Engine wont start

[Dannyyy]

Grrrrr
Had the engine running fine yesterday... didnt get though a tank because it kept stoping... went to start it today and nothing... Turning it over fine and smoke is coming out of the muffler but its not starting at all.

Tryed the glow plu not that
Looked to see if the clunk line had come off wasnt that

Its like the engine isnt getting any fuel :/

Thanks, Danny

[Andy from Sandy]

Without connecting the glow ignitor open the throttle full and turn the engine over. Can you see it draw fuel? If it is not sucking fuel then you have a blockage somewhere.

[Dannyyy]

Right i'll check that

thanks

[liambaker996]

have you knocked your throttle trim at all ?

[Dannyyy]

No liam Still at half way

[callum]

Take the glow plug out of the engine and stuff it up the glow starter. If it is not glowing a nice bright glow down the coil, then you know it is the plug. If it is a good strong glow then you can pretty much be sure it is not that. By taking it out you can actually look at the coil and see whats going on.
Naturally, if you don't see a glow, change the plug and try again putting it into the glow starter while out of the engine.

Other reasons if we assume the glow is bright and strong is that no fuel is actually getting to the plug or to much has.

If you are trying to start it and you know now that it has a strong glow, take the plug out and stuff it up the glow starter. If it is too wet with fuel, it will firstly look wet but also it won't glow and will probably be sizzling as it burns off that extra fuel.
Another way to tell if it is flooding with too much fuel is to turn the engine over with the plug out and see if it spits lots of fuel out of the top of the engine. If it is flooded because you see lots of fuel ejected from the engine top (while the plug it out) and / or the plug was wet big time.... Then dry the plug off so it glows bright again, clamp the fuel to the engine and turn it over to eject any excess fuel and then try again.

If on the other hand, when you take the plug out, it glows well and is not wet, then we can assume that fuel is not getting in.
If the settings have not changed on the carb then it has to be a blockage. This is actually VERY common with these engines if they have not been ran for a few weeks.

To check this, look at the fuel tube going to the engine from the tank. If it is not clear fuel tube, I suggest you change it for a bit of clear, so you can see the fuel move through the pipe.
I would unplug it from the engine and ensure the pipe is initially empty, (because totally full and totally empty fuel tube can look the same).
Ok so you know the fuel tube is empty. Turn the engine over with the glow plug in (but not lit). Watch to see if fuel is pulled up the tube to the engine. In many cases where an engine has not ran for a while and it won't start, you will not see much movement of the fuel through the tube.

So if the fuel is not moving up the tube at a good rate, stuff your finger over the exhaust output so that all the pressure is shoved up the fuel pipe from the exhaust to the tank. Turn it over while your finger blocks the exhaust output and see if it starts to move after a bit of turning.

If it still does not move, open the throttle to full bore (BUT DON'T HAVE THE GLOW PLUG LIT!!!!), and turn it over with your finger on the exhaust output. You should then be really pushing it into to the carb and after a short while you should see the fuel zip into the engine.

Once done, drop the throttle to tick over, light the glow and try again

-Regards

Callum

[Dannyyy]

Thanks callum mate too dark and im going out in a bit so i will try everything tomorrow

[Richie b]

just noticed in your signature that your running an hatori pipe, check the nipple on it is clear and not blocked up, had two of them do that to me, absolute nightmare to find because one min it would start and run ok and the next nothing.

just another idea for you to try

cheers
Richard

[liambaker996]

danny your glow extention may have gone if you are using a wireless glow it is hard to tell if you are actually heating up the plug try removing the canopy and starting it directly on the plug
cheers Liam

[Dannyyy]

Nah mate running a Align pipe at the mo... need gaskets so Tom gave me a Align pipe just to get it started

[pchristy]

I'd change the plug anyway. Just because its glowing, doesn't mean its any good!

To ignite the methanol mixture, you need a catalyst - platinum! Without platinum, it doesn't matter how good the glow is, the engine won't run! In days of old, plugs were made of thin platinum wire. Modern ones use platinum COATED wire! After a while, the platinum starts to flake off, leaving the wire looking a bit mottled. When this happens, the engine gets very huffy, and won't run reliably.

It may or may not be your problem, but its such an easy thing to change, it should be your first port of call. Just because it lights, doesn't mean its any good!

I always use an ammeter in my glow lead. You can get 5 amp charger meters from Maplins quite cheaply. Most plugs draw between 2 and 3 amps. You quickly get to learn what your plug's normal reading is. If the reading goes up by about an amp when you turn the motor over, the engine is flooded! You will quickly learn to "read" the meter, and I find it an invaluable tool for quickly diagnosing engine problems!

--
Pete

[moonmanflyer]

glow plug i bet, i have had 2 fail in the last week due to the change of climate, one in flight

[Dannyyy]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpKjZSOuAis]YouTube - help!!!![/ame]

Tryed everything

[sacko]

Plugs ok? Fuel lines ok? Fuel lines placed correctly? Whats your normal throttle curve? OS set to factory settings?

[speedy jon]

i see you have the align onboard glow. does it the two extra lights light up when u press it. if they dont you have a glow problem. mine didnt light up when i first went to use it, found the earth wiring had come off the loop that goes onto the engine.
also is the croc clip that goes onto the glow sitting right? ie its only touching the glow plug and not the head of the engine.

also just wondering, why at the start of the vid do you hit throttle hold on the tx? or is that how you have set the tx up