Saito FG-33 R3 : Full ground break-in 

Thanks. Glad you found it useful ✨

How is it going with your 33cc ?

@@abdulrahmanalshaya4953 Hi sorry for the long delay, engine going great I have a 60 as well both running superbly once you run them in by the manual. Highly recommended Saito any day. Cheers and happy flying.

Thank you. I am glad you like it. Yes I am very happy! It is a smooth runner if both needles properly adjusted. I even ran it after +1 year in storage. One thing I noticed is that the carburettor get’s clogged after long stoppage preventing fuel draw required for the start. A blow in the fuel tank’s vent line might be required before starting the engine. Once you have fuel draw, it runs smoothly

marino tsalikos Hi, thank you for the comment. 95” sounds too big for this engine unless it is a scall WWI high-wing frame then the 33cc would make a good match. Bare in mind it’s a heavy engine so the Power:weight ratio is not so great with this one. Good luck with your build

Thank you! I am glad you liked it. The bench and wooden top are custom made. The engine test mount was made by pspmfg.com (PSP Manufacturing). Unfortunately, like many other RC brands they seem to be out of business since 2019. If you manage to get any online don’t waste the chance, they are firm and so easy to adjust! All considerations were put in designing that stand! Good luck

Thank You! The bench and wooden top were made by me. The engine stand was made by PSP Manufacturing (www.pspmfg.com) which unfortunately like many other businesses in the RC industry they ceased production. They’re really good if you manage to find one

沈里達 Glad you like it ✨

pb12echo Thank you. The FG-60R3 is a great engine. However, it has relatively less cooling fins so proper cooling is required! The rule of thumb here is to insure that air outlet in the cawl is at least twich the size of the inlet to get the maximum airflow around it. I use 18:1 for break in and for flight. My oil is Deluxe PowerModel T2 as recommended by Saito. Yes they are delicate engines if not taken care of especially when it comes to cooling down and lubrications. Fine tuning is vital specially on the low needle as shwon in the video to achieve uniform oil distribution and temperatures among the 3 cylinders. If that is achieved then you should have a very stable and reliable engine that can stay in air for full tanks. I run this one in harsh dry and hot desert environment not mentioning the dust! already had liters of gas through it in air and on ground with no single problem except for carburettor blockage when stored for long due to frozen oil preventing the engine to start. I deal with it by blowing in the tank’s vent line to force fresh gas in before first start of the day. Enjoy your Saito!

I fly this engine with temperature telemetry sensors on each cylinder. I usually experience Cyl 1 to be slightly higher temp than 2 and 3 so it is definitely running a bit leaner than the lower 2. It should be normal phenomenon for Cyl 1. I have never heard of a lower cylinder running leaner than cyl 1 in a radial engine. My first approach will be carrying out a tappet gap adjustment job using the right feeler guages. My first suspect will be the intake rocker arm having a higher gap than recommended or a fault with the intake valve’s spring. Cheers ✨

@@abdulrahmanalshaya4953 thanks, I did broke it in with tilting to side to wake up cold cylinder. And later when I set needles to normal mode, all 3 work ok and model flew over 10 hrs so far

Hello, thanks. I got mine from Horizon Hobby (They come in a white box with a gold logo instead of the typical factory box). They are specifically branded for the US market. The instructions in this video are as per the manual that came with the engine. I have previously noticed the difference in instructions with Saito glow engines depending on where you buy it from. The US instructions are usually generic for all sizes of the same type of engine combined in one manual. Something I didn’t appreciate. In any case, both instructions should work :)

@@abdulrahmanalshaya4953 Thank you for your answer. I keep up with the original SAITO factory manual and instructions as they are the factory and has the ever best know how. But, any way, as long as we do know what we must do and control as we break in an engine, it is ok. Concratulations! Enjoy your flights and time with SAITO. I have many SAITO engines such as the FG-60R3 - FG33R3 - FG30B etc ... and MOKI 215cc and many more. They are really the pure sound of 4 stroke engines! Enjoy! Best regards, John in Norway 🙂

Hi.. Thank you. I’ve been to your runway. I mainly fly at Kuwait Science Club’s runway not so far from yours. Right after 264. You can also fly there after obtaining the club’s membership which is easily obtainable

@@abdulrahmanalshaya4953 hi thank you! Yes I flew a couple of times there but now is complicate to reach there because of the road construction

maikrotex Hi.. thank you for the comment. I use the spark plugs that came with the engine in the box. This engine was ordered from Horizon Hobby US and it runs really well with the SP2

ABSHAYA thanks for the answer. Ok so the Engine can handle both of sparks. Good to know. :) hope. It comes an flight Video next time...

maikrotex Unfortunately, Had to travel for work after stand break in.. I will fly it in Spring and sure I'll make a video!

