How to tell which motor I have.

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How to tell which motor I have.

Postby JoeLem » Wed Apr 14, 2010 3:21 pm

I recently purchased a P-38 with K&B engines on it and have no idea what size they are. I think they are 45's but may be 61's. is there any way i can tell the difference? Guy I bought the plane from said they were 52's but K&B doesn't make a 52 that I know of. Any help with this. there are no markings on the cases.
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Postby chiefss » Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:06 pm

K&B didn't make motors so they must be engines. If they are 61's it will say on the side of the engine. The 61 was also a ball bearing engine. The 45's were Sportsters and cheap plain bearing engines.

None of the Sportsters had the engine size on them. The 20 and 28 are exactly the same size and impossible to tell apart without measuring the bore and stroke. The 45 was considerably bigger than the average 40/45 size engine and the 65 was huge compared to an average 60/61.
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Thanks

Postby JoeLem » Thu Apr 15, 2010 3:37 am

Yes I am talking about Engines, Sorry. Thanks for the info though. I think they are 45's. Just wonder why K&B did not stamp their Engines with the size. It can not cost that much to do in the manufacturing process.
JoeLem
 
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Postby chiefss » Thu Apr 15, 2010 1:21 pm

They were designed as very inexpensive (cheap) engines. The head gasket was a rubber O ring, the cylinder was plain aluminum and the aluminum piston was chrome plated. The crank bearing wase just the steel shaft riding in the aluminum crankcase. No bronze bushing. This was the series of engines that put K&B out of business after about 45 years.

Mecoa bought out rights and machinery and produces them today. Now they do have a bronze bushed crank bearing. This was the only "large" engine series that K&B neglected to put the size on the crakcase. They came as a 20, 28, 45, and 65.
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