Hello all!
I am new to glow R/C boats (had a couple electric ones when I was younger) but not new to glow engines. I have been futzing with glow planes and cars for 20 years. I have a few questions about my new K&B 1.00 outboards which are being built as we speak :) . MY questions are as follows:
#1: I see that the recommended fuel is 25% nitro. I did not see a recommended oil type/percentage recommendation, however. Since K&B brand fuel is unfortunately not shipped outside the L.A. area, I have been poking around trying to find another brand of 25% boat formulation fuel. I have not been successful. What about 30% O'Donnell boat fuel? Is this engine sensitive to nitro to that extent or will that work fine? I love O'Donnell fuel and use it almost exclusively in cars and planes. If this fuel is acceptable, would the #7300 colder heat plug that's recommended for over 25% nitro work well?
#2: Also, since I live FAR away (100+miles) from the nearest hobby store, I would have to pay big brother's $20 EPA surcharge on each case of fuel which at that nitro percentage is extremely expensive to begin with. I'll do that if I have to but would rather not. Being a Chemistry PhD student, I know where I can get very reasonably-priced laboratory-grade Methanol and Nitromethane. All I need is some Klotz castor. Any recommendations as far as oil percentage? Or should I go with synthetic? I happen to be kind of old-school when it comes to being a castor lover :) .
#3: Would it be possible to increase the compression ratio and convert the engines to gasoline power with CDI hall-effect ignitions and 1/4-32 spark plugs? That would save BIG on fuel even over mixing it myself. Just an idea at this point but thought it would be worth asking. If it would kill my top-end power too much though, I'll stick with glow.
#4: How large of a fuel tank will I need for each 1.00ci engine? I was thinking 1000cc would be about right, but please let me know. What kind of running time could I expect from a Liter of fuel?
#5: I did not see in the picture a muffler of any sort on the engine. It looks as though the exhaust goes out the back of the sleeve into the casting for the lower unit and out the four holes drilled underneath. I am not worried about noise as I live about 25 miles from a traffic light and have my own lake access with dock and a nice lake about 1.5miles across to have fun on. I am concerned, however, that the instructions say that the engine is designed to run with muffler pressure into the tank. Is there a pressure tap nipple somewhere on the engine? If not, where do I drill and tap?
#6: I also noticed that there is a servo-operated mixture control for the engine similar to a ducted fan engine. Any recommendations on how far from the engine is acceptable to mount it, and/or height in relation to the carburetor?
#7: Almost done! :wink: Is it acceptable to use a fuel tank designed for airplanes? Is there really any difference? I have not been able to find a tank 1000cc+ that is specifically for boats.
Thanks for any help!
Tyler