That's pretty much the same thing as being defunct. Those guys have so many irons in the fire now I wouldn't look for any activity on the K&B front anytime soon...

Jake

Terry · Mar 26, 2004 10:21 AM

#7 source

MECOA depended on the GMS engine line for years now that Tower also sells them MECOA might look at one of their (rat holed) engine line to fill the void.

dennis · Mar 26, 2004 10:40 AM

#8 source

by any act, error, or omission, I have, intentionally or
unintentionally, displayed any breedist, disciplinist, sexist, racist,
culturalist, nationalist, regionalist, localist, ageist, lookist, ableist,
sizeist, speciesist, intellectualist, socioeconomicist, ethnocentrist,
phallocentrist, heteropatriarchalist, or other violation of the rules of
political correctness, known or unknown, I am not sorry and I encourage you
to get over it.

I have to throw the few tidbits of info that I know about this. Mind you this is not anything more then unconfirmed news that I was told.
I was at the WRAM show and MECCOA was there. I did the usual interested spectator thing and spent some time asking the same questions that you probably would have done.
One of them was the K&B 19 and it wasn't ruled out after all they are doing another run of the sportster series of motors if I heard correctly.From my observations they would be receptive to anything with the K&B line as they also are reintroducing the old style 40's and 61 of Clarence Lee/Veco design that were made for so many years.
I wouldn't hold my breath for a Johnson, I couldn't even get any comment on the Cox Conquest15 and they made that one for a few years.
The big problem is as Jake pointed out. Too many irons in the fire.
Dennis

ama353 · Mar 26, 2004 12:32 PM

#9 source

Or is the main problem quality?

I read some of George Aldrich's comments in SAM Talk a couple of years ago. Seems George took a tour of the facilities and watched cylinder sleeves being installed with a HAMMER.

In short, George didn't have much good to report. Several others in the group echoed his comments. I'd take a long look at some of those comments before looking to MECOA for an engine I want to run ...

Dennis Leonhardi

Phil Hawkins · Mar 27, 2004 02:10 AM

#12 source

Every year on the same weekend of the AMA Convention here in So. Cal MECOA has their "open house"

I took my kids to see the CNC machine cutting the ports on cylinders and while explaining it and looking around at the various stages of completion I noticed pallets loaded with boxes of cylinders marked "Bad" I am talking more than just a few boxes, a full pallet of them! At least they were caught BEFORE installing into engines...

Randy takes trade-ins for his engines, then sells those for generally reasonable prices. I bought an OS FP .35 for $22 and it was a little gummy but cleaned right up and is going on a Twister this week... Of course I had to convert it to C/L

I recall seeing somewhere (on the MECOA web sight?) that they were getting ready to produce the Johnson, probably after recycling some scrap metal laying around... sorry couldn't resist!

dennis · Mar 27, 2004 02:19 AM

#13 source

>Or is the main problem quality?
>
>I read some of George Aldrich's comments in SAM Talk a
>couple of years ago. Seems George took a tour of the
>facilities and watched cylinder sleeves being installed with
>a HAMMER.
>
>In short, George didn't have much good to report. Several
>others in the group echoed his comments. I'd take a long
>look at some of those comments before looking to MECOA for
>an engine I want to run ...
>
>
>Dennis Leonhardi

Hi Dennis,

Lets see I have 2 RJL 60's 4 Cox Conquests,Zeus 049 diesel,MECCOA 40 and 60 RC, they are copies of on OS fSR type, Forster 35,and a few more that they made. I've stripped down a few of the motors while new and unrun and have not found a bad part or metal shaving in any of the examples that I have. Also found no marks of any forced assembly. With the exception of the Zeus,which is russian and probably is incapapble of running, most of the examples that I have run have been really decent performers.
I'm not is a position to dispute anyone elses findings on MECCOA products but as I said the ones that I have seem fine.
Dennis

Steve Hulse · Mar 27, 2004 12:59 AM

#10 source

Good luck. I talked to Randy, the owner of MECOA about a year ago. What a total jerk. Call him up and see for your self or look at their web site. It used to say "Don't bother us with phone calls, we are buisy". That's some fine customer service. I'd rather wind rubber bands.

Steve

Rob · Mar 27, 2004 01:21 AM

edited#11 source

Checked there site, here's what's up there, kind of "matter of Fact",:
Rob Johnson
Orange,Ca.

TECHNICAL HELP
We receive many telephone calls and e-mails every day asking for technical information or help. In many cases, much of the information people are asking for is already available on our website.

MECOA has provided online documentation to help you find answers for your most common technical questions quickly. So, before you call or e-mail, please first check the MECOA website which is found here within mecoa.com.

Owner's guides, parts lists, and many "exploded views" of our engines are available on this website with more coming all of the time. Our website is regularly being updated with additional manuals, drawings, new information, and updated parts lists to make certain that you have as much timely documentation as can provided for you.

However, if you still have a question that isn't answered by our website documentation, you may do one of the following:

Call our technical support personnel at 626.359-0016. Technical support is normally available (production requirements allowing) Monday thru Friday between 8:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. and then from 1:30 to 4:00 P.M. This is Pacific Time. We are closed for lunch and administrative needs from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. or...

You may send us a fax at 626.301.0298 (be sure to include your return fax number and country code, if applicable!); or...

You may write to our technical support. (If you do e-mail, you will receive an answer but RARELY IMMEDIATELY. We receive a significant amount of senseless e-mail (where answers are on the website) that slows everything down for everyone. Because of this, you hay have to wait for an answer, or...

Finally, you can write via regular mail at: MECOA Model Products -- P.O. Box 98 -- Sierra Madre, CA 91025 U.S.A.

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING!
PLEASE CHECK THE ENTIRE WEBSITE FIRST!

cyclone · Mar 27, 2004 04:22 PM

#14 source

I have ordered parts for an old spark Forster 29 from RJL, and it did take about 2 weeks to get them, but they were very well done. I believe it was a timer, an intake tube, and a fuel tank. This was several years ago so can't say how they are doing now. They even called me back to verify the order before they shipped.

GLBahrman · Mar 28, 2004 10:29 AM

#15 source

http://www.mecoa.com/ for K&B motors