Gas Rot

In my last post I mentioned how the 30cc MXS-R was acting fuel starved before it finally died. I emptied the tank at the field and brought her home. Today I removed the canopy to get the cowl off and was surprised by gas in the tank. I proceeded to empty it again and nothing moved. Ahhh... It's the clunk line I bet. The Du-Bro hand pump was leaking gas, so I couldn't empty the half tank of gas in the plane. This morning I went out to Nashua to visit RC Buyers Warehouse and picked up a NJ Modelers tank and pump because the tank doesn't leak like my McGyvered one I have had for 2 years, and it wasn't a Du-Bro pump.

NJ on the left, my McGyver on the right.

The clunk line hsd failed. Turns out the Tygon had rotted right off. It's not supposed to, but there it is. Fixed. I went ahead and overhauled the motor and carband put it back together. Took her outside, filled her with my new tank pump, and after a few cranks to prime and she fired up clean and smooth on the default needle settings. Made some tuning adjustments and now she runs sweet again! Put the cowl back on, and then dropped my DX8 transmitter on the asphalt (fell about a foot) breaking the already marginal flaps switch. Somehow in opening it, which I have done a dozen times before, this time I made it not turn back on. I somehow fixed that, but the switch is still boffo.

Thats just great. Took it apart and found I wasn't going to be able to fix the switch. Found out the usually awesome Horizon Hobby/Spektrum customer service form doesn't exist any more (it creates and email), and phone in support wait was an hour. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Online found out I can solder in a new switch. Ordered one for $5, and will find out if in fact I can. No real time down and cheap. While working that out I went through the emotional wammy of my DX8 files not working on a DX7. I didn't want to rebind and reprogram everything...

While at RC Buyers I picked up some softer rubber Du-Bro wheels, about 1/4" bigger and a bit wider than the stock ones on the Sukhoi, and that became an evolution that took longer than it should. But they should make the landings sweeter.

So, a long day... Tired and cranky. But fruitful.