Cox Thimble Drome Corvette

[afx]

I acquired a Cox Corvette similar to this one.  The engine appears to be locked up.  Any suggestion about how the free it up?

If I had the proper wrench I could remove the glow head and spray some lubricant in the cylinder.

Edited July 11, 2020 by afx

[Snake45]

Is there a hobby shop in your area that deals in RC airplanes? If so, someone there might be able to help you, or suggest someone who can. 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Snake45

[Mike 1017]

My son ran all the oil out of my lawn mower and the engine locked up. I got a can of Penetrating oil poured it in.The next day it was  freed up.

Still running strong 5 years later 

You can try to put some in the intake and exhaust port . 

Or off to the R/C store 

Good luck

[Mark]

Try eBay for the wrench.  Cox probably included a wrench with every car or plane sold with that engine.

[Snake45]

28 minutes ago, Mike 1017 said:

My son ran all the oil out of my lawn mower and the engine locked up. I got a can of Penetrating oil poured it in.The next day it was  freed up.

Still running strong 5 years later 

You can try to put some in the intake and exhaust port . 

Or off to the R/C store 

Good luck

Kroil is legendary as a penetrating oil. It's worked well for me. 

14 minutes ago, Mark said:

Try eBay for the wrench.  Cox probably included a wrench with every car or plane sold with that engine.

Not hard to make a wrench of that type. Find a piece of steel the thickness of the notches, then just file or Dremel out clearance for the top of the head. Shouldn't take more than 20 or 30 minutes to make if you have the tools. 

[Mark]

Unless you plan on running it, the engine being locked probably doesn't matter.  A lot of slot car collectors don't even have a working track, and most of the guys collecting gas powered cars, boats, and planes don't ever run any of them.

[PRS]

You can try hitting it with a heat gun and see if it unfreezes. Also try soaking it in alcohol.

The fuel used is alcohol, nitromethane and castor oil so the castor is probably gummed up inside.

Lat ditch effort is boiling it in antifreeze.

[Elmer Fudd]

I bought a couple airplanes with this engine at the thrift store. The engines were stuck from the evaporated fuel. I got them unstuck with lacquer thinner, then sold them on eBay ?

[GMP440]

Submerge the engine in Marvel Mystery Oil.  That will loosen everything up..  You'll get it running in no time.

 

[afx]

Appreciate the responses.  Sold the Vette on ebay as is - got too many project already!!