Engine Disassembly Problem

Alright....I'm at my wits end on this one. I have a .40FP that's getting a little worn in the front end and has started to leak some fuel from between the case and drive washer. Now, in the May/June 1998 issue of Stunt News, it shows a possible fix for this problem whereby a small channel is cut into the case to redirect the fuel back into the shaft and (hopefully) eliminate the leak. Seems logical enough and easy enough to do.

Here's the problem - I can take the engine apart to the point of getting the rod off of the crankshaft. For the life of me, I can't seem to get it to come off. I can slide the crank back towards the rear of the engine about 1/8", hold the rod there, and slide the crank back to the front. However, this isn't nearly enough to let me get the rod off the crank to allow me to slide the crankshaft out of the engine completely.

How do I get the rod off the crankshaft so I can remove the crank from the engine?? Please help.

Tight lines to all,

Steve,

If you havn't already, take the head off, then remove the cylinder. This will free up some movement of the piston/rod so that you can then slide the rod off the crank journal with a little jiggleing work. Be careful not to overly force anything. You could get another case for the engine from tower hobbies and that should solve the problem too.

Tried it - it worked. After sliding out the sleeve, the rod came off with no trouble. Thanks to everyone who helped.

Tight lines to all,

Steve,
The problem is most likely the connection rod has to slide aft on the piston pin first, then it will come off the crank. There might be some build up on the piston pin to prevent this. I usually heat the engine up with a heat gun to soften the build up, then I slide the rod aft on the piston pin. I'm sure there might be other ways to get the rod to slide on the piston pin, but this is what I do. Whatever you do, DON"T force it trying to "Pry" it off the crank. Good luck,
Crist

Steve,
I forgot to mention that you should have the cylinder removed before you try to remove the rod from the crank.

To everybody,

Thanks for the help on my engine question. I tried what the article said (cutting a "u"-shaped groove in the case/bearings to channel the fuel back into the case instead of letting it escape out the front. Sure enough, it worked. Today was the first chance I've had since doing my little modification to it, and it works! Since it is a little tired, it took a motor starter to get it going (though it will start by hand, just takes longer). After running for a few minutes, I shut the engine off and examined the front end. No fuel residue. No sign of any kind that fuel leaked out of the front end. I've got my motor back!

Now, all that's left is learning how to do the various reworks...

Tight lines to all,