Got hosed on a Killer Bee

crankbndr Thu Sep 19, 2013 9:11 am

The funny thing about this engine is it looks to have come that way from Cox. The straps that hold the engine to the cardboard backing looked not to been tampered with, the box has the 96
date stamp, the crank looks right. The cylinder is not tapered and has #2 stamped below the exhaust ports, the piston is not lightened.

killer bee - Got hosed on a Killer Bee Img_2211

killer bee - Got hosed on a Killer Bee Img_2211

killer bee - Got hosed on a Killer Bee Img_2212

killer bee - Got hosed on a Killer Bee Img_2213

killer bee - Got hosed on a Killer Bee Img_2214

looperdude Thu Sep 19, 2013 9:15 am

it could always be worse, atleast you got the crank, if the cylinder has 2 boosts and bypasses with no taper, then its an estes killer bee cylinder.

**Cribbs74** Thu Sep 19, 2013 12:48 pm

Bummer,

I think Bernie/Matt have the correct cylinder for it.

Jason_WI Thu Sep 19, 2013 1:23 pm

I thought it hade to be made before January 96 for it to a real KB. That looks to be June which would put it when Estes took over. No telling what Estes was throwing together and putting in the box.

crankbndr Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:02 pm

I was fooled because all the others I got like this had the proper piston, cylinder. I'll have to be more careful in the future.

**Admin** Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:32 pm

A very early Estes Killer Bee. Just goes to show they started cutting corners right away after obtaining Cox

. How much did you pay for it? I would put it back together, put it back in its package and fill out a little tag or something explaining that it is an Early Estes Killer Bee that doesn't feature a tapered cylinder and lightened piston but features everything else.

dosokies Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:42 pm

How does one tell if the cylinder is tapered and the piston lightened on the "real" KB?

pkrankow Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:47 pm

If you push a tapered set through from the bottom to the top with everything off the engine it stops about even with the top of the cylinder.

Lightened has material removed from the skirt of the piston compared to a normal piston.

I only know how to check with the parts OFF the engine.

Phil

dosokies Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:12 pm

Phil,

Thanks for the reply. I assume that removing material from the skirt means that the lightened piston would be shorter than a regular one?

Ed

pkrankow Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:44 pm

dosokies wrote:Phil,

Thanks for the reply. I assume that removing material from the skirt means that the lightened piston would be shorter than a regular one?

Ed

You can shorten, and you can lighten, and you can lighten and shorten. Shortening creates SPI, which helps reed engines turn higher RPM. Shortening would lighten some. Lightening is done by thinning the skirt, which reduces moving mass.

There is a how-to around here using a drill press and a #11 exacto blade (if you care to modify). The piston is mild steel so the hardened steel blade removes material quite well.

Phil

crankbndr Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:41 pm

A link to the how to thread

https://www.coxengineforum.com/t4279-lightening-a-piston-using-common-tools?highlight=piston+weight

looperdude Fri Sep 20, 2013 3:26 pm

but if you removed material from the piston, wouldnt that throw off the balance of the engine, i know you cant perfectly balance a single cylinder engine, but wouldnt it make it worse? for example both of the cox engines that use a lightened and balanced crank also use a lightened piston, has anyone ever ran the KB or venom with a regular piston?

pkrankow Fri Sep 20, 2013 4:47 pm

They are not balanced in the first place... Simply parts popped together...

Phil

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