preventative motor maintenance

[Mike Larson]

With winter waning i've actually gained time for a few inspections, and look for input on replacement of bearings and rod/pin assemblies.....

granted, some of my stuff is nasty inside and due a total rebuild, I dont like to break torque on heads just to inquire need for replacement

the handful of motors I tested last fall ran, and while making the 2 races I did, it was a hope they hold toghether thing..........

Posting to help not only a few boaters aviod the inevitable rod through the case scenario or other various interesting failures occuring.......

Do you: automatically replace bearings each season?..... what sign, if any, besides possibly dinging plugs constantly, next to a fracture and chips imbedding in the head button, do you have before a drastic failure occurs and you eat a prized engine?..... radial crank play?... sucking air, and a picky/run away engine?... loss of launch ability?....... short of "feel for a tick", and removal and inspection with a magnifying glass.....

I dont run the very high per cent nitro some may..... it's middle of the spectrum, and considered high oil...... 45/16 maintenance is bar none on my stuff....... peace of mind and reliabilty has had me gain years on some nova engines, and they are due their best...... ideas, and basic replacement are hoped upon.....

Rods, and wrist pins..... i've regained a micrometer..... generally to this point i've inquired, and 4 thousandths seems to be the maximum allowable before replacement of a rod, or a rebushing at the least, .... what clearances does everyone like, and why?.... sense being, tighter clearance on any rod, to the pin, creates friction, and heat, causing lower rod end failure, at times if, it's too low?.... too high, and slop, galling, and failure there too?........ car guys enlarge/chamfer the oil journal...... while I've not been the sort to ever knife, score, chamfer, or mess with any component for fear of starting a sure fracture line.........

Wrist pins are a neglected aspect in my world..... how, and what do you look for in signs of wear to this seemingly insignifigant part of the whole?..... With the rule of never re-using clips, if you have the engine down that far, you may as well install a new one?.... Clearance spectrum of the rod top end to the pin is a measurement in itself..... what in general, are the high and low ends of this?...... coloring?.... scoring?.... bent?.......

I have a mess of motors I cannot trust....... bearing, rod, and pin prices are expensive..... while not holding anyone to court on the deal, if, I can at least eliminate a few variables and possibly save an engine or two for the upcoming season, i'd be happy...... i cant afford by any means to rebearing/rod, and pin them all...... i just dont like rolling the dice.............. any help is appreciated..... thanks guys..... Mike

 

[Michael Costanzo]

With winter waning i've actually gained time for a few inspections, and look for input on replacement of bearings and rod/pin assemblies..... granted, some of my stuff is nasty inside and due a total rebuild, I dont like to break torque on heads just to inquire need for replacement

the handful of motors I tested last fall ran, and while making the 2 races I did, it was a hope they hold toghether thing..........

Posting to help not only a few boaters aviod the inevitable rod through the case scenario or other various interesting failures occuring.......

Do you: automatically replace bearings each season?..... what sign, if any, besides possibly dinging plugs constantly, next to a fracture and chips imbedding in the head button, do you have before a drastic failure occurs and you eat a prized engine?..... radial crank play?... sucking air, and a picky/run away engine?... loss of launch ability?....... short of "feel for a tick", and removal and inspection with a magnifying glass.....

I dont run the very high per cent nitro some may..... it's middle of the spectrum, and considered high oil...... 45/16 maintenance is bar none on my stuff....... peace of mind and reliabilty has had me gain years on some nova engines, and they are due their best...... ideas, and basic replacement are hoped upon.....

Rods, and wrist pins..... i've regained a micrometer..... generally to this point i've inquired, and 4 thousandths seems to be the maximum allowable before replacement of a rod, or a rebushing at the least, .... what clearances does everyone like, and why?.... sense being, tighter clearance on any rod, to the pin, creates friction, and heat, causing lower rod end failure, at times if, it's too low?.... too high, and slop, galling, and failure there too?........ car guys enlarge/chamfer the oil journal...... while I've not been the sort to ever knife, score, chamfer, or mess with any component for fear of starting a sure fracture line.........

Wrist pins are a neglected aspect in my world..... how, and what do you look for in signs of wear to this seemingly insignifigant part of the whole?..... With the rule of never re-using clips, if you have the engine down that far, you may as well install a new one?.... Clearance spectrum of the rod top end to the pin is a measurement in itself..... what in general, are the high and low ends of this?...... coloring?.... scoring?.... bent?.......

