Fox 35 ABC problem

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a As many of you know I'm not one of the many Fox 35 lovers on this board,but I have about 7 of them and do run a few. I converted 2 into ABC versions and had one from TCI powdercoated and ABC whenb he was around.
Now to the problem at hand and this is a reoccuring nuisance. Specifically getting the conrod onto the crankpin. You know that you can roll off and put on a stock rod all day long, the ABC however is another story.
In the previous 2 that I did I asked on this board and Flightlines and was told to relieve .20thou off the front and ..20thou from the back of the rod. It still was difficult to get them on. Forcing the soft gummy aluminum nonbushed rod on the crankpin is not an option. I did radius one of the rods ever so slightly to help it on.
Well I'm doing another one and the same problem is readily apparent so I made the appropriate mod. You guessed it ,not going on.
So as I write this I have the set up heating at 350 and will see if the bottom end will expand enough to get it on.
Okey experts, I've done a lot of motors in my years, and so have a lot of people on these boards. Save me the trouble of re-inventing the wheel and offer anything that you used and had luck with. Problem is that the liner is thicker then the stock one and takes up the necessary slack to get it on. I'd hate to relieve anymore from the bottom end of the rod. Dennis

I'm far from a "pro", but the only way I can assemble many engines is to attach the piston/connecting rod to the crankshaft and THEN slide the liner in. It's a PITA, but almost always works, eventually.

Hi Dennis,
I had the same proplem when trying to replace the piston and rod in one of my engines. The new piston had a smaller gap where the upper end of the rod went not allowing it to travel to one side far enough to clear the end of the crank. Had to take it to a machine shop and they had to make a wood clamp to grip the piston so it could be held durning the milling process making the gap a little wider.

LAST EDITED ON Jul-04-04 AT 11:28 PM (CDT)
 
>I'm far from a "pro", but the only way I can assemble many
>engines is to attach the piston/connecting rod to the
>crankshaft and THEN slide the liner in. It's a PITA, but
>almost always works, eventually.

Ralph,
I don't believe you read my post correctly. The problem was to get the con rod to go on the crank pin so you could insert the liner.
At any rate I got the thing on. Everytime I have to do one of these conversions it is always an exercise in inginuity to get it done neatly.
Oh and the next time you get one of those nice custom
Foxes from any of the great tuners on the board you got a bargain. Special thanks to Marvin Denny for all his advice over the years.
Dennis

So what did you do??????

You could try the Nelson solution. If I remember rightly, with the crankpin at TDC round the bottom edge of the crankpin. The pin is about to get its greatest loading, but its the top of the pin that will take the load, so the loss of area at the bottom is not important. At BDC when the rod WILL be bearing on the reduced area, the loading is minimal, so also not important.

Dennis,

I guess this is none too timely, as you have been able to successfully reassemble that joy-of-your-life Fox 35.

Still, with the Commie-produced ABC sets I had made--and that GMA sold as an exclusive to his shop--the Ruskies 1) changed their machining techniques, 2) did not attempt to actually assemble an engine from their parts and piles of stock Fox 35 parts I had furnished to them, 3) ask me if it might be a good idea to change things.

(**Of course** I burned 'em on this, deducting labor costs of fixing their stupid mistake from payment.)

George would get around the problem you are having by grinding interior of piston right where wrist pin bearing area is located. With the sets he was working with once a flat was created that was (just enough) clearance, rod fully to rear of piston, to get it all together.

>Dennis,
>
>I guess this is none too timely, as you have been able to
>successfully reassemble that joy-of-your-life Fox 35.
>
>Still, with the Commie-produced ABC sets I had made--and
>that GMA sold as an exclusive to his shop--the Ruskies 1)
>changed their machining techniques, 2) did not attempt to
>actually assemble an engine from their parts and piles of
>stock Fox 35 parts I had furnished to them, 3) ask me if it
>might be a good idea to change things.
>
>(**Of course** I burned 'em on this, deducting labor costs
>of fixing their stupid mistake from payment.)
>
>George would get around the problem you are having by
>grinding interior of piston right where wrist pin bearing
>area is located. With the sets he was working with once a
>flat was created that was (just enough) clearance, rod fully
>to rear of piston, to get it all together.
>
>Dan
>

Dan, thanks for the info. I looked at that and thought about doing that next. I found that by heating the rod, albiet attached to the piston at 350 degrees for 20 minutes I was able to 'just' sneak it on with just a little wiggle. This was of course after releaving the both ends of the rod and tapering slightly the bottom of the rod. The others that I've done have about 2 years on them and seem to be all right. Certainly better runners then a stock set up. Oh I've opened the venturi slightly on all the ABC set ups and power is as good as the stock, which isn't saying much, but the vibration level is way down and no burping on a profile. So the $65.00 is worth the aggravation to me to have an old dog at least run somewhat to my expectations.
Foxes, man's excuse to re-invent the model motor.
Dennis

Hi there, I'm thinking of such a conversion, I'm curious if you can run 22% 50/50 oil in these engines?

>Hi there, I'm thinking of such a conversion, I'm curious if
>you can run 22% 50/50 oil in these engines?

Yes you can as long as the crankcase bushing is adaquitely lubed there is no problem. Dennis