How messy are gas engines?

[Kez]

Hi All,

I run mainly glow models but have a couple of electrics in my fleet. Electric has the advantage of being clean and quite reliable. Then I think if the typical oil mix for a gas (weedeater type) engine is about 5% (correct me if I am wrong as I have no gas experience), much less oil should come out the exhaust compared to a glow model. Is it the case in reality? Also would fuel proofing still be necessary? Can I use rattle can paint (Krylon or Rustoleum) on a gas boat?

Thanks,

Kez

 

[jnissen]

Gas is clean but not spotless. The typical accpted ratio of gas to oil is in the 6-7 oz to one gallon of gas. Some oil residue will come out but no where near like in a nitro motor. Like a typical weed trimmer.

Yes you can use rattle cans with gas but the finish will eventually be hard to maintain long term. Auto type two parts are the best for any gas or nitro boat. The base coat/clear coat technique is rather foolproof and fuel proof as well!

 

[JUICE]

I run mostly nitro boats but recently got into a gas boat. It is not as messy. The gas moter is more reliable and you dont have to do as much tuning.The bad thing is the smell of gas.

 

[nitrotoys]

Im with Juice on here, ran ALL NITRO Boats, got a Gas boat, and got it the way i want it. Old engine was tired, did a 260 kit on it, and ****, gas is so much easier. Dont need to haul so much with you, Just gas and radio, pull it and throw it in.

Am thinking i like gas better, but like the smell of NITRO and will keep running nitro.

 

[speakerboy]

i started out with gas .. did one nitro project and would never go back .. gas is so much easyer . and like they said .. radio . gas and a boat thats all .. right now i am trying to built up a 2.6 cc nitro cat hull with a pull starter .. i am NOT gonna bring those heavy stuff to the pond again ,. (its for my boy anyway)

i ve seen at least more than 15 guys switched from nitro to gas even the real die hards.. but after trowing ur nitro tunnel hull in for the 25 th time and die after 10 feet .. i can believe that u look with other eyes to the gas boys..... just pull the rope baby !

jerome

 

[nitrotoys]

Well nitro is for the people that love the SMELL and Challange. You chase all boats, gas, nitro and electric.

Nitro is more farting around with the needles, and getting it to run right, but when they run they run.

and to hear a nitro .21 spinning at 32,000+ RPM theres NOTHING LIKE IT.

Gas is throw and go. Its my play boat for at the lake. running nitro all the time is to expencive.

 

[Ian Inverarity]

The gas engines are easier to use and cleaner.

Personally I enjoy the nitro more, but have run gas and will again soon!

Nitrocrazed racing:G260 + rigger=fast enough to be exciting!

 

[Kez]

Thanks guys for your replies.

It seems that gas has the convenience and reliablity of electric and performance of a sport glow engine with long run time to boot.

I am ready to give it a try. I already have a project lined up that would be suitable for gas power. I see the prices for these gas engines range from $50 (from a weedeater) to several hundreds. Would I get satisfactory performance from an engine stripped from a weedeater? Can it be souped up?

Nitrotoys, I like the smell of nitro too but I think the smell actually comes from castor oil in the exhaust. Has anyone tried mixing castor oil in gasoline instead of motor oil?

Kez

 

[Propjockey]

What's the difference in operating temps between nitro and gas?

 

[speakerboy]

he prop .. good question ... answer : a lot ! gasoline is much hotter ! the normal header pipe connection with some silicone rubber is a NO go ...

weed eater engine are great fun engines speed between 25 and 35 mph .. may be 40 when hopped up ..

the real fun starts with a zenoah engine . even hopped up u can reach speed close to 60 mph .. some guys here run a 36 inch cat with a modded 260 doing more than 60 mph . .

than if u want some real 70mph + speed go for a outrigger QD combo ..

again speed might be a little less than the nitro engines .. than again .. we seen more than once that a gasboat beats a lot of nitros just becouse the reabilaty ..

pick ur style .

ooh smell of oil... try venom racing oil ore motul 800 ... u will have a "diff "smell than normal what can make u hooked on gas !

jerome

 

[Doubledog]

No joke.

