FAQ - Frequently asked Questions - Great Power (GP) Engines :
From Time to time we will update this with some of the questions we often get asked about GP engines.
Do i need to use Mineral oil first to run-in my GP engine?
Absolutely not! We have Run in hundreds of motors using full synthetic oils from day one. There is no real need to use a Mineral oil first as was the belief for many years. We highly recommend using a top quality oil like Redline - To know if the oil you are using is a top quality oil, look on the back of the bottle for a JASO rating, so long as your oil is rated JASO FC or FD you are good. Of course some oils still are better in our smaller 2 stroke motors than others simply due to the low RPM we run.
What oil ratio is best?
We highly recommend Redline 2 stroke Kart racing oil, or any high quality Fully Synthetic oil at between 40:1 and 50:1.
How do i calculate how much oil is required?
Can I mount my engine on a test stand for run-in
Of course you can! there is no reason not too. Just make sure the needles are set according to our GP engines Manual which can be downloaded here. However there is also no need to run-in the motor on a test stand first. We do recommend fitting a new motor in your chosen model, check needle settings and that you have appropriate cooling inlet and outlet holes and fire it up! With the engine in the model avoid long runs at high RPM on the ground, but get its started, check needle settings and look for a reliable idle and pick-up. Once you have these get that plane up in the air and start heat cycling the motor. What is heat cycling you ask? Do some high power but not long uplines to warm the motor up, but follow this with long downlines at low rpm to allow the motor to cool in between. Nice gentle aerobatics and half cubans are great for this. 10-20 flights of this and some tweaking of the needles if necessary will go a long way to getting the best out of your motor.
What is the best prop for running in my engine?
The very same prop you plan to use, there is no special break-in prop required on any of our engines.
What are the best Initial needle settings for my Engine?
Please see the recommended needle settings in our engine manual which can be downloaded here
Of course these are just initial recommended settings to get started, EVERY engine, prop, oil, fuel, exhuast system combo as well as altitude and weather mean you will have to set these later.
