Originally Posted by ponyboy082662

A dle 30 with ign and muffler weighs 2 lbs 6.3 oz . That extra 1 1/2 pound on a 30 cc Airframe will really hurt....

Yea I think your right! I enjoy the challenge and the creativity in converting engines. But with the extra weight may not be practical.

Originally Posted by Jatocessna

Yea I think your right! I enjoy the challenge and the creativity in converting engines. But with the extra weight may not be practical.

I do wish it was more practical...you can buy an entire 50 cc chainsaw for half of what just a 50 cc airplane engine cost.

The trick is to find a plane that needs the extra nose weight to balance out anyway. Most lightweight aerobatic ARFs aren't a good candidate for a magneto engine.

Interesting thread, I know in the early 90s a guy in my club had a converted chainsaw or weed wacker motor but you couldn't log online back then and order from DA or DLE or whoever. if you wanted it you had to do it yourself..
Some have more time then money. if you want a project go for it.

If you wanted to go one step further you can ditch the mag and put a ignition on one to save a ton of weight.

Originally Posted by closetguy

If you wanted to go one step further you can ditch the mag and put a ignition on one to save a ton of weight.

I’m looking for a CH ignition kit. I have to machine the prop hubs anyway so adding a magnet for the pickup coil is easy.

Here is a 43cc engine I just started on. It has a pull start on the back, good walbro carb and looks well built. This one would probably be more ideal for a boat or car then I’d leave the pull start. But I’m thinking since it has a stub shaft on the back I could put the magnet and pickup for a Cdi ignition on the back.

Leave the pull-starter and put it on a large profile plane! Definitely a unique way to start one.

I'd love to get a hold of a few of the Honda 4 stroke RC conversion kits. For a little while there were people who were doing that, but I haven't been able to find anything on them lately.

I really want to find a 4stroke engine also. I almost bought an eBay lot of 8 craftsman 35cc 4 stroke engines. Looked like the were trimmers that had been damaged in shipping so the seller just had the engines.

I converted a lot of string trimmers and chainsaws back in the day. 32cc mcculloch trimmers were great and simple to convert.. The outside wasnt much to look at but the innards were first rate.. shave a couple thousandths off the piston skirt and take the same off the base of the cylinder and they would really wake up. I still have a couple laying around as well as a cut down sachs 3,2 chainsaw conversion. Nice to see people getting back to the roots of gas when u had to do it yourself..

Originally Posted by Truckracer

I’m not seeing any haters in this thread. Just a realistic discussion in my opinion. Sadly, many of the small companies that use to cater to the converters are now gone. Add to that, we have a wide selection of quality low cost engines these days. For those who have the necessary equipment and knowledge, conversions can continue to be an enjoyable part of the hobby.

The conversions forum over on RCU is all but dead these days. That tells us something.

I am new to this forum; perhaps reviving weed eaters has a future. We are German company operating from China manufacturing items for Chinese aviation industries. Sometimes ago we had a customer asking for a small 2 stroke engine (30-50cc-3-6hp) capable of generating some electric power and had to be reliable and cheap . We developed an engine using components readily available on the Chinese markets and based on the reliability of the weed eaters we come up with a 2 cycle 65cc engine developing 5.55 PS @ 9800 and capable of generating at 3000rpm DC14V 13A -180W. We added a clutch and a propeller extension to it, CDI ignition and rear mounting plate. We are not in to the RC world but seeing the selling success in China for above mentioned engine I thought to share this with folks still interested in weed eater engines.

Originally Posted by gato

I am new to this forum; perhaps reviving weed eaters has a future. We are German company operating from China manufacturing items for Chinese aviation industries. Sometimes ago we had a customer asking for a small 2 stroke engine (30-50cc-3-6hp) capable of generating some electric power and had to be reliable and cheap . We developed an engine using components readily available on the Chinese markets and based on the reliability of the weed eaters we come up with a 2 cycle 65cc engine developing 5.55 PS @ 9800 and capable of generating at 3000rpm DC14V 13A -180W. We added a clutch and a propeller extension to it, CDI ignition and rear mounting plate. We are not in to the RC world but seeing the selling success in China for above mentioned engine I thought to share this with folks still interested in weed eater engines.

And how much does your engine weigh

Originally Posted by ponyboy082662

And how much does your engine weigh

2.89KG

Originally Posted by gato

2.89KG

Yeah a 6.4 pound 65cc engine does not work well for RC .....ours weigh roughly half that .

A DA-120 weighs 2.25Kg.