Fox Rocket 35 vs Fox 35 Stunt

Mainly, is the Rocket sleeve/piston interchangable with the Stunt S/L ??
Are Rocket S/L still available? Or would one need to have it chromed?
Never owned a Rocket, but might and it needs a new S/L.
Thanks!
Bill Little <><

Bill,

I have little to offer, just thought it would be funny to provoke you into checking the thread you started. You have been ignored Big Time.

Well, I do have one comment. One of the best "Motor Guys" I have ever known tells me that at one time he would knurl the worn pistons in his pre-ABC Fox Combat motors, lap them in and run 'em.

Caution: I have never done this, do not know how to do this, do not want to know, will claim total ignorance on the subject if pushed. And I guess I do know at least a couple ways to knurl pistons. Also remember reading of this once having been a common trick when rebuilding automobile engines back when they wore out kinda quickly and there was not enough disposable income to either just buy a new car or new pistons for the old car.

Anyway, for the gearheads out there, if a person has a motor which is over the hill, does not want to chrome the liner for whatever reason, cannot get replacement parts, is there some reason knurling the piston is not a good idea?

Back in the days of my carefree youth there was an annual sale held by Sig when they had the remains of Berkley. I remember saving a lot of hard earned money for a Berkley Lancer and a Fox Rocket 35. Now most of my 'friends' held me up to much derision for getting this combo, not for the airplane but the motor. They said that Duke made them from all the left over parts that he had that couldn't cut the mustard in anything else.
I did get the combo and here my missive must end and I leave you to draw your own conclusions.
Dennis

Hi Dan,
Yep, it was pretty much ignored for a while. Thanks for chiming in!
As to knurling pistons, I once had to rebuild my '63 1/2 Galaxie which was a factory 427 center oiler. The pistons had to be knurled and hand fit. (also had a H/M side oiler block with screw in freeze plugs, but it was too much for the street, came out of one of Fred Lorenzen's NASCAR Fairlanes) Fortunately a buddy at an auto machine shop had an old knurling machine, and the job was neat to watch! Engine ran strong, and never missed a beat. The madame really URGED me to get rid of it when we moved 20 years ago. All original "Q" code car. Could retire now if I still had it.
Such is life!
Waiting for Currell to see if the S/P will interchange.
Bill <><

Bill, I gave a Rocket to Mogren a few months ago that needed a new piston and liner and he quickly had it up and running again. I believe he put a standard Fox 35 P/L in it. I'm sure he'll chime in here a little later this evening with his 2 cents worth.

I believe they interchange. Will check.

The Rocket, of course, was Fox's answer to the McCoy Redhead, irrespective of the latter's price points, which varied from $11.95, all the way down to the famous $5.95. Fox wanted $11.95 for the Rocket, if memory serves.

The K & B Stallion was conceived with the same in mind. Ditto for the Johnson Sport Special, although their market share was pretty small.

If you ever get a change to score a Rocket .40, by all means do so. It is a perfect compliment to a heavy plane that a Fox Stunt 35 wasn't quite man enough for. Make sure you use the insert, and use two head gaskets. I have one in a Sterling $coted (Navy Blue) Hellcat, after I found that the Stunt 35 couldn't quite cut it. The lugs are identical.

Thanks Currell,
Did you have a chance to check?? Inquiring minds want to know.
Bill <><

Bill,
If you can't find a P/L you might try baking the piston in an oven at 500 deg F. for one hour, then let it slowly cool. This is supposed to make the piston iron grow again.
Haven't tried it yet, only read about it. Some swear by it.

Heat growing the old worn out pistons works! Just read the former posts and try it yourself................TD

I read somewhere on the web where a piston was enlarged by using a pvc pipe cutter near the crown. It rolls the material up around the edges of the cut.

Bill,

This is the method I use. Works great and lasts a long time. Go easy and just go a little at a time until difficult to get piston back in. I mix a little jewelers rouge with oil leave the plug out back plate off and twirl it while you are doing something mindless like watching TV.

