Welcome to Club SAITO !
10-23-2021, 07:25 AM
Lonnie, thanks for mentioning prop tip tracking. All too often people refer to static balance alone as a gold standard.
Pedro,
Machining up a pipe and bending to suit is an option, as well as using a home made elbow. I like to make round top elbows which can be drilled at most any angle as needed.
Another trick is an adapter busihing with perhaps a 10mm male thread and a 12mm female thread to allow using a larger pipe.
The face of the adapter butting up against the exhaust face makes for a strong joint, especially if a bit of anerobic teflon sealant is applied at assembly.
These very lightweight pipes are strong, engine friendly (To the exhaust threads) and sound fantastic.
Metrics Ulimited in Warren Michigan is good source for quality metric hex bar stock.
Machined to size flange ring prior to silver brazing in place
Pedro,
Machining up a pipe and bending to suit is an option, as well as using a home made elbow. I like to make round top elbows which can be drilled at most any angle as needed.
Another trick is an adapter busihing with perhaps a 10mm male thread and a 12mm female thread to allow using a larger pipe.
The face of the adapter butting up against the exhaust face makes for a strong joint, especially if a bit of anerobic teflon sealant is applied at assembly.
These very lightweight pipes are strong, engine friendly (To the exhaust threads) and sound fantastic.
Metrics Ulimited in Warren Michigan is good source for quality metric hex bar stock.
Machined to size flange ring prior to silver brazing in place
10-23-2021, 10:01 AM
Senior Member
Gary, that adapter you sent makes this 65 pipe look good on there, this is a late 56 with the forward vent. It has a skinned up prop driver that I'll replace soon. It has a G on the right lug.
10-23-2021, 10:25 AM
Hey Guys
Flew the the Monocoupe ( Gary) a couple days ago. Thought a quick report in order. Didn't get any suggestions on the engine canting question on the thread. The cg was ok as flown. The maiden required full down trim as it started to hang on its nose after the climb out. Made a mechanical adjustment on the ground and it got me back trim to work with and flies great. I think a bit of down and right would have been appropriate for this airframe. The standard 150 fires up with MINIMAL compression and has plenty o power to haul it around at 16 pounds.
The video ain't great but it does show the ballooning after climb out. Brian did a great job trimming it out and getting it flying flat. Turn the volume down to avoid the goof ball comments eh.
Flew the the Monocoupe ( Gary) a couple days ago. Thought a quick report in order. Didn't get any suggestions on the engine canting question on the thread. The cg was ok as flown. The maiden required full down trim as it started to hang on its nose after the climb out. Made a mechanical adjustment on the ground and it got me back trim to work with and flies great. I think a bit of down and right would have been appropriate for this airframe. The standard 150 fires up with MINIMAL compression and has plenty o power to haul it around at 16 pounds.
The video ain't great but it does show the ballooning after climb out. Brian did a great job trimming it out and getting it flying flat. Turn the volume down to avoid the goof ball comments eh.
10-23-2021, 10:56 AM
My Feedback: (27)
Gary
I have live tools on a turret I can use with the CNC lathe. Drilling at a 90 degree angle from the part being held in a collet would be no problem. I need to think about it a while to see if there is a way I could produce a hole at a 60 dregree angle. I still wonder why that exhaust manifold broke in the first place. I think I have been flying that plane for over 5 years with that set up. It was a first for me. I wonder if the usual suppliers for parts that did not have it any more indicates that there was a problem with it.
I'm going to send you an email about working with aluminum....not Saito related... more ham radio antenna, so I wont take up space here.
I have live tools on a turret I can use with the CNC lathe. Drilling at a 90 degree angle from the part being held in a collet would be no problem. I need to think about it a while to see if there is a way I could produce a hole at a 60 dregree angle. I still wonder why that exhaust manifold broke in the first place. I think I have been flying that plane for over 5 years with that set up. It was a first for me. I wonder if the usual suppliers for parts that did not have it any more indicates that there was a problem with it.
