How to DESTROY a Radial Engine! 

Last year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, owned by the Brazilian Air Force Museum, underwent a massive restoration work. A crowdfunding on the internet was started to help raise resources. The money they were expecting to raise in two months of campaign was raised in one single week, thanks to the passion of the donors. The plane was fully restored, looking new. A military ceremony was made to celebrate the feat... weeks later unqualified personal tried to start the engine only to destroy it as described in this video.

Thank you, everyone, for watching! I wanted to do something to take people's minds off of what is happening. Plus any day playing with LEGO at work is a good day!!

👍 How many people knew about how a radial hydrolocked before watching this 10 minute explanation??? Give a thumbs up 👍

I would love to hear Chuck talk about the Allison engine. BTW this radial engine discussion was very informative. Great job Rod.

Yes Chuck on Allison engine

Any episode with Chuck would be worth watching ! But yes, I’d love to learn more about the Allison.

Yep, bring it on! Would love to hear chuck break down (not literally) the Allison turbine.

My father was a mechanic on B29s, there was a question if the engine damage was due to dry top cylinders or flooded bottom cylinders. He said it didn't matter to him because if the engine wasn't turned through before starting he would be up all night changing an engine.

Amazing Video Mikey! So proud! Learned a lot!!! Keep it up buddy!

Oh heck yes, get Chucky to talk about Allison’s!! A very good explanation of hydraulic lock and very cool LEGO radial!!

Mikey you did a great job explaining this. That LEGO set gave an amazing visual to see the hydro lock in action! The most interesting thing for me was that you can actually bend the connecting rod by pulling on the prop. Wow!!

Very educational and a good diversion from "the madness of now", thanks! Yes please, more engine talk, bring on Allison!

The rod will fail right about the time you break ground and run out of runway....but only at max gross.

Absolutely! Chuck NEEDS to talk about the Allison engine! 👍 Great vid about the radial engine oil folly. I think the LEGO model and the plug-bottle-coffee demos were excellent teaching aids - high props (ooooh, PUN!) to you both for this massively entertaining lesson! Looking forward to Chuck and the Allison! 😁

I'm no engineer, only an enthusiast of old aircraft who finds radial engines fascinating -- and this video gives a clear explanation of one of its characteristics. First rate -- and I will seek out others you've posted.

You guys did an excellent job illustrating the problem and why. I had a busted rod as a reminder in my tool box for years reminding me oil don't compress...lol

I love how you are keep these old Ladies ALIVE!

Hi Mikey,thank you for yet another educational programme.I have watched your ice pilot series many many times on RU-vid.great work.

Excellent use of Lego, so simple but effective in showing what can happen when an engine lock occurs. And get chuck to do a bit to camera about the Allison engine too. Really good clip this....

Great explanation all!

When you start a radial after draining it, you're not making a mess, you're providing mosquito and bug protection to whatever is behind it. I love when my car is behind a radial that's being woken up after a slumber!

7:15 this is really good info! I didn't know you could bend a rod under your own strength! So move the prop slow but don't force through a stoppage

Love to hear Chuck speak about the PT6

Thank You Mr. McB... few channels take the time to thoroughly explain things. You and your brother did a great job! Hopefully this will stick in our minds and next time a radial doesn't crank right.... an engine may be saved.

Yes Please have Church talk about the Allison engine! Mikey, great video!!!!!!!!! Rod is great at explaining everything. As a trained aircraft mechanic it was refreshing to hear and see your simple explanation.

In my racecar.... I forgot to turn the bottle on before doing a pass and hydraulically ejected number 5 piston and lifted the head. Expensive and embarrassing not to mention hitting the wall skating around on my own oil and water.

A couple of geniuses right here. For Real. I kinda thought I knew how a radial engine worked ... but no! Such a brilliant demonstration.

First thing they do on “Connie” ...is drain the the oil from the bottom cylinders...hehe....there’s buckets under each engine.....and a 45 gallon drum of oil in the galley .

We need more Chuck.

I love these informational segments. The mechanics of radials are fascinating. Oh yes, have Chuck talk about the Allison engine! This is definitely the best RU-vid channel. Thank you for sharing these.

Yes, McDonald's coffee is like 50w.

WOW this is great - so many cool props (no pun intended) ... you guys did a great job on explaining a complex condition like hydraulic lock ups

You are absolutely right Mikey... that radial engine video did take my mind off the craziness in the world for a few minutes... thank you!

I would listen to ANYTHING Chuckie wanted to talk about. Arnie and Chuckie were my favorite from Ice Pilots NWT. And I LOVED their damn buster special. HAVE CHUCKIE ON PLANE SAVERS MORE!!!! PLEASE!!!

