Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

I have a couple of the engines being discussed, one a .40 and the other a .45. The .40 is a perfect match for a RCM 40 trainer, honest.

donkey doctor

Hello; I have all those 40/45/50/56/62 Saitos. I built a little bracket out of a piece of the cutter strip on a wax paper roller, I can'ty find the picture, but basically, it is a broad triangle with a bend in it to span the two back (top) cover screws.

For me the Saito 45 was the first functional trustworthy engine that came to me. I think I must own the most neglected one on the planet, I donated it to our club trainer and over the years, I replaced all but four of five parts. Two cases four cranks, three cams, five intake pipes. It is the only engine (glow) that I have seen with a hole in the piston. It still runs great.

I have a 45S that I bought from a fellow in Englend, It came NIB so I haven't run it. It looks like a 45 with a 50's carb and pipe. I have bought and sold many of these engines, and despite all the abuse, I've never seen a bad one. I've run many 50's too, they're great too.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

Doc, I have one the last .50s sold

The Raven

Thanks to everyone that's answered.

The pics Hobbsy posted shows the differences between the two engines I have.

Donkey Doctor, thanks very much for the suggested fix. It's simple but, something I failed to get around to considering.

I can now order bearings and make the replacement carb.

Next trick is to hunt down gasket sets and the pushrod tube seals (rubber pieces at both ends). Fuel tubing will work as quick/cheap fix for the top of the pushrod tubes but I'll need to look into the bottom seals.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=SAI5040

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...rodID=SAI5632B

The Raven

Thanks w8ye,

The pushrod tubes you have pictured suit what I believe is the FA-45 MKII engine (correct me if I've swapped designations) but won't suit my S engine as it uses straight cut smooth tubing of a different length.

The mounting faces for the various gaskets appear identical but the S crankcase must use a much thicker gasket on the back cover (I just reassembled it sans gaskets and found it hits the crank pin).

According to Horizon I have both a C and D engine as denoted by their part numbering system. So, once I've sorted out all the parts needed an order will be placed...in the meantime I'll need a puller for the prop driver so I can remove all the bearings and clean things up.

Alas, the Eindecker isn't going to be flying this weekend so I'll have to break out the P-40 (which mysteriously suffered a failing receiver last weekend - prior to flight). I won't mention the engine in the P-40 as I'm sure some of the Saito 'elite' would cringe to hear it mentioned.

BTW, the crankcase for the S does not share the same markings as many Saitos. The name and size are stamped rather than cast.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Those parts would more likely fit the "45S" engine but some of it will work on the 45MKII engine. They are all FA56 parts.

You can get a Rear vent FA56 back plate to cut down and likely get both engines running

The current FA56 needle valve will fit the 45 MKII in spite of it looking different.

You can get new rings from Frank Bowman and bearings from RCBearings

donkey doctor

Hello Raven; I use shrinking wire insulation for the bottom of the push rod tubes, and regular o-rings for the top. Any auto parts store (that's any good) will have a huge o-ring kit that you can search through. I usually cut my own gaskets, you can use newspaper, wax paper, or thin card stock, or most anything you have around. I just went for a look, and I have 4 45s,3 50s, 1 40, 1 56, and 1 62.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I have seen silicone fuel tubing used as pushrod boots on the bottom too as well as neoprene

The gasket under the cam box should be .008"-.012" or as close as you can to .2mm -.3mm to assure gear mesh clearance of the cam gear.

kevinkenny

Just finished another repair on another bad purchase on E bay, A Saito 91. I had to replace the bearings, a dented intake manifold, bent pushrod cover and I added a new intake stack for the carburetor while I was at it, total cost of the parts $73 and the e bay bid price was $178 making a total of $251 while a new engine is $310.00. The Saito 180 I bought two months ago came with a bend crank shaft and cost $131 in parts to repair, I paid $196 on E bay while a new engine is $460 a saving of $133. I still have some extra parts( Bearings) I did not need but had purchased anyway. The good news is that I can now take any engine apart with ease and feel totally competent to carry out any repair on any engine being completely green just three months ago. Having said all of that I have so far purchase six engines on E bay and only two needed to be repaired. Certainly I am not buying any engine with any dent, big scratch in future. Food for thought.

Kevin

Rudolph Hart

That's a good result for a lot of frustration at times kennydon't feel like buying a 325 and road testing it with a keleo exhaust collector ring do you mate??..only way we'll get an answer..

MILDBILL-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

I had bought 2 saito .45's back in 1982. Both being mkII. I had a bad crash the first year & broke the same tab off one of my back plates. I made a small bracket out of a peice of metal In "83" & retaped the threads to 4/40 in the carb. & it has been fine ever since. The engines are currently going into a twin I'm bashing together. These are great little engines. Mine have the smaller cams, but with the flying I do, they are a perfect match. Enjoy, Bill (sorry for the fuzzy photos, cel phone camara)

kevinkenny

My 180 is enough of a challenge thanks. Just got back from running the last tank through it as a finial break in. I find it idles very rough though. At idle It was very rich so I screwed the idle jet in a full turn and a half. It got better certainly less smoke. In mid range it still seems very rich as well. At full throttle it is very smooth. I will try to balance the propeller again and see if that it the problem. Any suggestions?

