Is that the Fat lady singing ?

[Tofastformellow]

i think that it sucks CMB charge what ever they want and the consumer just has to Bear it ...if we are spewing now wait for 5 years ...

Gas is cheaper , Much cheaper , Learn to do the Mods yourself , there is enough people who have put up info on places like Jims boat doc that will allow you to build a gas zenoah that goes hard with an arvo with the dremmel ...

Nitro is a once a month fix for me as the fuel and plugs are incredible expensive ... add to that the possibility of paying 500+ for a 21 motor and Then 900+ if you want something "competative"

itll become a two monthly fix , then a 6 monthly fix .

Then a not at all.

Gas is a usefull format , pump fuel , bigger hulls that take more chop . more user freindly

But

A nitro motor that runs 10% fuel is going to last us much longer than a motor that runs 70% nitro ..

my first boats had old old motors in them and those motors went for years and years ...

pushing motors the way we do now to be competative will limit the No of players that go forward into the future .

Then we got the Manu who has to build an engine that can hold together at these loads is expensive ....

if you got an old 70's ops motor and run it on 70% how long would it last without breaking the rod ???

we have told the companys to make better motors , stronger and Faster , and higher price .

The Fat lady has Nothing to do with it .

Its US.

Jason

 

[Tim_Duggan]

Fat lady singing?

If anything I've noticed a resurgence in 21 engine classes on the east coast of Australia in the last year or so. Riggers are predominatly CMB/MAC powered with a few of us still running Nova's. Mono's seem to have a broader mix of engines, and tunnel class is even broader (who would have thought that posssible 10 years ago)

As for Gas / nitro comparisons - they both have their advantages, and seem to appeal to different types of boaters. Some people find nitro engines too difficult to get their head around. Others find Gas engines are boring because they don't require as much effort / attention to detail to be competitive or are less challenging. (although it is beneficial in any class to put in the effort).

My last novarossi lasted 8 years and had maybe 4 sets of bearings and I replaced the rod from time to time for good measure. I've seen good value for money in that engine IMO! Especially when you consider that right up until it died it was at the pointy end of the field, winning plenty of races and setting plenty of fastest heat times. They are built tough!

I've seen plenty of zenoah's and Nitro engines break terminally in that period of time - but in the end Zenoah's are manufactured to power lawn maintenance equipment and we stress them to their limits by racing them in boats. Horses for courses.

It's a case of picking the horse that suits the individual.

 

[Preston_Hall]

The reasons the Fat Lady is singing

glow plugs, if you can get them and if the element is not crap when you get it

fuel, you do the math

gas and go, or charge field box batteries and then haul that with you along with the numerous support items glow requires

clean up, gas has none

durability, duct tape keeps you racing in the gas world. I have not seen a gas engine destroy itself yet. They usually only require a new jug.

versatility, a 260 can be raced in virtually any class. That sounds familiar as Tim has mentioned before that the glow world is flooded with classes.

availabity, you can actually buy a Zen or Zen parts any day of the week. We know what this is like for glow.

you never need a custom metal tank

I have really never seen a $100 gas prop give advantages that a $100 glow prop gives, therfore, you can make props yourself

On the flip side,

glow sounds neater

glow goes faster for some people

 

[Steve Sutton]

The reasons the Fat Lady is singing
glow plugs, if you can get them and if the element is not crap when you get it

fuel, you do the math

gas and go, or charge field box batteries and then haul that with you along with the numerous support items glow requires

clean up, gas has none

durability, duct tape keeps you racing in the gas world. I have not seen a gas engine destroy itself yet. They usually only require a new jug.

versatility, a 260 can be raced in virtually any class. That sounds familiar as Tim has mentioned before that the glow world is flooded with classes.

availabity, you can actually buy a Zen or Zen parts any day of the week. We know what this is like for glow.

you never need a custom metal tank

I have really never seen a $100 gas prop give advantages that a $100 glow prop gives, therfore, you can make props yourself