>Mainly, is the Rocket sleeve/piston interchangable with the
>Stunt S/L ??
>Are Rocket S/L still available? Or would one need to have
>it chromed?
>Never owned a Rocket, but might and it needs a new S/L.
>Thanks!
>Bill Little <><
>
>
>Disclaimer: I am neither a NATS Champion, engine reworker,
>engine producer, column writer, Hobby Shop owner, *rockeet*
>scientist, nor otherwise. Just an old Advanced flier. ;)

Ron B.
F4Fguy

Bill:
I believe the piston/liner set is interchangeable,though the "Rocket" is slightly higher timed.But Q.C.was so poor I'm sure you could find an exact replacement if you looked at enough of them.As to knurling ,properly done it's probably the best bet,but remember,thats a CAST iron piston.It's very fragile and subject to cracking under high compressive load such as a knurling tool.
The real problem with the Rocket was the front main bearing.It had even less area than the 35 and additionally it came so poorly fitted it was already worn out.The one I had came(new)with .005+ clearance radially and enough end play that the crankpin hit the backplate with some clearance left at the thrust washer.
I think your best bet is to trade both the .35 and the Rocket on a Rogers and a Thor,they won't run any worse and the'll be collectable.

Actually, The Rogers and the Thor are worth slightly more, but do not run as well as a Rocket. The Rockets I have owned ran well, but vibrated excessivly. Perhaps you got a real bad one.

We had a slag engine (Rogers, Thor, Judco, etc. etc.) running contest at one of our collectos. I don't think any of the stock ones ran at all. The best running one had Forster .29 innards.

In my quest for a speedlimit combat engine that I could afford, I mixed a pile of Fox parts. The 35 stunt liner fits
( 36x does too) fine, along with the bigger venturi, will run pretty fast and make lots of torque. The stunt timing is shorter. raise the exhaust cutout about half way to the exhaust window in the case. Check the piston fence to make sure that it wont hit the head,a true "Rocket " might have the fence moved over as does the 36x piston/head. You may also have to use the Rocket rod. Some pin sizes are not the same.
Your results will no doubt vary.
My 56 Fox 35CS is the only Fox that is not for sale. Byron Bedner built this one for me.
Thanks Jim.
I fly Thunder Tiger 25s for speedlimit combat now.
Hope that this helps. I have one NIB stunt 35P/L set for sale.
34$shipped
When you get done you, will have 75$ in a 35$ engine!!!
MM

Thanks, Mike. I have some s/p so it won't be $75 worth of $35 engine! LOL!!
Haven't torn anything down, and wasn't going to until i found out if they would swap. Would like to use it on the Giant Stuntmaster, so the stunt timing would be ok.
I have been going through my *old* engines, boiling some of them in dishwasher detergent, cooking old pistons, etc., and getting some pretty good running old ones. Got 4 real good Veco 35S engines now, and several reliable McCoy RH's from 19's to 40's. Even got and old GH K&B 35 running good again. Look out Ringmaster!
Nostalgia is a terrible thing! LOL!!
Bill <><

For Speed Limit apps, try sticking a .36 head (from a 70s 4 bolt) on a Fox Stunt .35. Instant 1500-2000 rpms.

It's remove and replace no brainer. Currell

I think that some of the 36x heads dont match the piston fence. hold it on by hand and roll it over without the head gasket to make sure that there is enough room up there. Maybe you can use a 36x head on a stunt but not a stunt head on a 36x??
For stunt, you might need to stuff the venturi or run case pressure, if the Rocket has the large square hole . The only way I could get one to run on a tank was to run an inboard plastic tank. It launches screamen lean and settles after a lap. Not a great stunt run but fine for me. works for me. MM

I thought that I had a Peter Chinn MAN engine review on the Rocket, but I guess I don't. Still don't know for sure if the piston and liner interchanges. I will ask a Fox guy who may know tomorrow. Currell