4dnospolk Thanks! That's a beautiful aircraft. However, I believe FG-33 will underpower the 80" Bi beast. I recommend going for FG-60r3 which is not a big weight difference but definitely a lot more power! For my FG-33r3, I am running it on a 1.7m span Gee Bee Z with a Fiala 18x8 Classic ..A very good looking, well balanced and very light prop! Never tried anything bigger than this one. I don't know how well it's gonna go with a 24" but for sure it won't take it if the pitch value higher than 4.

This depends on many factors. You’ll first adjust the high speed needle for the maximum RPM then make it 1/4 - 1/2 turn richer to avoid over leaning your engine. Once the high speed adjusted then you should adjusted then adjust the low speed 1/4 turn each time until you reach a steady idle with good throttle response. If the engine chocks when you push from idle to full then this is a good indication that your low needle needs more adjustment. It depends on the weather, your fuel mixture and propeller. You might need to adjust it in different seasons due to change in temperature and humidity

marino tsalikos After stand break in, I only had 1 litre of fuel going through it of which 500ml in the air. It’s installed on a 20-30cc size Gee Bee Z and runs really stable in flight. Wasn’t worried at all about going to idle for a slow pass by’s and landings. I am using a wooden Fiala 18x8 Classic prob. Unfortunately, due to continues traveling it is going to hit its 7th month asleep. Hopefully it will go airborne before new years!

genhydro Great and stable engine. Had been in air for about 12 times only. Finished the 200ml fuel tank almost every time while in air. It us great and stable. I keep it a bit reacher on tuning during summer though

I totally agree, but for this one I followed the manufacturer’s instructions. I found out later after visiting Saito’s factory in Japan that engines marketed for US have different manuals with generic instructions for all engines while the ones sourced directly from Japan will have specific instructions for each engine. This engine was purchased from Horizon Hobby US. So far, the engine runs extremely well for the 5th year with hours in the air.

Bill Bolz Yes it is out of the box. And no, never needed to adjust the timings so far

@@abdulrahmanalshaya4953 Thank you! Thats what everyone who has one of these or the FG60 says the same thing. Out of the box runs fine. I guess it's just a way to make a buck, mods.

Bill Bolz Yeah, they are delicate engines at the end and need care with lubrication, dehumidification and most importantly proper tuning specially on the low needle for proper fuel distribution. Sort these and you’ll have a swiss watch airborne

NeoAndersonn Hi, it is not. I fly this engine in a harsh +40°C dusty weather and it already had +5 liters of fuel gone through it. Your engine must have been run either too lean or lacked proper cooling. the 60cc will also break if it faces the same conditions your 33cc faced. Please note that the manufacturer insists to have the engine’s main needle 1/2 turn richer than the maximum RPM to avoid over leaning so a tachometer would be handy here. The low speed needle is also very important to insure proper oil distribution between all 3 cylinders. A very good sign of not properly tuned low needle is having one of the exhaust pipes smocking more than the other two.

@@abdulrahmanalshaya4953 these radial engines are some what difficult to tune..it takes time to get it right..and definitely need patience when running from the box and to the air.. I like to atleast run a full litre from new on the bench before heading to the air.. My first job out the box (fg33 and fg19) Reset the timing to 30° its easy enough to do on both engines die grinder on the fg33 and re drill and tap new holes for sensor on fg19r3...then i enlarge the intake manifolds on my lathe.. This ensures better starting..and fuelling on all 3 cylinders.. Both these engines like to run at 3.5 turns on low speed needle and around 1.5 turns on high speed needle.. Manual states about 5.5 to 6.5 turns..no hope on those settings.. Best way to tune low speed is to not let engine idle too low or for longer than 45 seconds then bring revs up and down and check all throttle positions..idling for long periods results in rich fuel build up and takes some alternating throttling to clear the rich intake mix ..then she revs properly.. My latest engine came with a keleo exhaust ring..it is definitely not as good as i thought..luckily i purchased this engine as new at a brilliant price..and il now be selling the keleo exhaust and id rather use the factory bendy pipes..mostly to clear the spark plug leads..then with the 3 pipes i simply get a piece of automotive heater hose with a slight bend and clamp this onto the 3 pipes and job done looks great for a small price..you wont ever see the keleo with cowl and baffle plate fitted..real nice way to waste money..just think ..forget keleo and grab some premium servos.or what ever other parts the airframe could do with

@@danielhitchens4407 Thank you for the info. On the "I enlarge the intake manifolds on my lathe" part, could you please be more specific? What is the final Inner diameter for an FG33? Can it be done with a file you think?

@@fd2237 no you wont be able to use a file to modify the intake..best leave it alone If you dont own a lathe or have good ideas on how to machine things on lathe....dont try .. The engine should run well enough to get in the air standard..and get some flying time on it ..they should get better with more use..great engines they are

@@danielhitchens4407 Thank you very much for the reply! I'll do that!