Evolution Engines 26GX User Manual

© 2008 Manufactured exclusively for Horizon Hobby, Inc.

www.evolutionengines.com 877-504-0233

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Evolution Engines

26GX

USER GUIDE

®

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2

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the newest and one of the most technically advanced 2-stroke gas model airplane engines in
the world. Whether you are new to the sport of model aviation or an experienced flier, you will enjoy the features of the new Evolution
GX engine. Evolution® engines are designed to be the most powerful in their class, extremely easy to start and operate, and provide years of enjoyable service.
These engines incorporate many unique design features. Each feature is designed to ensure success with your new engine. This user’s guide is intended to provide
the basic information required to operate and maintain your Evolution GX engine.

Important: While the Evolution engine is extremely easy to operate, if this is your first experience flying a model airplane, it is highly recommended that you have
the help of an experienced modeler during the first few flights. Your local hobby shop or flying club can put you in touch with an experienced pilot in your area.

Before using this engine, please read these instructions carefully.

Warranty Period

Exclusive Warranty- Horizon Hobby, Inc., (Horizon) warranties that
the Products purchased (the “Product”) will be free from defects in
materials and workmanship for a period of 2 years from the date of
purchase by the Purchaser.

Limited Warranty

(a) This warranty is limited to the original Purchaser (“Purchaser”)
and is not transferable. REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS PROVIDED
UNDER THIS WARRANTY IS THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY OF THE
PURCHASER. This warranty covers only those Products purchased
from an authorized Horizon dealer. Third party transactions are not
covered by this warranty. Proof of purchase is required for warranty
claims. Further, Horizon reserves the right to change or modify this
warranty without notice and disclaims all other warranties, express
or implied.

(b) Limitations- HORIZON MAKES NO WARRANTY OR
REPRESENTATION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ABOUT NON­INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE OF THE PRODUCT. THE PURCHASER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT
THEY ALONE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE PRODUCT WILL SUITABLY
MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PURCHASER’S INTENDED USE.

(c) Purchaser Remedy- Horizon’s sole obligation hereunder shall be
that Horizon will, at its option, (i) repair or (ii) replace, any Product
determined by Horizon to be defective. In the event of a defect, these
are the Purchaser’s exclusive remedies. Horizon reserves the right to
inspect any and all equipment involved in a warranty claim. Repair
or replacement decisions are at the sole discretion of Horizon. This
warranty does not cover cosmetic damage or damage due to acts
of God, accident, misuse, abuse, negligence, commercial use, or
modification of or to any part of the Product. This warranty does not
cover damage due to improper installation, operation, maintenance,
or attempted repair by anyone other than Horizon. Return of any
goods by Purchaser must be approved in writing by Horizon before
shipment.

Damage Limits

HORIZON SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSS OF PROFITS OR PRODUCTION OR
COMMERCIAL LOSS IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE PRODUCT,
WHETHER SUCH CLAIM IS BASED IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY,
NEGLIGENCE, OR STRICT LIABILITY. Further, in no event shall the
liability of Horizon exceed the individual price of the Product on which
liability is asserted. As Horizon has no control over use, setup, final
assembly, modification or misuse, no liability shall be assumed nor

accepted for any resulting damage or injury. By the act of use, setup
or assembly, the user accepts all resulting liability.

If you as the Purchaser or user are not prepared to accept the liability
associated with the use of this Product, you are advised to return
this Product immediately in new and unused condition to the place
of purchase.

LAW: These Terms are governed by Illinois law (without regard to
conflict of law principals).

Safety Precautions

This is a sophisticated hobby Product and not a toy. It must be
operated with caution and common sense and requires some basic
mechanical ability. Failure to operate this Product in a safe and
responsible manner could result in injury or damage to the Product
or other property. This Product is not intended for use by children
without direct adult supervision. The Product manual contains
instructions for safety, operation and maintenance. It is essential
to read and follow all the instructions and warnings in the manual,
prior to assembly, setup or use, in order to operate correctly and avoid
damage or injury.

Questions, Assistance, and Repairs

Your local hobby store and/or place of purchase cannot provide war­ranty support or repair. Once assembly, setup or use of the Product
has been started, you must contact Horizon directly. This will enable
Horizon to better answer your questions and service you in the event
that you may need any assistance. For questions or assistance,
please direct your email to [e-mail], or
call 877.504.0233 toll free to speak to a service technician.

Inspection or Repairs

If this Product needs to be inspected or repaired, please call for a
Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA). Pack the Product securely
using a shipping carton. Please note that original boxes may be
included, but are not designed to withstand the rigors of shipping
without additional protection. Ship via a carrier that provides tracking
and insurance for lost or damaged parcels, as Horizon is not respon­sible for merchandise until it arrives and is accepted at our facility.
A Service Repair Request is available at www.horizonhobby.com on
the “Support” tab. If you do not have internet access, please include
a letter with your complete name, street address, email address and
phone number where you can be reached during business days,
your RMA number, a list of the included items, method of payment
for any non-warranty expenses and a brief summary of the problem.
Your original sales receipt must also be included for warranty con-

sideration. Be sure your name, address, and RMA number are clearly
written on the outside of the shipping carton.

Warranty Inspection and Repairs

TO RECEIVE WARRANTY SERVICE, YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR ORIGI­NAL SALES RECEIPT verifying the proof-of-purchase date. Provided

warranty conditions have been met, your Product will be repaired or
replaced free of charge. Repair or replacement decisions are at the
sole discretion of Horizon Hobby.

