Magnum Center Glide Bearing

[George J]

Got my OS91 back from Buzz at Magnum Fuels in the states after having his center glide back bearing installed.

Firstly its not not a bearing at all it's a bush which gets its lubrication from the fuel. Got it all back together and spun it up, took a while to start, but once it fired up and had ticked over for a minute the first impression is how different the engine sounds now. Hard to explain but all you can hear is the exhaust note but nothing from the engine it runs that smoothly, very impressive.
Up at the field I've put a few tanks through it now and it's the smoothest running engine I've heard recently (apart rom Maj's 105 which also has it)

So all you have to do is email Buzz, post your crankcase, crank shaft and front bearing and he does the rest. Paypal him $80 and you'll get your engine back within a couple of weeks with a new back bearing/bush which has a lifetime warranty, best engine mod you can do IMO.

[KevDavies]

HMMMM looks interesting George. Do you have a linky for these bearings?? If its what I think it is, I can start knocking these up at work on the lathe.

[jwatts007]

HMMMM looks interesting George. Do you have a linky for these bearings?? If its what I think it is, I can start knocking these up at work on the lathe.

I have a old 90 HZ here that you could put the prototype in...

[Andy from Sandy]

HMMMM looks interesting George. Do you have a linky for these bearings?? If its what I think it is, I can start knocking these up at work on the lathe.

Not wanting to **** on your parade so to speak but a club member who has connections with engine makers of formula 1 cars tried and failed. It almost worked but not quite. And as they say a miss is a good as a mile.

It is easy to speculate what the bush is made of but it isn't the usual type of bushing material that you would find in something like big end shells and it doesn't appear to be phosphor bronze either.

We have a couple of engines at MK running with the bush and as you say the way the engine runs is quite amazing.

[KevDavies]

I know it wont be Phozzy bronze, too soft I reckon for this application. I think I know the bearing material that might be used. Ive studied the pic G has put up and it seems its a solid plug of the material with a machined oil way and oil ports.

Im gonna have a good research sesh in a bit. The machining is the easy bit. Have a good lathe, so that takes care of that bit pretty much. And I have a couple of engines here I can experiment with.

[KevDavies]

I have a old 90 HZ here that you could put the prototype in...

I might take you up on that, I have a dead engine here to try with before trying it in runners, but im sure I can find a use for it!

[trillian]

I had the center-glide bearing done on an OS91 SZ about a year ago and it still runs great.

[anjki]

Been running these in my engines for over a year now.
They sometimes take a little running in, as they can run a little tight but once they loosen off they are supurb. Easily the best thing I have invested in in ages.

Andy k

[waveydavey]

I know it wont be Phozzy bronze, too soft I reckon for this application. I think I know the bearing material that might be used. Ive studied the pic G has put up and it seems its a solid plug of the material with a machined oil way and oil ports.

Im gonna have a good research sesh in a bit. The machining is the easy bit. Have a good lathe, so that takes care of that bit pretty much. And I have a couple of engines here I can experiment with.

There are also oil ways bored in there too Kev so not just a lathe is required. I think the material may be quite difficult to identify. As Andy has said above we've tried and failed. Personally I cant see the point of risking a model on trying to copy their design. Three quid for a bearing when you need to and the chance to clean the model whilst changing it is a better alternative than a solid bush that didn't work particularly well for me. Successive engine cuts down to tight machining from magnum, I saved the model every time but I could just as easily stuffed it with the de facto £100 bill. A sum that will keep me in bearings for ever.

[panosg]

Can that be done on a 55 engine George, or just on the big motors?

I wouldn't mind sending my 55 for the mod. Sounds great!

[David Drew]

Been reading this thread.

What does it do that a bearing doesn't?

Just wondering!

[anjki]

Been reading this thread.

What does it do that a bearing doesn't?

Just wondering!

For me it means no more bearing changes.
I tend to spend a long time dialling in crank hubs, which can make the whole process of bearing changes very frustrating!

[trillian]

Been reading this thread.

What does it do that a bearing doesn't?

Just wondering!

It's about what it doesn't do, which is to corrode or wear out.

[anjki]

Can that be done on a 55 engine George, or just on the big motors?

I wouldn't mind sending my 55 for the mod. Sounds great!

it can be done with any engine.

[David Drew]

It's about what it doesn't do, which is to corrode or wear out.

So, do they do a front bearing too?