Reloadable motor Life

[CPUTommy]

Just curious as to the lifespan of a standard 29mm reloadable motor system, and how many launches you can get out of them.

Im under the impression that they will last a long time if taken care of and dont have any type of malfunction.

Thanks
Tom

 

[blackjack2564]

Life of hardware = care given to it.

I have 29 stuff with 60-70 uses still going strong. 11 yr old.

Clean it, light spritz of W-40 inside to prevent corrosion, you are good to go.

# 1 problem with motor care is corrosion from residue after firing.

 

[COrocket]

Yep, if you take good care of it and meticulously clean it after each firing, it will be good indefinitely. I have a 38 case that has 10+ firings on it, and the only sign of use is that the anodizing on the seal disk has faded, but other than that it is great. Ill probably lose it, sell it, or have a CATO eventually, so im not really worried about lifespan.

 

[RocketManDan]

Since this thread has been brought up about the life span of 29mm, I think it would be great if others would share their techniques for proper care and cleaning. I know using the wrong chemicals can cause some damage.

 

[New Ocean]

The casings last long enough that they will almost always be lost before they break.

For cleaning, I like to use paper-towel and water at the launch, cleaning the case directly after each flight. This removes most of the residue already. If it is to fly again, and the case is an aerotech/dr rocket, I clean it further with some alcohol. It needs to be clean enough not to fail on the next flight, obviously. A very important area for aerotech loads is the very top of the motor in the delay column. This is a crucial seal and this area tends to get very dirty. For CTI motors, I find they are basically ready to fly again after just water.

If the case does not fly again, I will do a better job back home after the launch with soapy hot water, and possibly alcohol prep pads for the threads. Once it is clean and dry, I add a thin layer (just enough to make it shine) of petrolium jelly on the threads so that they don't grind against eachother. Never use anything abrasive on the case, particularly the little guys like 24/40.

 

[gpoehlein]

Those who fly reloads in my club (Launch Crue) clean the casings with baby wipes. Those things actually cut through the residue better than anything else. I've only flown one once, so far (24/40), but it cleaned up very well with just the baby wipes. I guessing that if they'll clean up what comes out of the aft end of a baby, they'll clean up just about anything!

 

[New Ocean]

I also use baby wipes to clean my hands at the launch, but worry about using them on casings because they may contain aloe, oils, and perfume chemicals. Do you think it is safe on the case and o-rings?

 

[fyrwrxz]

70+ on a 29mm case-no lettering left. Baby wipes on the field and toothbrush for threads. I have a spray can of graphite w/mineral oil carrier I use for the interior and threads for storage. Had to soak one once w/hot water, vinegar and a little Dawn dish soap after I forgot and left a case in for week (or two?)

 

[RocketManDan]

Soapy water, baby wipes, alcohol. Would it hurt to use WD-40 to coat the inside of the case and wipe it in? Also do the same techniques apply to cases like Rouse Tech which have an anodized coating and Aerotech, which are just black...not even sure if they have a coating? Might be worth adding what "NOT" to use to clean the cases. I know there are a lot of harsh chemicals out there that can cause some damage to the cases.

 

[New Ocean]

Have had some Dr. Rocket cases fade a bit, losing some of the red. One 24/40 lost the text from the outside.

Don't use SOS, brillo pads, don't use anything else abrasive like that. How about CLR if something gets stuck in the motor? Strong chemicals like that would worry me.

 

[rstaff3]

I 2nd (3rd? 4th?) the use of baby wipes. They are the most convenient, IMO. I don't try to be meticulous on the field but, in my experience, they can be harder to clean if left cruddy for a day or more. At home, I use dish soap, hot water, a tooth brush and a antique baby bottle brush. Rinse well and dry. I then add some lube to the threads.

The worst fading I've seen is on the Loki cases, but I've been assured it's just the coloring and the anodized finish is fine.

 

[Barracuda]

I always use baby wipes after every flite,the thick ones not the hand wipes..then wipe down the theads with the o-ring grease

 

[RocketManDan]

Do you ever get cases after each flight where baby wipes aren't enough to clean them thoroughly? I heard some stories where guys had some of the liner actually melted into the case.

 

[cavecentral]

I'm pretty tough on my cases. I wouldn't recommend much of what I do.

I often do not clean for a few weeks. I soak in a 5 gal bucket with water, dish soap, and some white vinegar. They can sit in there for a week or two if I forget. Then clean with blue shop towels, drier vent brushes, and WD-40. For tough spots I used a brass toothbrush like cleaner.

I use AT commercial loads and everything else is research. I also friction fit the smaller ones with masking tape and add an additional masking tape thrust ring for pliers.

Mine have scratches, a few chips, etc, but still work ok. Not clue if any of my bad practices are wearing them down. The snap rings seem ok - loki, kosdon, brand x. Same with the Aerotech.

I will say some chips are in the AT threading on a 24/40 and on a 29/40-120. The 29 is newer. This could be from a har landing tail down or from over tightening?