I have a mess of motors I cannot trust....... bearing, rod, and pin prices are expensive..... while not holding anyone to court on the deal, if, I can at least eliminate a few variables and possibly save an engine or two for the upcoming season, i'd be happy...... i cant afford by any means to rebearing/rod, and pin them all...... i just dont like rolling the dice.............. any help is appreciated..... thanks guys..... Mike

hi mike, i have been racing boats,car,planes for over 25 years and have had only 2 major engine failures.1 due to fuel issuses and one bad engine part(poor manufac) i was national champ back in '93 and raced every weekend. all i did was pull plug out,flush motor with lps2 and take shaft out of boat.as far as bearings, i used boca bearings and if i was lucky, i changed them every 2 seasons.if you use good fuel and know how to tune a motor, it will last a long time. i think a lot of people get carried away with all the extra bs in taking care of a boat. the deal is that opionions are like?? 100 people/100 opionions.sometimes people just need to try something on thier own and stick with it.granted somethings work better than others.i have ran just about every kind of motor/fuel/plug combo that is out there,if you have a motor you do not trust,get rid of it.if you have any questions,feel freeto give me a buzz,i would be glad to help out anybody with a problem.take care and be well,mike.

 

[Jerry Wyss]

Hi lil' Buddy! Well since you got alot of parts, pick out the best ones and build yourself a mild motor.

Pin clips and bearings should be all you need to buy. Seems to me the slowest boat on the pond wins

atleast half the time,, on hot days you will likely have the only engine that runs.

For the rest of the topic, it sounds like a great time for a after run oil and bearing fight,, Ok, I'll bite,,

I use only CorrosionX and never use Boca,,,, :angry: LOL

 

[Michael Costanzo]

Hi lil' Buddy! Well since you got alot of parts, pick out the best ones and build yourself a mild motor.Pin clips and bearings should be all you need to buy. Seems to me the slowest boat on the pond wins

atleast half the time,, on hot days you will likely have the only engine that runs.

For the rest of the topic, it sounds like a great time for a after run oil and bearing fight,, Ok, I'll bite,,

I use only CorrosionX and never use Boca,,,, :angry: LOL

sorry but corr- x was not around then,heard great things about it(no afraid to change), have used mavel mystry oil with much luck,have also heard neg stuff from others about boca not being good anymore. do not know if theyare out sourceing or what, but up until last year i was using boca hs bearings in my 44,000 rpm car motors($650ea) with no problems.and yes the fasttest boats do not always win. please let me know what you are using for bearings,and let me know where i can order corr-x.thanks and ready

for more jousting LOL,mike.

 

[Jerry Wyss]

Search around on the net for CorrosionX,, I use to buy from the source in Texas but they

must have turned that duty over to secondary sales people. That sales company calls

me every year and I order another case. I'd search around to find the best price,, some

sites are really high on their prices.

I only run 21 size O/B's now and I usually buy the bearings that Novarossi use's in

their engines,, they are a better quality, there ain't nobody that could convince me otherwise.

Maybe that will get the storm goin'

JW

 

[Mike Larson]

Jerry.... youre right on tha bearing an' after run fight..... I use a double flush of wasted wd 40, and air tool oil on top of that........ marvel comes in right up there too....

building the best of the best is what I face, but the post was looking for signs/tolerances to even weed out and find where thats at.....

granted..... if the rod shows more than 4 thou, I'm a little worried, etc..... how if at all can anyone tell when a 50.00 rear nova bearing is looking bad and about to go?...... wrist pin clearances, and lines like that.....

i havent torn into anymore for the fact, that with my maintenance, they could be good, might be good, well, the rods only in three pieces good.......

what signs to look for in a worn engine....... rod slop, pin slop, things like that..... at around 100 a pop, any good .21 with basic bearing needs will burden me down quickly......

i've got normal options like.... it'll make it..... put it aside because its questionable........ rebuild it.....

We all know and have seen the effects and getting left with a crank, maybe a case, and a water jacket, just makes me sick is all.....

Thanks guys.... J dub.... i'll be in touch.......

 

[Terry Keeley]

When the piston gets too loose I notice the bottom going away and having to run leaner than usual to make it go, time for a new P/L.

I run the load right on the motor and keep an eye on the front bearing, end play on a new one is a couple thou, I change 'em when they get to about 5. I've run a couple seasons on a rear bearing unless it starts to feel rough.

Bushed rods wear the bushings but the crank pin too, especially on high reving 21's. The pin wears tapered and mostly at the 12 o'clock posn (point of contact). I replace it if there's getting close to 1/2 thou wear. Needle rods don't seem to wear the crank pin much at all in my limited experience with them, but the needles themselves wear. I replace them every season. Think CMB recommends a time interval, maybe some of our Euro buds know more.

After run maintenance and not running "all out all the time" is the key IMHO to long lasting motors...

 

[Mike Cathey]

With winter waning i've actually gained time for a few inspections, and look for input on replacement of bearings and rod/pin assemblies..... granted, some of my stuff is nasty inside and due a total rebuild, I dont like to break torque on heads just to inquire need for replacement

the handful of motors I tested last fall ran, and while making the 2 races I did, it was a hope they hold toghether thing..........

Posting to help not only a few boaters aviod the inevitable rod through the case scenario or other various interesting failures occuring.......

