Capt Lou

I have a Saito FA-100. While flying the cam shaft cesaed on me. When I opened the cam housing, I discovevered that the cam gear, shaft, tappets, etc were bone dry with no lubricating oil. Isn't the cam supposed to be lubricated?

This caused the cam to cease while I was flying. The engine was running (and went dead stick) causing the force of the crankshaft spline being moved by ignition to break teeth on the cam gear that had just cesed up. When I opened the cam housing, I found the broken teeth in the housing, was unable to turn the cam shaft, and the entire inside of the cam housing did not have any lubriaction. I thought the cam area was to be lubricated by my fuel. The combustion chamber including bearings, piston, piston pin, shaft, and crank shaft were well lubricated with oil. My breather fitting is located on the back of the rear crank cover.

Can anyone tell me how the cam area is to be lubricated and what may have caused the cam not to get lubricated? I am considering rebuilding the engine and want to make sure that I correct the problem. Also, I use Powermaster 20/20 fuel so I don't think it was a fuel problem especially since the crank shaft/piston was well lubricated.

Thank you for any assistance you provide.

Capt Lou

Capt Lou

As a follow up to my post, Does anyone know where to get Saito parts at good prices? I know Horizon Hobbies sells Saito parts but is this the best palce to go or can you can recommed another source.

Thanks,
Capt Lou

davidgeorge212

Do any of you guys have one of the saito gassers like the 14?

blw

My Feedback: (3)

Here you go, Captain,

http://www.advantagehobby.com/?cat=383

Rudolph Hart

Hello captain,as far as i know there has only been one previous mention of dry cam areas and that was with a 115,also with the rear breather nipple.Every now and then i pop one of the valve covers off my 115 and drop a bit of atf down the tube,no dramas yet and it's my favourite engine so far.Maybe others could comment

rcdude7

My Feedback: (264)

As far as I know horizon is the exclusive importer of saito for the US. Maybe ebay?

Kostas1

Putting some drops of lubricant from one pushrod tube is enough ?

Rudolph Hart

Where do you think the other one goes?

blw

My Feedback: (3)

No,they aren't the exclusive retailer. While Advantage Hobby has excellent parts prices for the U.S., Chief Aircraft usually has the best new engine prices.

panhndl

My Feedback: (10)

There is a guy selling a Saito 90 R3 new in the old silver box. I was wondering if the engine has had any modifications since the silver box was retired? How old would the engne be if its in a silver box? Anything I should know about the old silver box 90 R3's?

GaGeeBees

My Feedback: (23)

So lemme get this straight, it's the one in a silver box then?

panhndl

My Feedback: (10)

Heh, yeah. Guess I didn't proof read that.

Sharpeye22

Hi all,
Just thought I would update you the status on my 72A. When I tore into it I found that not only did the big end of the connecting rod break but the small in enlongated as well. I checked the piston where the piston pin goes through and found it was ever so slightly enlongated. I replaced the piston, piston pin, piston ring, the small white pin retainers, and while I was at it I replaced the black plastic backplate with an aluminum one.

The engine it back together, run in on my test stand, and is now back into the P51 and ready for some more outside loops.

The reason for the piston connecting rod failure has not been determined however the engine is running better than ever.

Capt Lou

I believe I found the answer to my lubrication issue of the cam. A friend told me that he read a magazine article that stated you should stand your plane on its spinner/nose when storing it as the lubricant from the crankshaft housing will flow forward past the main bearings into the cam area. I rebuilt my engine and can see how this will occur. When I broke down the engine to repair, there was plenty of oil in the crank housing and had I stood the palne on its nose, it would have flowed into the cam.

GaGeeBees

My Feedback: (23)

I had one and it was a great little engine. Not the most powerful, but ran great. I'm not aware of an updated version beyond the silver box edition.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I have a silver box one.

The only difference with the new ones is that they new ones come with the Saito SS plugs

Beej

Hi All,

I have a virtually new Saito 100 and was just adjusting the valve clearances following break-in but overtightened one of the rocker arm screws. The overtightening stripped out and fractured the threaded part of the rocker bracket. the exploded view in the manual makes it look as though I can just replace the rocker bracket but when I look at the engine it's not clear to me that the rocker bracket is separate to the cylinder. Do I need a new cylinder (!!!).

Thanks!

Beej

Capt Lou

I just rebuilt my FA-100 and the rocker arm bracket looked like it was part of the head which does not make any sense but I did not have to disassemble it. However, I looked at the owner's manual and the engine diagram/parts show the bracket as a separate part that appears to be screwed onto the cyclinder head. If you don't have one, go on line and get an owner's manual and you will see it on page 18.

Ken6PPC

The actual rocker arm:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=SAI5041

pivots on this part:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=SAI5043

The pivots are pins that screw into the "ears" that extend upwards from the cylinder. If you look at them from the side, you will see a straight screw driver slot. All you do is unscrew the pin to remove the rocker arm. It isn't difficult once you realize how it comes apart.

Take a look at the bare cylinder in this picture, and you will see where the "ears" I referred to where the rocker arm pivots go.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...rodID=SAI10001

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

If the rocker arm pivot mount is part of the head, and the thread is stripped out, I wonder if you can send it in for service, where they can insert a heli-coil into it to save the head? You could call Horizon Hobby service and ask.

Just my $.02

Bob

earlwb

Horizon Hobbies would not expend the time and effort to repair the stripped out thread for the rocker arm pivot.
I would contact Clarence Lee and see if he can do something for it.
One thought is to machine a new pivot shaft with the next size larger thread size. You can alternate between metric to SAE to metric to SAE and so on, or vice versa,  without having to go up too large in thread size.

But I think the OP had stripped out the thread in the rocker arm itself. So since it is easy to get new rocker arms I would go that route first, rather than machining up a new rocker arm.

Cherokee Flyer

I agree call Lee Mfg, if it can be fixed, he can do it. You can not buy just the bracket for the 100, it is one of the few that you can't.
He does good work and they are fast!!

Clarence F. Lee MFG Co
10112 Woodward Ave.
Sunland, CA 91040

(818) 352-3766


L.

Beej

Dear All,

Many thanks for your suggestions and PMs. Really appreciate it. However, I think I have led most of you astray with my initial description where I omitted a key word - it was the bolt from the rocker arm COVER that I over-tightened. Consequently I both stripped out and fractured the seating in the rocker arm bracket. See photo for the damage (red circle). I don't think it will be a simple matter of re-tapping by any means. Looking at the exploded view in the manual it appears that there is a rocker arm bracket (part #44) but when you look across at the 100 (QQ) - it's not available. Looks like it is cast into the cylinder in the 100 and I'm going to need a whole new cylinder. Happy be corrected!! Once again sorry for the initial confusion in my first post and I really appreciate the generosity of spirit from those who have posted in response.

cheers,

Beej

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

You are correct, the 100 has the rocker cover screw holes cast into the main cylinder. You will need a new cylinder.

The 120, 120s, 150s, 180 and 220 are the only singles to have replaceable rocker arm stands

earlwb

Still it would not hurt to see if Clarence Lee can do something to fix it.