DC Spitfire & AM10 replacement carbs

The spray bar and needle for the sabre, an am but not sure if cc, and since this is a Cox forum, my tiny Cox engine.
I have to measure bore/piston to determine cc.

The sabre is for a cl model, reliving my youth, but the Cox and am may be for sale, not sure yet.

Taken an age to get the picture on here, a sometimesinternet this end, windy and raining, not good weather for pidgeons.

Here are my engines:


The Spitfire is 0.425'' bore and 0.42'' stroke.
The AM10 is 0.426'' bore and 0.43'' stroke

Pictures are a thousand words.

Can't see the needle side of the spitfire spray bar, but there is a washer on the spray bar fuel side which is not "normal", no washer on that side normally.

The needle side has a u shaped spring and brass nut, so spray bar is "tight" and the needle "gripped" slightly so it will not rotate, but free enough to adjusted.

The compression adjust lever seems too deep in the head as well.

Perhaps the am spray bar assembly is in the spitfire ?

Be very careful tightening the spray bar brass nut as the spray bar is delicate and easily broken.

Some times the needle alloy "nut" rotates on the needle, no adjustment.

I would remove the spray bar and service/clean/check. Refit with spray bar holes central in the Venturi and holes horizontal, so as to be not seen.

I would investigate compression screw, it looks way too deep in the head.

The am spray bar system will be similar.

You know about the fuel tank position and fuel level, so tank contents do not flow by gravity, thus flooding in he engine.

What fuel you using ? You across the pond or state side ?

Model Technics d1000 is fuel I use in these, the smell is "heavenly" ! Original glue sniffer I am.🤩

I assume you have used/run a diesel before and know of the prop size for these ?

You know of PAW engines, the web site gives good tips and advise which will transfer/ be relevent to these engines.

The DC had a spring start system, but started well with out it.  

Not sure of am starting ability.....but should be ok once you are familiar with it / them.

DO NOT use an electric starter on these !

Pity about the am beam mount screw holes, but with a plate using the 2 screws it should be ok to use.

Coxfledgling wrote:
Can't see the needle side of the spitfire spray bar, but there is a washer on the spray bar fuel side which is not "normal", no washer on that side normally.

I know, that was just my desperate, and ultimately failed attempt to keep the spraybar still as I'm turning the needle.

The needle side has a u shaped spring and brass nut, so spray bar is "tight" and the needle "gripped" slightly so it will not rotate, but free enough to adjusted.

My engine is sadly missing that spring.

The compression adjust lever seems too deep in the head as well.

That's obviously not the running setting.

Perhaps the am spray bar assembly is in the spitfire ?

It doesn't seem like it, from the diameter of the holes in the carb bodies, the AM spraybar was much larger, perhaps 3/16'', as opposed to 1/8'' on the Spitfire.

Be very careful tightening the spray bar brass nut as the spray bar is delicate and easily broken.

That's what seems to have happened to mine. I think part of the problem is the spraybar thread is 1/8'', and matching nuts seem to be unobtainium around here, so the previous owner put an M3.5 metric nut on it. This doesn't hold well, and on top of it, it seems to have damaged the thread on the spraybar.

What fuel you using ?

I was running the Spitfire on 1/3+1/3+1/3 ether+kerosene+castor.

You can get ether !! !!!!!!

Send me a 5 gallon please !!

No chance of that happening. 

Anyways, will try and hunt down the UK eBay spray bar guy and get back to you.

Check out PAW spray bars as they are slightly larger than DC size, Tony over there is very good.

That compression screw still seems way too deep, is the cylinder head screwed down all the way to pinch the cylinder flange and lock the cylinder down in place.

From memory there is a thin gasket ring on the base of the cylinder to c/case flange.

Undo the compression screw before any cylinder head tightening.

Yes, I can get still get ether. If I'm buying small quantities I don't even need any paperwork. Pretty sure shipping it out of the EU would be illegal though!

I am only tightening the comp screw all the way down because this immobilizes the engine and makes it easier to screw down the prop with greasy fingers (no idea why the drive plate isn't hex like in some COX engines, can't grab it with a wrench). For running obviously I'm backing the comp screw down.

Wow, don't bend the Conrod, rocking horse dung is easier to get then one of them !

From memory prop driver on a taper, never had any problems tightening the nut/spinner.

See eBay.co.uk, article number 114625239298 for spray bar, also vintage DC sabre diesel engine for pictures if spring starter, and lower down, plastic clear fuel tanks that fit onto c/case rear cover.

Will hunt down a period advert for DC engines for your ref/delight.

Are you UK based, near impossible to get ether here, ask for ipn and they think your a terrorist.

Wow, that carb is nice. Granted, it's more than I paid for both of the engines combined, but if I can't get anything else, I think I will consider this.
Thank you kindly.

Did you see the DC sabre, that will go for above £50 I recon.

Did you see the spring starter system, handy but with the right technique the sabre and Merlin, and the spitfire will start well, on Technics d1000 at any rate.

State side you can get more chemicals than us over here, even easy start spray for diesel truck and car engines is less potent these days.

Will find the period DC advert to show you, the prices are...well if we could get them at those prices I would get 10...a year!

I see you are from Poland and into valve electronics, ba nut in brass maybe ?

Picture taken if DC advert in december 1969 aeromodeller magazine.