Do you: automatically replace bearings each season?..... what sign, if any, besides possibly dinging plugs constantly, next to a fracture and chips imbedding in the head button, do you have before a drastic failure occurs and you eat a prized engine?..... radial crank play?... sucking air, and a picky/run away engine?... loss of launch ability?....... short of "feel for a tick", and removal and inspection with a magnifying glass.....

I dont run the very high per cent nitro some may..... it's middle of the spectrum, and considered high oil...... 45/16 maintenance is bar none on my stuff....... peace of mind and reliabilty has had me gain years on some nova engines, and they are due their best...... ideas, and basic replacement are hoped upon.....

Rods, and wrist pins..... i've regained a micrometer..... generally to this point i've inquired, and 4 thousandths seems to be the maximum allowable before replacement of a rod, or a rebushing at the least, .... what clearances does everyone like, and why?.... sense being, tighter clearance on any rod, to the pin, creates friction, and heat, causing lower rod end failure, at times if, it's too low?.... too high, and slop, galling, and failure there too?........ car guys enlarge/chamfer the oil journal...... while I've not been the sort to ever knife, score, chamfer, or mess with any component for fear of starting a sure fracture line.........

Wrist pins are a neglected aspect in my world..... how, and what do you look for in signs of wear to this seemingly insignifigant part of the whole?..... With the rule of never re-using clips, if you have the engine down that far, you may as well install a new one?.... Clearance spectrum of the rod top end to the pin is a measurement in itself..... what in general, are the high and low ends of this?...... coloring?.... scoring?.... bent?.......

I have a mess of motors I cannot trust....... bearing, rod, and pin prices are expensive..... while not holding anyone to court on the deal, if, I can at least eliminate a few variables and possibly save an engine or two for the upcoming season, i'd be happy...... i cant afford by any means to rebearing/rod, and pin them all...... i just dont like rolling the dice.............. any help is appreciated..... thanks guys..... Mike

Check the 2008 Namba Propwash for an article on annual maintenance.

 

[steve wood]

clean the motors with brake clean. oil the bearings,and, with only the crank in, spin it over. if it doesn't sound and feel new, replace the bearings. andi i agree with jerry, no boca

 

[SayMikey]

clean the motors with brake clean. oil the bearings,and, with only the crank in, spin it over. if it doesn't sound and feel new, replace the bearings. andi i agree with jerry, no boca

NO BOCA? Swiss? cmb? what are you guys using? I like corrosion x, also a wd40 bath on the outside..... www.greatlakescorrsion.com

 

[Mike Cathey]

clean the motors with brake clean. oil the bearings,and, with only the crank in, spin it over. if it doesn't sound and feel new, replace the bearings. andi i agree with jerry, no boca

NO BOCA? Swiss? cmb? what are you guys using? I like corrosion x, also a wd40 bath on the outside..... www.greatlakescorrsion.com

Justice Brothers product JB 80. It has a great foaming action that is great for pickling the motor after the race and the ride home from the lake. Get it

home and then strip down, clean with brake clean, blow out with air and reassemble with Risoline (which is chockablock full of anti-corrosion and anti-rust additives suspended in 10 weight oil-it's also pretty cheap).

 

[Ron Jefferson]

I started using a product from Krown rust control called T32. I was sitting while having my truck undercoated and found a can on the shelf. I read the "usage" blurb and here's what it said...

USAGE: "Ideal for use on electrical equipment and connections, black boxes, control panels, brake cables, switches and dials, slack adjusters, metal and moving parts. Displaces moisture."

A brochure also claimed other uses like bearings etc.

I used it all last year. When I tore the engines down I found them to be immaculate inside. I spray the T32 in through the third channel needle while slowly spinning the engine with the starter. After that I fill the engine with a bunch of home brew that has just about everything slippery you can find on the shelf. May sound a bit overkill but I have never had premature engine failure.

I believe the Krown product sells for approx $8.00 and the last time I bought corrission X I paid about $20.00.

RJ

 

[Michael Costanzo]

Search around on the net for CorrosionX,, I use to buy from the source in Texas but theymust have turned that duty over to secondary sales people. That sales company calls

me every year and I order another case. I'd search around to find the best price,, some

sites are really high on their prices.

I only run 21 size O/B's now and I usually buy the bearings that Novarossi use's in

their engines,, they are a better quality, there ain't nobody that could convince me otherwise.

Maybe that will get the storm goin'

JW

hi Jerry, i will agree with the n/r bearings for small motors, i would say cmb for large stuff, also some other sbi bearings out there. as far as the after flush and storage,that conversation will go on forever,you have guys in europe,astr, and all over the world that have access to stuff not avl in us.i used to work for the gov erment (military) mostly and stuff that would blow your mind! so if your looking for a after run showdown,bring it. LOL,had a lube that cost $65 a spray can& 1,000'S a 5 gal pail!

if somebody is taking there stuff apart all the time-minus SAW, there is something wrong, i have raced motors in r/c that cost twice the price of marine motors and

raced almost every weekend until the p/s lost fit, then changed bearings. mike.