Non-Warranty Repairs

Should your repair not be covered by warranty, the repair will
be completed and payment will be required without notification
or estimate of the expense unless the expense exceeds 50%
of the retail purchase cost. By submitting the item for repair you

are agreeing to payment of the repair without notification. Repair
estimates are available upon request. You must include this request
with your repair. Non-warranty repair estimates will be billed a
minimum of ½ hour of labor. In addition you will be billed for return
freight. Please advise us of your preferred method of payment.
Horizon accepts money orders and cashiers checks, as well as Visa,
Master Card, American Express, and Discover cards. If you choose
to pay by credit card, please include your credit card number and
expiration date. Any repair left unpaid or unclaimed after 90 days
will be considered abandoned and will be disposed of accordingly.

Please note: non-warranty repair is only available on electronics
and model engines.

Electronics and engines requiring inspection or repair should be
shipped to the following address:

Horizon Service Center
4105 Fieldstone Road
Champaign, Illinois 61822

All other Products requiring warranty inspection or
repair should be shipped to the following address:

Horizon Product Support
4105 Fieldstone Road
Champaign, Illinois 61822

Please call 877-504-0233 with any questions or
concerns regarding this product or warranty.

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3

Mounting the Engine

Most model airplane designs make provision for an engine
mount. It is extremely important that the engine mount be
securely attached to the airplane’s firewall and that the engine
is securely fastened to the engine mount. Follow the instructions
included with the airplane for mounting the engine.
The engine should be fastened in place with 4 screws through
a conventional beam mount. Use 8x32 screws for the 26GX. If
you decided to fasten the engine using a flexible motor mount,
always choose parts with enough integrity and strength. Make
sure all screws are tightened and regularly check that they are
tight and in good condition.

Important: Air is necessary to cool the engine during operation.
Make sure that sufficient air circulation through the cowling is
provided. As a basic reference, the outlet area should be 3–5 times
the area of the inlet area to provide adequate cooling.

Throttle Linkage

Carefully attach the throttle linkage to the engine using a ball
link on the carburetor. Make sure that the linkage is free to
operate from low throttle to high throttle and confirm that the low
throttle setting on the transmitter closes the carburetor butterfly
to the low idle position. Adjust the length of the pushrod until full
throttle opens the carburetor butterfly fully, while low throttle, low
trim completely closes the butterfly.

Attaching the Fuel Lines

Use medium gasoline-compatible fuel line in the fuel tank as
well as the supply line to the engine.

Selecting a Suitable Propeller

The Evolution 26GX has been designed to generate maximum
power at 8500 rpm, according to the type of exhaust used. If you
wish to utilize the maximum power output, choose a propeller,
which will allow the engine to reach these revolutions, or slightly
lower revolutions. (The engine will unload in the air depending on
the aircraft speed and propeller selected.) We do not recommend
using propellers that allow the engine to reach more than 9000
rpm on the ground.

Fuel for the Evolution Gas Engine

The Evolution gas engine has been designed to run on a mixture
of high-quality unleaded gasoline and synthetic oil intended for
racing 2-stroke gasoline engines. For the break-in period of the
new engine, mix the fuel in a ratio of 30 parts gasoline to 1 part
lubricant. After break in, use a ratio of 40 parts gasoline to 1
part lubricant.

Suggested Propeller Dimensions

16x8 16x10 16x11 16x12

17x8 17x10 17x12

18x6 18x8

26GX

Evolution 26GX Ignition System

The 26GX uses an ignition system that can have the "battery test"
function disabled or enabled. The engine comes with the ignition system
battery test disabled. You can activate the ignition system "battery
test" function by inserting the small red jumper provided in the ignition
package. PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON ENABLING THE BATTERY
TEST FUNCTION IF YOU WISH TO DO SO WITH YOUR IGNITION SYSTEM.
Refer to page 8.
We recommend the use of a system power switch, or "kill switch," so
that the ignition can safely be turned on and off. When you prepare to
install the ignition in the aircraft, please check to make sure the ignition
system battery test is "DISABLED" (the red jumper is not installed in the
ignition).

CAUTION: IF YOU ENABLE THE BATTERY TEST FUNCTION, PLEASE READ THE
FOLLOWING FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION:

During the battery test, a series of flashes are generated and voltage is
measured. This will cause a spark plug to be fired for up to 2 seconds
to check the condition of the battery prior to starting the engine. If
the engine is in the compressed position (i.e., the piston is above the
exhaust port in either the up or down part of the stroke), any compressed
fumes may ignite, causing the propeller to turn, and possibly the engine
to start, unintentionally.
To prevent this with the Evolution Gasoline GX Ignition System, check
to be sure the ignition system is turned off and that the piston is in the
bottom dead center (BDC) position. Bottom Dead Center can be found
by rotating the propeller through the compression stroke. As you rotate
the propeller you will feel it tighten, then suddenly loosen. Once the turn
becomes very easy, you have completed the compression stroke and are
at BDC. Once you are sure the piston is in this position, you may turn on
the ignition power switch and operate the system safely.
As always, it is important to use extreme care when near or with
engines, fuel and propellers. Please use caution when working with
these components. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact
our Product Support team at 1-877-504-0233 or productsupport@

horizonhobby.com.

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