Yes brother pull the plugs on any engine that is vapor locked!

Good one Mike! Always good hearing from Rod.

You answer all the questions in my mind. And yes, lets hear about the Allison!

I flew a couple of times behind a rare Pobjoy 'R' radial, we pulled all the lower plugs and the oil gushed out of the lower cylinders. Ah, the joy of a 1930's engine, loved it. Get Chucky on the blocks, got to hear is one - cheers.

I had That Allison 501-D13 model as a kid! Lost it in a terrible garage fire. Some how the prop (which is adjustable) survived and is stored somewhere in my basement! That was a VERY awesome model and teaching tool! If I could only have one complete today! $$$

Good video! As a B-25 crew member we always pull the large propellers before startup. It is a crew effort and a valid tradition who saved our radials at least one time!

Was mechanic on P&W 4360’s and had to turn prop 20 blades then start

Top advice from the top radial operators. This was super informative Mikey. Woukd love to see a video with Mr Chuck please.

Hearing from Chuck talking about Allison engines would be terrific! Love Chuck’s work.

That Lego example was a brilliant way to explain this issue!!!

HELL YEAH!! Let Chuck give us some Allison turboprop class!

Yes Please I would like Chuck talk all about the Allison engine. Rod and your talk about the radial engine was very informative especially about the old starter (with no clutch) and the new (newer) starters with clutch.

That was so awesome you were able to LEGO the engine! That was a way better demonstration of the exotic insides of a radial engine than what we got in A&P school ... maybe you could publish the plans so the profs could build their own demo kits (or assign as make-up time for students who missed a class).

I remember we bought one of these engines R18-92 for $25,000 in 1991. Of course it was a rebuild, but man they have gone up and price which makes sense since there are less of them. Jim

Very informative and organized presentation... if anyone can’t understand, it is because they weren’t watching.

Epic demonstration. Love seeing Rod get more involved.

Great video and info on round engines!!!!!! Bottom oil issues have always been around since day one. And explaining why you count blades before mags on was just a great lession in round engines 101.....😉

Awesome video. Rod explains things so well. Chuck talking about anything...hell yes! Keep up the great work.

Where else can you hear Rod talking about how to bend a rod or Chuck how to chuck an engine ;-D?!

Oh God!! Thank you for not actually destroying a running radial engine like how other idiots do here on RU-vid !! I have several questions then: 1. burping an engine is pulling the lower half plugs and turning it over by hand? 2. after 7 days one usually burps an engine automatically? 3. If you know an engine hydrauliced (sp?) but turns over smoothly by hand, then what do you do? 4. If you catch the hydraulic before the engine starts, or you know it hydrauliced and then is run, is the engine ruined or can be repaired? Pulling 6 or 8 plugs is a big procedure even on two engines. Now I understand one of the operation costs of a large radial. Can the pilot or owner do this procedure or does it require a certified mechanic?

The quality of the content on this channel goes up with every video. Well done also on the models!

Well I feel a little smarter today! Thanks Mikey and Rod. Great talk with awesome prop’s! Can5 wait for Chucky’s lesson on the Allison!

You got a great crew Mike. Keep educating us fans. Thanks.

I could listen to chuck all day.

Always nice to see rod in your videos. We miss you Mikey!!!

I recall learning about this in Aerotech school. " burping " the cylinders as we called it. Outstanding video.

That hanger looks wonderful.

Spent four years working on C-97 Air Force cargo planes as a line mechanic. Powered by four P&W R 4360 radial engines. I'm surè you know this was the largest production radial ever built. Massive horse power and massive torque. It was truly a master piece of perfectly timed moving parts. Our squadron flew from California to Viet Nam, during the war, nine times a week with a stop in Hawaii and one in Japan and on to Viet Nam, before doing a turn around and flying back the same route. 90%of the flight was over the Pacific Ocean, a distance of around 5000 air miles one way. It took ten hours to get to Hawaii and another seven to get to various American air bases in Viet Nam. The plane was loaded going both ways with equipment, ammunition or troops who had finished their time in the war zone. The engines were very reliable crossing the Pacific without a misfire. The main problems with the engines was the amount of maintenance and the number of troops necessary to keep the 4360 purring along. Every time the plane sat we needed to walk the props through seven times before starting. This procedure took three or four guys about ten minutes each engine as it was a lot of work to crank them by hand while fighting the compression strokes from the 28 cylinders. The scavenger pumps helped but as an engine got older the oil drain into the lower cylinders increased. There was no getting around the prop walk. We had about a dozen of these monsters to care for. They leaked massive amounts of oil onto the tarmac and continued leaking while in flight. When overhauled with very low hours they leaked less but never really cleaned up their act. Under full take off power with max. load and producing around 3500 HP each they were bellowing monsters that vibrated the entire aircraft. If you were on board the vibration could be felt in your chest. It was an experience of a life time.