Kevin

mike early

I had to turn my low side needle way way in on my 180. Surprisingly far in. I am not the first (or second) owner of this engine. All I can say is the first few guys had the low end way too rich.

kevinkenny

Hi Mike

The manuel say to set the low speed jet one and a half turns in from dead level and then adjust from there. So I am three turns in from dead level. Are you saying you went in even further than that?

Kevin

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

You should adjust the low speed needle to get the engine to run properly and not go by turns count alone.

frets24

My Feedback: (15)

Hey everyone,
This may not be exactly the right place for this but I may save someone similar frustration. (besides, spinners go on motors)

My LHS informed me that a part I really needed was NLA due to the mfg having out of business.[&o]
After searching for a cba p51 spinner new old stock and hunting down every possible internet site and hobbyshop from Atlanta to Calgary to New Zealand to no avail, I entered some "fortunate mistake" in the search criteria that led me to Mecoa inc. who appearantly bought out cb/tatone and is now shipping most of the old and familiar products. yay!

http://www.mecoa.com/


for the old spinners like the 3 1/2' P-51 red spinner part # CBA5073 it is now CB507(3/5/7) (red/black/white)
3 1/2 P-40 spinners CBA508(5/7/9) (red/black/white) now CB508(5/7/9)


Tell your local hobbyshop so they can get this stuff again....even Sig mfg, the old distributer of those great cb spinners, had no idea that they were available again, and niether did any of the numerous places I called or emailed.

They will also mail order direct by CC or even paypal

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...nner%3C%2Fb%3E

Tru-Turn 3 1/2" P-51

frets24

My Feedback: (15)

Thank you for the tip W8ye.
I was aware that Tru-Turn and Dave Brown mfg had a P-51 spinner available, but they're pretty spendy and difficult for the display spinner design I had in mind! I needed an uncut cone that I could cut and score easily as well as repair mistakes should I get too wild with the Dremel.

NOTE to any of our club Saito brothers in New Zealand..........................
If you are ever in the Hastings area or are aquainted with the 436 hobby shop there-abouts please pass along a heart felt thanks to the mom and pop owners for passing along that same mecoa info at about the same time I happened upon it myself. I had placed an order with them and provided my CC info. They could've really done me over on things costwise and shipping but instead declined the order and directed me to mecoa's website. Great folks! TIA

alpal

Dear W8ye,I am struggling with the btiming for the 300t. I have read and reread the posts relating to this topic but still have got it wrong!! I have another 300t that runs and notice that the right exhaust closes just before left exhaust opens, but on the one I am working on they are moving together (right is closing as left opening ) with some overlap. So obviously I got it wrong.
I am taking right TDC first and lining up dimple with crankshaft then rotating 360 degrees to do left same way.....also with a dimple. My question is what am I doing wrong?? It seems that the crank gear is fairly well defined as the spot for TDC and the dimple on the gear gives the tooth that should mate with the groove, it seems one could get it one tooth out, but unlikley? On the left cam gear there is a line as well as a dimple, I have tried lining this up, but it doesn't give me the result I want (as described on the "good" engine.
I am tearing my hair out! Is there another way??
I would very much appreciate some help here .
All the best
Alex

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I did one once by trial and error by placing the intake/exhaust overlap period of the left cylinder at top dead center of the non compression stroke.

It ran well

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

d. Position the left cam gear timing
mark (etched line) at the 3 o’clock
position (directly into the crankcase)
and secure the left cam gear housing.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Confirm that your exhaust overlap for the right cylinder is very close to TDC. This will confirm that the right cylinder is set correctly.

Do this by removing the right hand valve covers and observing that one valve is barely open and the other is almost closed at TDC of the cylinder and that they are both open the same amount. This is done on the overlap stroke of the cylinder and not the compression stroke.

After you set the left cam using the line instead of the dot, confirm it the same way.


When you are done and everything is correct, The right cylinder will be on TDC with both valves closed and will have compression. At the same time without moving the engine crankshaft, the left cylinder will be in the center of this overlap stroke I'm talking about with one valve barely open and the other almost closed but equal across the rocker arms. Then you can turn the crankshaft 360 degrees and observe the same thing with the left cylinder at TDC and compression with the right cylinder having one valve almost closed and the other partially open.

You can use a small knife blade jamed into the cam gear teeth to hold the cam in position as you insert it.

speedreader72

I have been out of rc for about 20 years and wow so much has changed. My son and I started flying electric and have been having a great time at it. We (thats what i tell my wife) to put a scale warbird together for a fall/winter project. I bought a hangar 9 blue nose mustang and a saito 125. Is this too much motor or what kind of fuel should i use in it.