I'm going to send you an email about working with aluminum....not Saito related... more ham radio antenna, so I wont take up space here.
10-23-2021, 11:27 AM
10-23-2021, 11:28 AM
Gary
I have live tools on a turret I can use with the CNC lathe. Drilling at a 90 degree angle from the part being held in a collet would be no problem. I need to think about it a while to see if there is a way I could produce a hole at a 60 dregree angle. I still wonder why that exhaust manifold broke in the first place. I think I have been flying that plane for over 5 years with that set up. It was a first for me. I wonder if the usual suppliers for parts that did not have it any more indicates that there was a problem with it............
I have live tools on a turret I can use with the CNC lathe. Drilling at a 90 degree angle from the part being held in a collet would be no problem. I need to think about it a while to see if there is a way I could produce a hole at a 60 dregree angle. I still wonder why that exhaust manifold broke in the first place. I think I have been flying that plane for over 5 years with that set up. It was a first for me. I wonder if the usual suppliers for parts that did not have it any more indicates that there was a problem with it............
10-23-2021, 11:34 AM
Pedro,
Just happened to recall that many of the early Saito 80 were supplied with aluminum exhaust pipes. If that is the case here, almost all did, or will break! (By defintion, not really a "header")
It would and does take some major abuse or accident to fracture the steel pipes! Extreme vibes somewhere near the Richter Scale-perhaps
I usually use those bent pipes with thetrash can mufflers in order to tuck the muffler close to the airframe. Often altering the bend as needed.
Always hang on to those pipes!
Just happened to recall that many of the early Saito 80 were supplied with aluminum exhaust pipes. If that is the case here, almost all did, or will break! (By defintion, not really a "header")
It would and does take some major abuse or accident to fracture the steel pipes! Extreme vibes somewhere near the Richter Scale-perhaps
I usually use those bent pipes with thetrash can mufflers in order to tuck the muffler close to the airframe. Often altering the bend as needed.
Always hang on to those pipes!
Last edited by Jesse Open; 10-23-2021 at 11:38 AM.
10-23-2021, 12:16 PM
My Feedback: (27)
Gary.....you win the prize. I just checked it and it is aluminum. A magnet will not stick to it. The new ones I bought on Ebay will stick to a magnet. Funny...I just sent you an email about another aluminum problem.
10-23-2021, 05:48 PM
My Feedback: (1)
I start the reamer in the front of the prop hub. If for any reason the reamed hole ends up out of perpendicularity with the hub face the prop can many times be salvaged by turning the prop over and reaming to a larger size part way through the prop hub from the rear. In this case the prop will center on the crankshaft at the front and rest flat against the prop drive washer/hub at the rear when tightened up. In fact, reaming a hole that fits the crankshaft in front and a larger one in the rear is per APC's recommendations.
Lonnie I have done that before when I screwed up. but I didn't know APC recommends it, but I can see why they do. and it's easier to do with a stepped reamer
thanks for the feed back guys!! I don't have a drill press, I used my friends. but I hate to ask him. I would like to buy one but I wouldn't use it for much more than the props
Jim
10-23-2021, 07:34 PM
10-24-2021, 03:29 AM
Senior Member
The Saito 50 I ran the other day has the galvanized/mottled appearance, the A on right would indicate that it's a second run of the 50. Maybe.
Last edited by 1200SportsterRider; 10-24-2021 at 03:30 AM. Reason: Edit
10-24-2021, 03:56 AM
Pedro,
I should have recalled the aluminum pipe fiasco when first reading your posting.
Those aluminum pipes were pretty and light but very prone to breakage. The 80 was a very popular engine when they first appeared. Easily the fastest selling Saito at the hobby shop where I worked at that time. We had a rash of broken pipes until Saito wisely gave up on the aluminum. To make things even stranger, the darn things actually appear to have been castings! Later on, Saito began to make their 90 degree elbows. Once again, they stooped to using castings, also once again a large percentage of breakage. That is when I began making my own from aluminum and brass bar stock, the brass were my preferred type. No breakage problems there.