So much effort Mickey, don't stop, you are fantastic at this

I'm learning something new everyday. Thanks. Cheers

Well-explained description of the hydraulic lock. It makes a lot of sense👍👍👍👍👍

My dad enlisted in the army air Corp in December of 45 and got out in 54. I remember him telling me how they would pull radials through by hand on p 47.s and others. He crew cheifed them on Okinawa. Great video. Thanks.

AWESOME video! I'm no pilot & don't have immediate plans to become one, but I LOVE learning random things like this!

As a mechanic of anything with an engine in it, I love this stuff! Great explanation, Mikey and Rod. 👍🍻 I'll be watching for the Allison vid. 😎

Excellent visual lessons on this Mikey. Thanks for a bit of escape from “reality” and yes please on an Allison lesson from Chuck.

Thanks Mikey. I really enjoyed that. Especially liked the radial enhancing the audio. Nice to hear from Rod on this subject. Please do a vlog with Chuck and the Allison. Always look forward to the next one!

Yes! Please have Chuck explain the T56! Then...reserve an episode for him to explain the prop controller (valve housing and pump housing)

Excellent presentation on the problems of looking after radials.

Thanks you for making these types of videos. I like all different types of engines and it’s cool to see something that you don’t see every day!

Heck, you could hae chuck talk about how the potty in a DC-4/Electra works and I would watch as all things aviation interest me.

I learned a lot today... thank you. 👍🏼

I wish i could work for you guys. Im a few months from finishing A&P school. Though i want to deal with modern engines, radials have an alluring charm that i just cant shed off.

The airline i used to work for used Allison 501-D's on their Convair 580's. Good times. Let's hear from Chuck!

Once again a great video. You 2 are great. I thought I knew this subject fairly well, but I didn't know about the newer clutched starters. I also didn't know a human could bend a rod walking the prop. Great stuff. Definitely do the Allison, that engine has fascinated me for years.

That was very informative Mickey 👍👍 specially for us that don’t know much about radial engine’s. Enjoy your videos as always. Thanks 👍👍

I joined the air force a bit late, they had just retired the Tracker and Dak. I used to watch one of the Trackers starting in Comox, always a good smoke show. This is good lernin'...

Great job on the video. Good topic and it would be neat to hear Chuck on the Allison engines as well.

Thanks Once again for the education. Awesome contribution from Rod!

Very good demonstration! Awesome to see Rod!!!

Would love a seminar from Chuck!

Thanks for the explanation and all the visual aids!

You learn something new every day. I heard from someone long ago that you could blow a cylinder or cylinder head.

Answers a few questions. Thanks for the info. More videos like this would be great!

Love radials. Very well explained, and YES, I'd love to hear Chuck talk about the Allison turboprops!

I’m not a pilot nor do I work with or on planes but your channel is so informative and interesting. Good stuff man ✈️

Exquisitely explained. Love the props. Thanks Mikey & Rod 😎

When I saw the coke bottle with a spark plug and "piston" I thought you might fill it with petrol vapour , spark the plug and send it flying to the other end of the hanger.😊

Mikey you do some Amazing Quality vids Your Explanations are simple enough to understand and your video Editing is Good with the picture blown up so we can see exactly what you are talking about. Outstanding work to all who were involved! And there were no Radial Engines Damaged or Abused in the making of this Video. Best Wishes! M.H.

I love the maintenance videos ! I want more of them, it would be great if Chuck could make a video about the Allison engine, perhaps also include the APU gas turbine in the video !

Great video Mike and Rod - thank you! We want Chuck!

EXCELLENT explainer video, Mikey! Thanks so much for posting

Nice informative valuable video for anyone following Radial Engines. Loved it and yes let Chuck talk about engines that should be interesting.

What a fantastic video with Rod, Chuck and yourself Mikey! Loved the Lego engine and the explanation well done! Definitely looking forward to an episode with Chuck on the Allison engine!

super effort Mikey, extreamly well explained & the props were simply magic. Buffalo rocks. one of thst best videos i've seen in quite some time ( agent jz would be impressed )

Fantastic! I wish they taught cool ways like this in school to learn.

Very good teaching guys!