I get my stuff ready before I leave the house & when I get to the water all I have to do is:

Flip two switches (one on the box & transmitter)

Pull the cord 2-5 times

Let it warm up and go!

Clean up takes about 15 minutes:

Pull the receiver/failsafe out of the box

Remove driveshaft, clean & lube

Spray boat down with Simple Green.

Ran nitro for 10 years, put the hobby down for 15 before coming back with a gas boat.

 

[nitrotoys]

Hell yes the PIPES are HOTTER on gas boats.

Zenoah is the only way to go.

nitro keeps pipes cooler cause of the fuel running through them.

 

[Mike T.]

Yeah, what Doubledog said. And the cheap and easy fuel. At the races, I spend most of my time helping guys get their nitro boats in the water.

 

[Ron Olson]

Well, look who else snuck in here and even joined up! Jim Nissen hisself! I guess that it's only fair, myself and a lot of others in here are members of his site also.

For anybody that doesn't know, he is the Jim of Jim's R/C Boat Dock, THE site for Gas boaters. Another Gasser coming over to where the "N" word is spoken freely and unashamedly! ;D

The "N" word is Nitro. Don't worry, it's all in fun over there.

Speakerboy, you have to show them some shots of your boats in here too! Works of art!

 

[rjg76]

I have to say from my experience so far, albeit very little, the gas wins hands down. Just walk to the water, turn on the radio gear, pull the cord and away you go.

I like them both, gas and nitro, but gas is alot easier and less stuff to carry all around. In addition, the inside of the boat isn't coated in oil... :-

-Robert

 

[Mike T.]

Yeah, I guess Jim got tired of all the beefin' about who's copied whose products, etc., on the gas board. ;D

 

[Propjockey]

Yeah, yeah....but face it. Nitro just sounds cool. Even the name, NITRO!

"My boat runs on gas." :

"My boat runs on nitro."

Which sounds better? Exactly! ;D

 

[Kez]

I can get a Homelite, Ryobi or a McCoulogh really inexpensively (by stripping them off a weed trimmer). Are these any good for boating use? Which of the three is the most powerful stock? Can these be modified?

For my first try at gas, I do not need racing speed. The goal is to power a big Vee or a Cruiser so that I can run it in large bodies of water.

Has anyone tried mixing castor oil and nitro methane in gas? I think nitro should boost power but might change the fuel/air mixture.

Kez

 

[Mike G]

Ok, of the 3 the homelite is the easiest to drop into a boat. If you are building your own set the rails at 5.5 inches instead of 5, this will give you more room. You will need to build your own mounts which is fairly easy.

Now performance. Stock with an opened up canister muffler and a big bore carb you might see 10,000 rpm which would give you a speed of 30-35 mph. If you port it, deck it, stuff it and put a pipe on it you could go 13k +++, but beware, the life expectancy will go way down. I would think fuel additives would leave you with a blown motor in no time. If these speeds aren't acceptable then just bite the bullet and get a zenoah right from the start, because once you do all the mods or speed the money to have someone else do them for you a stock zen will still pass you by and probably have spare change.

Good luck.

 

[speakerboy]

Ron , thanx for the compliment .. the guys from the dock liked the cat i guess ... now Jim(mr nissen) is the one who pointed my nose in the right direction a couple of years i think i own my building scail to him ..

Kaz .. Mike G (another well known gasser) .is giving u the only correct answer ..

i am glad to see that a lot of nitro guys finaly like the "easy going "of gas .. but it has to do with the fact that "gas " is no longer slow ..

smell of nitro . gives me a headache (realy) . but like i said before there are some realy good smelling motor oils ! (venom and motul800) ..

good luck !

jerome