I should have recalled the aluminum pipe fiasco when first reading your posting.
Those aluminum pipes were pretty and light but very prone to breakage. The 80 was a very popular engine when they first appeared. Easily the fastest selling Saito at the hobby shop where I worked at that time. We had a rash of broken pipes until Saito wisely gave up on the aluminum. To make things even stranger, the darn things actually appear to have been castings! Later on, Saito began to make their 90 degree elbows. Once again, they stooped to using castings, also once again a large percentage of breakage. That is when I began making my own from aluminum and brass bar stock, the brass were my preferred type. No breakage problems there.
10-24-2021, 04:21 AM
The FA50 looks like an old girl alright. Being subjected to many years of corrosive elements can leave a tattered finish. When I see old weathered engines like that it pleases me to think of all those years of joy it brought to someone. 
10-24-2021, 04:31 AM
Senior Member
It's similar to some of the old houses I see around here, there will be a new house beside it with no one living in the old one. I often wonder how many Thanksgivings and Christmases it saw. If only they could talk.
You're right, that applies to engine also.
You're right, that applies to engine also.
10-24-2021, 05:26 AM
Dave,
I get the same feeling when using the various old radios that I have brought back to life over the years! Imagining all the hours on air, people I never knew, working stations all over the world.
Likewise all those 30 to 90 year old motorcycles; All those people, all the miles and all the places. Memories that came and went. Long gone.
Using this station right now, as we write! Transmitters and receiver built 1960, restored between 2001 and 2020. Work like new.
All too often, that mottled patina is the result of the original Saito finish stripped by chemicals used in a cleaning attempt.
That bare alloy under the Saito factory finish just aint too pretty.
I get the same feeling when using the various old radios that I have brought back to life over the years! Imagining all the hours on air, people I never knew, working stations all over the world.
Likewise all those 30 to 90 year old motorcycles; All those people, all the miles and all the places. Memories that came and went. Long gone.
Using this station right now, as we write! Transmitters and receiver built 1960, restored between 2001 and 2020. Work like new.
All too often, that mottled patina is the result of the original Saito finish stripped by chemicals used in a cleaning attempt.
That bare alloy under the Saito factory finish just aint too pretty.
Last edited by Jesse Open; 10-24-2021 at 05:36 AM.
10-24-2021, 02:58 PM
My Feedback: (27)
The only radio I owned of that vintage was a Galaxy 300 back when I had a novice ticket. I strung a wire antenna up in the attic of a top floor apartment I had at that time. I worked the world with that radio. Then the land lord found out what I was doing. The TV antenna was on the roof of the building about 10 feet above the wire antenna I had in the attic. I was quickly asked to find another place to live because they were having problems watching TV when I was on the air.
10-24-2021, 08:36 PM
Wow Dave, I missed this one till now. That fat pipe looks great on the 56! Pretty darn solid, yet very lightweight. No worries about the fearsome stress fractures there
Should also produce that lovely "poit poit poit" sound when idling. Well worth the price of admission to Club Saito.
Last edited by Jesse Open; 10-25-2021 at 05:24 AM.
10-26-2021, 03:50 AM
Dave,
Nice setup
Slider,
I convert every FG that I get over to methanol fuel. Well worth the effort IMHO
Before the conversion they all collected dust
Nice setup
Slider,
I convert every FG that I get over to methanol fuel. Well worth the effort IMHO
Before the conversion they all collected dust
Last edited by Jesse Open; 10-26-2021 at 08:34 AM.
11-06-2021, 06:53 AM
Senior Member
Between cutting logs to 24" length and splitting them, I have been scrounging for Saito 50 GK parts. This engine is all new save for the carb, cam box, prop drive and the rocker covers. I think it needs a name. I cleaned the old cam box, used surface prep and then painted it with Ceramic based paint, then baked at 250 for 2 hours. It looks good, I think. The crankshaft is a late, long, good one.