These ones are not all pretty, but all still worked. They handle abuse well.

 

[chadrog]

Do you ever get cases after each flight where baby wipes aren't enough to clean them thoroughly? I heard some stories where guys had some of the liner actually melted into the case.

Hoppe's #9 gun cleaning solvent works great on the tough crud.

 

[MarkH]

I'm not sure I buy the RT cases are superior to the AT cases, because of anodizing. I have some RT cases where the blue finish has come off almost completey inside, after only a few flights. And I used only baby wipes and soap and water to clean them. All my AT cases look still look black inside. Run a wipe inside an RT case after the first use and see what I'm talking about; it will be blue.

 

[RocketManDan]

I'm not sure I buy the RT cases are superior to the AT cases, because of anodizing. I have some RT cases where the blue finish has come off almost completey inside, after only a few flights. And I used only baby wipes and soap and water to clean them. All my AT cases look still look black inside. Run a wipe inside an RT case after the first use and see what I'm talking about; it will be blue.

So do you prefer the AT over RT?

 

[edwinshap1]

^^^ confused me too.

The largest case i've bought and flown myself was a 38/240. Used baby wipes on everything that i wanted to keep Cleaned out the threads by pushing down to help release more of the alcohol, and then just spiraled. I used a broom handle to get inside to really make sure it was clean.

The largest case i've had to clean was a 54/1706. Fairly easy, mainly because it was larger than the 38mm Same exact technique, but the seal disk...never flying a blackjack again lol. Just wrapped it in baby wipes, set aside for 10 mins, came back, and the soot was almost all dissolved. Plus you can use them on your hands

 

[RocketManDan]

I wonder if hand cleaner would work? Not the gritty type though.

 

[MarkH]

So do you prefer the AT over RT?

For the most part it doesn't matter, but when I see the inside of one of my RT cases and it looks white, I wonder if it is compromised or cosmetic. I don't like the raised labels on the HPR AT cases though either.

 

[rocketsmith]

Nitrosolve or Hoppe's #9 gun cleaning solvent. Buy a gallon can and clean everything with it. If it gets dirty just let it settle or filter with coffee filters. Reuse it for your lifetime. It removes all residue without harming the annodizing.

 

[fyrwrxz]

+1 on filtering the Hoppes. Also works on al aly ejection charge wells.

 

[cwbullet]

Where do you buy a gallon?

 

[fyrwrxz]

Follow a redneck....

 

[cavecentral]

I see quarts from cabelas and sportmans guide. Never see gallons myself.

 

[troj]

Hot soapy water will clean up just about anything, if you let it soak a bit. Has the advantage of being a lot more friendly to the user, and unlike vinegar, it won't pit your case.

I have yet to have a case that I couldn't clean with hot, soapy dishwater and a little elbow grease. That includes some with stuck-on liners.

Years ago, I tried Hoppes and other cleaners, and I didn't like the fact that A) I can't do it inside without stinking up the house, and B) when I'm done, I have to clean up after the cleaning.

-Kevin

 

[Handeman]

I throw my cases and closures in a pan with hot water and Dawn dish detergent. I then let it sit for several days to a week or more. Most of the gunk comes out as a black slime. An old tooth brush and various bottle brushes do the rest.

 

[MarkII]

I don't think that anyone has yet determined the ultimate lifespan of reloadable motors. In a similar thread some time ago, someone mentioned that they were still using their original ISP (pre-AeroTech) RMS motors, which were at least 20 years old. A properly assembled RMS motor doesn't put all that much stress on most of the case other than the threads. As long as the case is kept clean and free of corrosion or pits and care is taken during assembly to insure that the threads aren't damaged, I can't imagine what would possibly cause them to age during normal use. It is the non-reusable parts of each reload that take all of the abuse.

The same is certainly also true of CTI's Pro-xx motor cases. They can be presumed to be indestructible (short of a cato).

 

[RocketManDan]

Hot soapy water will clean up just about anything, if you let it soak a bit. Has the advantage of being a lot more friendly to the user, and unlike vinegar, it won't pit your case.

I have yet to have a case that I couldn't clean with hot, soapy dishwater and a little elbow grease. That includes some with stuck-on liners.

Years ago, I tried Hoppes and other cleaners, and I didn't like the fact that A) I can't do it inside without stinking up the house, and B) when I'm done, I have to clean up after the cleaning.

-Kevin

Good point Kevin! Also the safety factor using the hot soapy water. You don't have to worry about causing any damage to the case.

 

[accooper]

Here is what you should never do. NEVER us oven cleaner. It has abrasives that will ruin a casing. My son's room mate used Dollar General Brand and it really did a number on an Aero Tech 38mm case. Not ruined but almost.

I mix up a 50/50 mix of LA's Awesome degreaser that I bought at Dollar Tree in a small spray bottle. That and orange wipes work great. One suggestion is to never leave your case uncleaned even over night.

Andrew