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Starting fluid

So I bought myself a can of starter fluid and the verdict is that it is a big success. My engine started much more easily than usual the first time today. I didn’t bother using it the second and third times – with a warm engine it started easily anyway.

In reply to Peter’s question I squirted it into the carb air intake. There is no air filter to get in the way. It would be more convenient to put it in the hot air intake except that as you spray it in it is a liquid, and much of it flows out.

The problem is that you need to remove the top cowling in order to get at the air intake, so after trying and failing to spray it up the hot air intake I took the top cowling off, warmed everything up for a minute or two, shut down then replaced the cowling again before starting up again.

If anything the problem was that it worked too well – I got several kickbacks before managing to get the engine to turn over so it seems to burn faster than AVGAS.

alioth wrote:

engines get addicted to ez-start

I used to have cold start problems with my forklift truck (1980s diesel) and the mechanics recommended this, but said that once you start using it you can’t stop. I mostly solved it by parking the truck in a drier place, getting a bigger HGV battery and trickle charging it in the winter (so the engine pre-heat works for longer). Basically the answer is avoiding a cold engine. A small fan heater might work better than a hairdryer?

EGHO-LFQF-KCLW, United Kingdom

kwlf wrote:

the verdict is that it is a big success

Can’t argue with that. Whatever works

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

How would engine addiction to starting fluid work?

Perhaps if you need it for a fork lift truck it’s a sign that there is something wrong with it – poor compression for example. You persevere with the starting fluid and after 6 months whatever was wrong with it has gotten so bad that the starting fluid is now a necessity until you fix whatever needs fixed? It’s not that the engine is addicted to starting fluid as such; just that it is good at masking a problem that manifests itself by difficulty in starting.

Any other ideas?

I find the comments about other Turbs being hard to start reassuring – that it probably is just a fuel vapourisation problem in my aircraft.

I suspect the addicted part is not the engine but the owner: once one gets used to the ease of starting with the fluid, it’s difficult to quit using it.

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

There’s a reason why the engine has become difficult to start. That “reason” remains, and deterioration continues. Using the starter spray gets round this, without fixing the original cause. So the engine continues to need the spray.
I’ve owned, but never used, starting spray. I kept it for emergency use.

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

This is probably a useless answer but how about a Skytec Starter? With certain qualifiers, these transform starting.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

There’s one for the Aerovee that would probably fit, but it weighs 8lb and then you will need a battery to power it.

Turbulents are marginal in terms of payload. Anything you add to them means filling the tank less.

Some aircraft of a similar vintage have strings/pulleys like lawnmowers which to me seems the ideal. I’m still not fully relaxed standing in front of a propeller and pushing it round with my hand until it bursts into life. It would be much better to be able to start them from behind.

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