Alternate Parts to Substitute?
 

Been building Air powered rockets for years. Now designing for Estes power.

Have a question about parts that can be substituted without losing any safety.

The biggest part having trouble getting without buying a pack of parts and getting only three of them that are usable.

The Green Engine Block part number F 030164-2? Is there anything easy to get that can replace these?

E engine Hooks will be another issue to get here in Alaska? What else can be used?

Mike

Is that part number a regular 18mm engine block? If so then there are lots of sources. Who is your favorite vendor?

But if you're asking about E motor hooks, then a 24mm engine block is an AR-2050 ring, which is used in lots and lots of kits and is also available from a number of vendors. These rings, of course, are also used to center 18mm tubes in 24mm for motor mounts in many many rockets.

For example, at ASP: https://www.asp-rocketry.com/ecomme....cfm?cat_id=110
On this page the 5/20 centering rings are also 18mm engine blocks. The 20/50 centering rings are also 24mm engine blocks.

eRockets has both EB-20s (for 18mm motors) and AR-2050s, and for less than buying them from ASP (in small quantities, anyway). Apogee will also have comparable parts, as does BMS among others. (eRockets also has the split AR-2050s as are used for the aft ring in the motor mounts where a motor hook is also used but of course an X-acto blade can make an AR-2-5- into an AR-2050S pretty easily....)

ASP has E engine hooks for only 99 cents: https://www.asp-rocketry.com/ecomme...nt=57&navPanel=
The ones at eRockets are 2.49 each: https://www.erockets.biz/semroc-eng...-1pk-sem-eh-45/

But you can make your own engine hooks from the metal stiffening spines of discarded windshield wipers and bend them to any length you want.

That's a start, anyway.

Getting individual parts means going to Apogee or eRockets or ASP or BMS rather than Estes.

You can also make engine blocks by cutting a 1/4 inch piece off of a spent motor. Test the fit, if its too loose, glue a strip of paper around the ring. If its too tight sand a little off.

https://www.acsupplyco.com/estes-mo...centering-rings

https://www.asp-rocketry.com/ecomme...t=110&navPanel=

https://www.asp-rocketry.com/ecomme...d=110&navPanel=

https://www.asp-rocketry.com/ecomme...s.cfm?cat_id=57

Custom Rocket Company has a good variety of tubes, rings, hooks etc. Fantastic people to deal with.

https://www.customrocketcompany.com/collections/parts

This is the answer was hoping to find.

Thank you!

Mike

Thank you
 

Thank you your suggestions/comments. Been working with 24mm only. Will be ordering some of the 20/50 rings: like their pricing! (have 100 BT-50 tubes) their pricing is great when they ship 100 this way. Thank you for the links!

Needing to find a way to get the parts bypassing shipping charges. Nearest hobby store is 175-miles away.

Knew that somehow the item for the hooks was something I had messed with before. Just couldn't picture it. The windshield wipers...Thank you!

100 BT-50 tubes and engine blocks sounds excessive. I have over 40 Rockets to convert, clustering will use these tubes up fast. The individual pricing you provided can solve having to buy in packs with different sizes.

Found some other things was wondering about at ASP: order placed.

Mike

That is very true, it works great but…

Use a hand saw to cut. DO NOT use a band saw! Well it will work but you will have to get a new blade. $$$$ :mad:

I use a metal cutoff wheel on a hand grinder.
Works well and discs are cheap.

Used wiper blades can usually be gotten for free by dumpster diving in the cans outside auto parts stores. I stop from time to time if I happen to be driving by one after a rain.