On the flip side,

glow sounds neater

glow goes faster for some people

Preston,

You have pretty much hit the mark spot on. I had never run or owned a gas boat until this year, and I had a great time with much less work and headaches. I ran a stock engine in our stock class, and also ran the same boat with the LSG modified boys and still held my own it that class. With the help of two excellent pit persons I even finsihed 3rd and 1st at two different races in the LSG modified class. Engine cost $200.00 bucks and it was all about having the right set up on the boat. Right pipe, right prop and everything working together for the best the boat and engine had to give. I didn't even have the fastest stock gas boat running in the stock class but it ran good enough. I thought the racing in the stock class was great as the playing field was very level and based on driving skills and boat set up rather than having the the biggest baddest modified engine that would make 2x4 go thru the water fast. I use to think very differently about gas boats until this last year and I had a very large / big friend of mine tell me many years ago that it was going to be the wave of the future in model boating. I didn't believe him then but time and equipment improvements have seem to proven him right. I know from watching you at a few races this last year driving the gas boats you seem to be having as much fun driving your gas boat as you were driving the nitro boats, and the competition was pretty intense. I know from my experince this last year and from past years that the gas boats are cheaper to operate and maintain than the nitro class boats I have owned.

 

[Roxyflash]

I run both goin to run more gas this year cost being the main issue.If you run nitro better have your wallet ready for supplies.Nitro and plugs need to be bought when the clubs buy in bulk or you pay more.So its money up front kinda of thing for me.My gas engine ran the same plug for two years lol.Try that on nitro!Plus i only need to buy a gallon of gas at a time to run gas boat.I mod my own zenoahs so the motors are cheap compared to the hot running nitro engines.Dont get me wrong i still have more nitro boats than gas.I cant afford to go racing as dont have cash to travel.For the average guy playing around with fun type boats gas is the way.Its not like the older homelite days.It really dont take much get get 50 to 60 mph in gas boats anymore.Plus you get alot more run time per fill up.Must be the reason i havent bought any new nitro engines in the last 3 years i can buy two zenoahs for one cmb.The thing i really dont understand is the zenoah has more parts than the nitro but is way cheaper.Must be the reason japanese cars and trucks are taking over dont see many italian cars and trucks running down the highway.Dependable reasonnably priced great quality and good resale.Also most are being made in the usa wonder why Ford is looking to see how they can compete against Toyota.More bang for the buck in my theory.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Something I have noticed is with the .67 sized engines, I can't find anyplace that sells them any more. I can find the little .12's, the .21's and even a couple of .45's, but no .67s. Do any of you now where to find a CMB .67? From what I can tell, O. S. doesn't even make one anymore, Mecoa is slow and unreliable when ordering a K&B and the only place I've seen Picco's is at Blazer's site. Kind of bad that a few years ago it was easy to find engines, but now I find only a few parts here and there.

 

[shoboat]

Hydro Junkie,

I have plenty of CMB 21,45,67,80,or 91's available. Just let me know how many you need?

Thanks,

Mark Sholund

Email at: [email protected]

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Hydro Junkie,
I have plenty of CMB 21,45,67,80,or 91's available. Just let me know how many you need?

Thanks,

Mark Sholund

Email at: [email protected]

You have a PM waiting

 

[mike]

I just got back into boating about 3+ years ago after several years of being out of the hobby, I started with nitro boats and still have them, the things I noticed most was the fuel costs, & glow plugs. A nitro motor is more finicy on the needle settings etc. I changed over because of the simplicity of the gassers, fuel costs and no glow plugs. The larger boats fit our 40 acre lake better (wind). I did go to electric start though. I have a mac 45 that will eat a plug each run! The gassers dont use near the fuel either I run about 20 miles on a mod Zenoah, thats 5 runs on about 200 ml of fuel per run. I run between 15 and 35 miles per outing and a gallon of fuel lasts a month or more. we have 3 fellows running cats at almost 70 mph, 3 of our riggers are just shy of 80 with a mod Zenoah or QD's. They do cost more initally but in the longer run are cheaper, I run once sometimes twice a week, a whole new lower end case bearings & crank, about 85 dollars, carbs 20 dollars etc. The gassers are all weather boats as well, we run all winter if its not frozen over, and the GPS fits in all of them. I love the looks, smell, and sound of nitro boats better though.

For a forgetful older guy like me the gas is easier, but then different strokes for different folks!!

I hope I do not offend anyone, just my personal reasons.

mike sr