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LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 3:27 pm
by sheko_2000
hello,
i got LEO .46 Glow Engine from hobbyking
am wondering if any one tried this engine before ?
what about its performance?
is home made fuel suitable for the 1st run engine softening ? because i plane to finish a complete gallon at this time Intermittently
20%-80% Castor - methanol

Re: LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 9:24 pm
by RCModelReviews
The Leo .46 is reportedly a copy of the OS 46SF which was a good engine in its day.

Don't expect this to be as powerful as some other engines in its class but, so long as it's accurately made, it should be reliable and trustworthy. Unfortunately, I've not actually seen a LEO46 in the flesh so can't comment with too much authority.

Re: LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 7:47 am
by jeffie8696
I had a similar engine in a 61 size and it seemed OK, however the crankcase was full of metal shavings when new.

Re: LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:04 pm
by Sid Sideslip
I have a HobbyKing Leo .40 engine in the post from HobbyKing. There seems to be some confusion as to whether it is a .40 or a .46. Apparently the crankcase numbering will say .46 for both, but the box will have a tick on .40 or .46 to signify its supposed capacity. Also, some people are saying it's a clone of a Thunder Tiger .40 (perhaps the true .46 is an OS 46SF clone as per Bruce?..time will tell). Odd that there is no current listing on HK for the .46 version (whoops, there is, in a different spot, my old eyes missed it)).

Whatever, I'll strip it down to check for detritus and any stuff ups and check the tolerances etc before I run it in.

I'll get back here with pics and maybe put up a YouTube video with my results.

Parts for these also seem to be a problem. Not that you should need any for a while; anyway, bearings (or whatever) plus postage would be probably come close to a replacement motor's cost.

Re: LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:09 am
by RCModelReviews
Let us know what you find.

I think the Leo uses standard .40 - sized bearings so they're not expensive. RC-Bearings has them for under $10 so it's still cheaper to fix an engine with worn bearings than buy a new one.

Re: LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:45 am
by Sid Sideslip
RCModelReviews wrote:Let us know what you find.



Well, I fired the Leo .40 up today, after cobbling together a test stand and then bolting it to a handy lump of angle iron in the garden that used to be part of a garden gate.

I stripped the motor down prior to running it and gave it a good once over. I gotta say, I was well impressed. The castings are very smooth, with no hint of porosity, inside or out, and the machining is also top notch. Inside was clean too with no swarf or any rough edges. Ports were accurate and very well milled. Tolerances were absolutely spot on, the piston is tight in the bore but not too tight and all the bearings were snug as a bug.

I used a thirty year old spinner off my old Enya, together my equally old German electric starter and a new 10*6 prop. Fired up first go using a #8 plug. Taking it easy (and a bit rich) till it's run in, but it revs like the clappers and idles well too.

This is a nice motor and a bargain at $55 or so from HobbyKing. :D

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Re: LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:52 pm
by RCModelReviews
Thanks for the update!

Re: LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:24 pm
by Juanlargo
That looks like a very well made engine.

A 30 year old spinner?? :D :lol:

Re: LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:44 pm
by Sid Sideslip
Juanlargo wrote:A 30 year old spinner?? :D :lol:

I'd be lying if I said I never throw anything away, but I have managed to hang on to some stuff from "toys gone by". ;)

Here's the 30 year old Enya .19-VI that the spinner was attached to, and the two channel Futaba radio I used back then. Both looking a bit sad and begrimed with castor oil residue.

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Edit: Note the AXN's tail in the background. From the old to the new. :lol:

Re: LEO .46 Glow Engine

PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 3:28 am
by jeffie8696
You may appreciate this.