I assembled the new engines "bone stock" just so I could start planning the wood board layout, they will get tune upgrades soon.
This morning I had a thought....what "IF" someone buys a QX-6 after reading my "flowery" thread....but has no access to a lathe or desire to tinker with the engine...So I fueled a bone stock and bone dry (no lube) engine to see what folks might experience...not real pretty!...at first the engine did not want to run and then as it warmed up it was trying a little...I just loosened one of the set screws and gave it what I would call "excessive" end play between the bearings and the engine took right off and ran "ok". It was much louder than the mod unit and the flywheel wobbles more with all the end play but it Runs.
Hope that was full disclosure!...I am enjoying these immensely but I get a kick out of tuning them and they respond nicely to a little love. I realize most people don't have a lathe....I suppose a very thin washer special diameter washer might be the fix for a person without a lathe to prevent bearing/flywheel rub issue.
Ok, now I have my full disclosure out of the way it's back to the engine room!
" Life is great when you Captain a Straight-8" or so I have been told...my dad has a 1940 Pontiac passenger car equipped with. Torpedo Straight-8 cyl engine, I always loved the sound and low RPM torque of this engine, you can start from dead stop in 3rd gear and the engine just does not care!
I have all 8 QX6 assembled, they take up 18 3/4 inches stacked together touching but look much nicer with a bit of lumber showing between each engine.
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Ben , that's a whole lot of QX6's there , lots of nice cast to look at. Put em' to work and lets see what they're capable of 😊👍
Ben , that's a whole lot of QX6's there , lots of nice cast to look at. Put em' to work and lets see what they're capable of 😊👍
It IS a bunch or whole gang! I need to source or make some bearing towers to make a transmission next and also thinking of looking to model railroad parts for some nice lamp posts, possibly LED bulbs...be fun to go smaller gauge so each engine has its own lamp but HO scale may be to small...taking a trip to local hobby store to see what's out there?
Well, I managed to find some hard graphite round stock (for better power piston) and order today, it may be a few days before it shows up and I was eager to try a better piston. I turned up this Aluminum piston today and left it .0015 oversize and polished it to fit bore.
I could tell right away when I fit it to engine the fit was better when I rolled engine over.
It makes a bit more speed and a bit less vibration being lighter BUT the best discovery is it makes More power. I think the reason is china does not polish fit, a lathe cut will leave "record player" fine radial micro grooves, this can be less with a radius dressed on the tool bit but polishing levels the surface finish.
I think a stock china piston as it Runs in wears the high spots off the micro grooves and we are left with a piston that is slightly smaller and leaks more than desirable.
I am pleased my Aluminum piston runs better than stock but eager to try a Graphite piston.
The homemade aluminum piston is on top, stock brass is the lower piston.
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Update:
My graphite piston "stock" seems to be on backorder...it is after dinner and nothing earthshaking will occur on a work night...but I was just itching to belt something up with the "bead cord" belt I welded!
I have (3) variants of Ertl Diecast scale engines and big plans to bring them to work and tune them up as engine accessories to power. The red one was by far the truest running Flywheels out of the box so I just put a couple drops of MM oil on axle and belted her up.
My little QX6 will "almost" power it on the belt pulley of the red engine but not quite...I was bummed but since I had all the stuff out I moved the grippy "bead" cord belt up to the big diameter part of the Flywheel to give my QX6 a little mechanical advantage. What a difference!! The QX6 is racing and the red Ertl is turning a pleasant speed bone stock. I thought for sure I would need a tracking groove machined for the round belt but with just small adjustment she tracks on the flat faced Red flywheel just fine. What a hoot!
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And then there where Two. With the double reduction the red engine is medium speed and the far right is turning quite slow. My Aluminum homemade piston is getting a workout.
Sorry about the green tape. It's not a Classy solution. Looking for a lazy Susann and some cork board.
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Looks real fine Ben , just about how I'd go about me thinks 😊👍
Ben.....last time I say it so as not to bother you.....but you need a YouTube account.
There's so much more 'bang' for the viewer watching a video.
Ben.....last time I say it so as not to bother you.....but you need a YouTube account.
There's so much more 'bang' for the viewer watching a video.
I appreciate the input Jim, I noticed my posts are considable shabby compared to most. It is high on my list to add much better lighting and background with lazy Susan turn table as well.
I will try to refrain from posting still photos of a "running" engine as all I get are blurry flywheels!
Newbie enthusiasm got the better of me as I was so pleased with the "bead" cord belts and I will try to filter my gleeful posts untill I get some video filming technology.
Nice set up Ben!
...and please donīt hold back!
Very happy to be served stills in here, while you figure out the motion picture part
Nice set up Ben!
...and please donīt hold back!
Very happy to be served stills in here, while you figure out the motion picture part
As Jan said above, don't hold back..... enthusiasm is great and we're all addicts that need our daily fix
A story is good, a photo is gooder.....but a video is even gooooooooder
Your posts are enjoyable Ben and I really like your tinkering brain
Nice set up Ben!
...and please donīt hold back!
Very happy to be served stills in here, while you figure out the motion picture part
As Jan said above, don't hold back..... enthusiasm is great and we're all addicts that need our daily fix
A story is good, a photo is gooder.....but a video is even gooooooooder
Your posts are enjoyable Ben and I really like your tinkering brain
My "tinkering" brain time is my one of my favorite parts of my day!
Teaser: Spoker "D"!
This is my most Prized Ertl toy(to date) and best belt drive setup (I) have tried so far, My modified QX6 powers the belt pulley OR the Spoker flywheel with ease!
The Flywheel spins so true on this premium grade model, I do not think I could improve it much...but still would like to bronze bush it.
I hope to make this setup my first video, I may need to mount the QX6 on a board or power it with my taller D405 as the low base QX6 does rub the lower belt on the front axle a little.
I would like to power with a PMR flat belt next....
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It's just another blurry flywheel still photo, I know...but the wood hot plate pad was enough height to solve my axle/belt rub issue so I snapped a running photo. Also the bead cord belt tracks beautifully even on the narrow Spoker flywheel.
Also of note: the steel wheel lugs make nice a "parking brake" so no green tape needed to hold belt tension
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