingers are out of the way when you let go of that spring or you might go from a touch typist to a hunt and peck typist.. On that size engine, if I remember off the top of my head the prop was about 8-10 inches across.

Drop by one of your local hobby shops, they should be able to get you lined out!

 

[Don S]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

Looks like the old Cox .049 engine I had in many of my control like airplanes from the early 60's
Give the Cox .049 a google, bet you will find the answer. I know a 6V battery hooked to the glow plug with a clip, but that's about it.
Oh, and if you get your knuckles in the prop, it hurts.

 

[QC]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

oh, and if you get your knuckles in the prop, it hurts.

lol, yup

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

I have a couple laying around too. At the time the fuel was just called Glow Fuel. In fact, we bought a kit that contained everything you needed to run it... Looks like you may want to clean it up first. I see alot of varnish... I'm sure the needle is all gummed up.

I just went and looked and I still have the kit, minus the Cox battery and fuel. Probably going to need a new glow plug too....

The battery is 1.5 volts. Comes with a couple of tools too. It's a Cox Eight-Eighty Flight Kit.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

Oh, and if you get your knuckles in the prop, it hurts.

Yep, I ran crying to Mommy a lot trying start mine when I was 12yrs old. :redface:

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

I was at the controls so dad had to start it. He got "smacked" a couple of times.....

 

[rbh]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

HEY!!, got one of those in the closet somewhere.

Get "GLOW PLUGS", lots and lots of glow plugs, it takes 3 seconds for it to go red, 6 to burn it out!!!

and I still have a chunck out of my knuckle from my time with the cox motor!!!

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

I think those things turned a lot of wannabe pilots into firemen. LOL And the plastic props were like 10,000 RPM razors - ouch.

Ya know we're skipping the basics for some reason. Don't forget to check compression and don't use starting fluid.

 

[rivermouse]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction to google it up. It is sorta ironic that after the injury reports posted that even though I can not remember ever flying the plane I do recall rather well the blood I saw on my uncles hand after he tried to crank it. Someone said soaking it in coca cola would free it up if it could be freed up . If so I then will get what it will take to start it. I will not touch the prop with my hand, I will use a stick. It is called a bumble bee maybe because it has stung so many fingers..

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

To clean it soak it in rubbing alcahol to dissolve the old residue. As far as the prop should have a rc shop near yu or there are many online, the glow plug could still be good soak it to, can hook up with aligator clips from a 1;5 v battery to check and start. I have about 6 of these laying around some in cars some loose, you can mix fuel it is an alcahole lighter fluid mix, race car fuel works well, had a sorce for it from a sprint car ownwer was allot cheeper. You can run it with a small peice of wood close to balanced holedrilled in center.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

I had a few of those Cox .049's way back when. I also graduated up to the bigger engines; "O.S" brands mostly and I had a "SuperTiger" 0.40. I still have a couple of them from my collection, and actually dragged them out of the attic a few months ago.

On the 0.049, that spring 'thingy' around the prop shaft is what you use to start it. The fuel can be had at an R/C model specialty shop. I had to hunt around to find one locally in my area. Typically there is about 25% nitro-methane and then synthetic caster oil in the blend along with a base fuel.

I actually tried to use gasoline and some 2 stroke oil to see if I could get mine to run . . . not so good. Then I added some alcohol to the mix and got it to run for a few short blasts.

On the Cox .049 the fuel is in the engine base, so I imagine that is all gummed up after 50 +/- years. Time to get out the heavy solvents (carb cleaner, starting fluid, etc). I bet it will work once it is cleaned out.

The glow plugs generally run on a 1.5 volt battery, but I can't recall if the .049's are different. If you use too much voltage, the glow plug will quickly blow out.

Enjoy your new found treasure.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

I always thought the spring "starter" was more hassle than it was worth and leaned to spin the prop with a finger. Later on I bought a small battery powered starter that fit over the props nose cone. Worked much better!

A chicken stick works well.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

I always thought the spring "starter" was more hassle than it was worth and leaned to spin the prop with a finger. Later on I bought a small battery powered starter that fit over the props nose cone. Worked much better!

I used to chuck a short length of correct dia tubing in a drill.....push on to nose cone and let it rip.

 

[levittownnick]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

I used to chuck a short length of correct dia tubing in a drill.....push on to nose cone and let it rip.

60 years ago that drill thing could have saved me a lot of pain. Why didn't I think of that?

Have fun.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

I ran those .049 engines too but never on a plane.
Instead we built three wheeled landspeed record vehicle looking cars out of balsa wood, coat hanger wire for axles/suspension and real rubber model plane tires. Engine mounted on the back with a pusher prop.
Tethered to a rotating anchor thing we could stand outside the circle while it went round and round.
The bigger the parking lot the longer the line.
In the winter we put little wooden skis on in place of the wheels.
Then we started adding more nitro from the speed shop to the hobby store bought fuel.
Until the percentage got too high and melted the piston.

 

[rivermouse]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

Update..I have been soaking it all week. First several days of soda pop.next spay lube. next some brake fuel, next several days of carb cleaner and it is still tight. I even heated it up trying to expand the block enough for the cleaning fuild to get in and still it is tight and wont move, I am afraid it is a loss cause. any ideas would help thanks

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

Holy jeez, are we all that old. rivermouse, if I member back in the 60's, we use to use turpentine to clean our engines. My grandfather would wonder where all his turpentine went.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

River, have you tried tearing the motor down? As I remember it isn't too hard. Been a few decades since I did one.

 

[rivermouse]

Re: Trying to crank a 50 year old model engine

River, have you tried tearing the motor down? As I remember it isn't too hard. Been a few decades since I did one.

I have taken it apart except the piston attached to the frozen flywheel which is stuck inside of the block. I really want to try and bring it back to life and it recaptures some of my young days in the early sixtys. Back then we had real toys. Kids today would kill themselves with some of them I bet..