Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

Starting fluid

You need more priming in colder weather but I find the C90 generally goes on the first pull. Aircraft engines with an impluse-coupled magneto fire very easily compared to some – an automotive or other engine would rarely start just from being taken gently through the first compression stroke.

EZ start (or any volatile solvent) will make almost anything fire and is useful on recalcitrant lawnmower engines with sensitive ignition timing, but whether it continues running once it has to run on fuel is another matter. Anything with quite a basic carburettor often struggles to get a viable mixture to conincide with the spark until it has gone round a few times, and of course a bit of solvent to burn (or any warming) helps prevent that mixture condensing out onto the cold metal.

The C152s and PA28s I see around me seem to take quite a lot of cranking for variable results in this weather. I have no idea if this is poor technique or genuine difficulty, but it makes me glad I’m hand-starting.

EGLM & EGTN

The C-90-8F on my Super Cub has Slick magnetos with an impulse coupler, and the Stromberg carburettor.

There is a wealth of information on baby contis at this website

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/tech/fenton.html

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

Many years ago, when struggling to start an old Arrow (which was known be hard to start), a mechanic passed. He stod in front of the prop with a spray can in his hand and waved at me to try again. I skipped priming and as soon as I started cranking, he sprayed into the air intake and the engine burst to life immediately. I never found out what was in his can (not because he was hit by the prop, but because he disappeared while I adjusted RPM and checked oil pressure).

Last Edited by huv at 02 Dec 14:40
huv
EKRK, Denmark

huv wrote:

I never found out what was in his can

Something that’ll burn. It doesn’t matter much exactly what it is – any flammable aerosol will do.

EGLM & EGTN

Err indoors is wondering why she cant find her hair spray.

huv wrote:

I never found out what was in his can

A full bottle of “good luck fluids”?

Last year with @Noe, we had 1h of arm muscle training when we tried to hand-start a stubborn Turbulent (D31) on a frosty morning, by the time we went to lunch and back the sun has shinned and it started after our second attempt, so I would personally invest in a portable heater that would cost less than gym memberships or arm massage sessions in London

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

I’ve used Easy Start on thousands of car engines. It’s a good rough and ready diagnostic tool to find out if a non-starting engine has fuel or ignition problems.
Petrol engine: If it fires with a squirt of easy start then you know that you have a spark. If it doesn’t then you might suspect your ignition system.
Diesel: if it starts and continues to run after a short squirt with easy start then you probably have a leak in the delivery system.
No engine I’ve ever used it on has become “addicted” to it.
If I had to hand swing a reluctant aircraft with an automotive based engine I’d probably use Easy Start.

Forever learning
EGTB

Where would one squirt this stuff?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Something that’ll burn. It doesn’t matter much exactly what it is – any flammable aerosol will do.

I’m not sure whether that is 100% correct. Hydrogen will burn/explode at concentrations of between 4% and 75%. Gasoline will burn at concentrations of between 1.4 and 7.6%. Something with a wide flammability range will likely be easier to ignite.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammability_limit

Some things will also start burning more easily than others which may or may not be a good thing. Presumably if they’re too easy to ignite you’re more likely to get an induction fire.

Last year with @Noe, we had 1h of arm muscle training when we tried to hand-start a stubborn Turbulent (D31)

Thanks Ibra, it’s good to know it isn’t just me.

Incidentally when I got my turbulent one of the magnetos was retarded significantly compared to the other. My mechanic wasn’t sure whether it was an error, or whether the intent might have been to start the engine on that magneto only. It wouldn’t be efficient if used alone, but should the other ignition set fail you would still have enough power to make it home. However, if I get at least a hint of a cylinder firing I usually know I’m likely to get it started quite soon and they’re both currently set up with the same degree of advance.

Last Edited by kwlf at 02 Dec 19:40

(The Turbulents ibra mention are the ones from the TC, which, as you mentioned, have electronic ignition)

Last Edited by Noe at 02 Dec 20:07
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top