Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

Okay, I've tried everything else, now it's time to resort to some suggestions from you guys. I've got an Evolution .61 on my 4 Star 60. I bought the engine new, and at this point it's had 3 tanks of fuel through it. Problem is, I cant get it to transition without quitting. I've messed with the low speed needle til I'm blue in the face, even going beyond the stops to try and get it adjusted. 4 flights last Saturday, 3 deadsticks. Every time I went to idle on approach, the engine quit. This engine has not run consistently since it was first started. After it idles for a few seconds, if I try to throttle up, it either dies, or tries to die every time I try to increase the throttle. I've replaced all the fuel lines, checked for obstructions in the needles and carb, nothing. I'm about ready to pull my hair out, then pull off the engine and replace it with a 4 stroke. I've got an Evo .46 on my LT40 that has run perfectly since the day I bought it. This one, on the other hand, is a real pain in the ***. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

2slow2matter

My Feedback: (1)

Lowlevel...
you might want to check with grandad. He's got one of those, and had some problems with it at first too, but I think he finally got them worked out. Sounds like low speed needle, but who knows! I know my evo .46 was cranky until I got over a gallon of fuel through it, then, like majic, it just started running great! Have you done the pinch test? And the nose high test?

Blow the "suds" out of it on the ground, then take it back to idle. Once idling, pinch the fuel supply line. After a second or two, the idle should increase slightly, then die. If it dies immediately, it's too lean. If it runs forever before dying, it's too rich. Also, with the throttle at full tilt, hold the nose up in the air and see if it leans out--this is more for the high speed needle, but it could be giving you some fits as well. These things aren't any fun at all, until you get them set up right.

Last but not least, have you replaced the glow plug? Sometimes as a new engine is being broke in, the glow plug suffers a little from all of the compression, as well as a few errant shavings/etc. Your plug may have gone south slightly. Worth a shot, anyway! I've seen a lot of "out of tune" engines become all better with a new plug. I once broke in an engine that went through 3 plugs before it was broke in fully. I no longer have that engine--it belongs to my dad. It's a gold top. He hasn't had an ounce of trouble out of it, but I hated it.

Good luck!

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

Yeah, he said he had a few problems with his at first. The day I maidened this plane, me, your brother, and Grandad all three worked on it, but never could get it right. I'll go back and try the pinch test and nose high tests again. Just so I'm straight on it, after pinching the line off, the setting is right if the idle increases slightly and then dies? I have changed the glow plug, so I'm confident at least that part is working right!

elenasgrumpy

My Feedback: (4)

Lowlevlflyer, Don't quote me on this because I could be mistaken, but I believe I read somewhere that if you had a problem with any of the Evolution engines you could send them in and they will run it in & and pre-tune it for you as they do with their .46 trainer engine. I think it would be worth a call to find out if this is true or not, but I'm allmost sure I remember reading something to that effect somewhere. "Of all the things I've lost along the journey, I think it's my mind that I will miss the most"![sm=drowning.gif]

I just noticed you are from Davis, My Grandfather was the minister at the presbetyrian church there. Right next to Bogg's funeral parlor. Just kinda curios if either one is still there. That was 41 years ago.

Good luck with that engine.

Mark

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

heheh, small world!! Yup, the Presbyterian Church is still there, Boggs funeral parlor is long gone, though. What was his name? I bet my wife's parents would probably know him, as they've lived here pretty much all their lives. Thanks for the info, If I cant get this thing tuned, I will give them a call and find out if they do that for all the Evo engines.

glowplug

My Feedback: (1)

I saw quite a few Evolution .46's run like clocks, so I didn't hesitate to buy an Evolution 1.00 NX to power my Vectorflight Edge 540.......since March, I've been battling with this engine, and I'm not happy. I have literally tried every setting on both the low end and high speed needle valves, and every combination of both. I've tried different fuels, different plugs, moved the fuel tank, checked the lines.....EVERYTHING! The engine has a ton of power, but I can't keep it running.....it either leans out or is too rich during transition....and that happens within a tiny turn of the low-end needle valve. Just when I think I have it running pretty well, I'll take the plane up, but every flight I've had on the plane, except for one, resulted in a dead stick. One landing caused damage to the plane. I've decided to cut my losses before I destroy a great flying plane. I'm currently looking for a new engine for the plane, and I'm planning on sending the 1.00NX to Horizon.

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

You know, that's funny... aside from my .61 problems, one of the guys I fly with (2slow's brother, as a mater of fact) is having lots of problems with his Evo 1.00. He's got it in an Ultimate, and he cant get it to run hardly at all. I'm like you, the only reason I bought the Evo .61 is because of the sucess I had with my .46. That engine runs VERY well on my LT40, and I just assumed the .61 would be equally well running. Well, you know what they say about assumptions!

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

Just so I'm not making any assumptions - when you adjust the low speed mixture, are you then retuning the high end needle to slightly below peak to the rich side? If not, you'll never get the low speed mixture set correctly. Make your low speed mixture adjustment is small increments - 1/8-1/4 turn MAX at a time. Its very easy to blow right past the sweet spot. Does your engine have the limiters on the needle valves? Although preset from the factory, they may not be correct for your elevation, humidity, temperature, and fuel combination.

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

Yes, I've been retuning the high speed, but still no luck so far. I've still got the limiters, but I've bypassed them because the settings within the range of the limiters wasnt even close. I'm going to mess with it again this afternoon after work and see what happens then.

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

Well, after an hour and a half and two tanks of fuel, I think I've got the engine tuned well enough it wont die in flight now. I've got the low speed needle set where when you pinch the fuel line off, the idle increases just a bit, then it dies, then I peaked the high speed, then richened it a couple clicks. When held nose up, the engine doesnt appear to be leaning out. It still isnt running perfectly though. As long as the engine doesnt stay at idle for more than about 10 seconds, it will transition just fine. But, if the engine idles for more than 10 or 15 seconds, when the throttle is advanced, it will begin to rev up to around half throttle, then it falls off and stumbles and tries to die, almost like it is starving for fuel. If you back the throttle off and play with it a little, it will go ahead and rev up to full throttle. The RPMs on the top at full throttle are a little inconsistent, like the engine is surging a little. My tach says the RPMs at full throttle are varying by around 250 RPMs. After being at full throttle for 8 or 10 seconds, it will smooth out. I'm baffled, as I've replaced the glow plug again, and replaced all the fuel lines just to make sure there wasnt a pin hole somewhere I was missing. Going to try to take it out tomorrow evening after work and put it in the air and see what happens then.

2slow2matter

My Feedback: (1)

Getting it to where it will fly is a big plus! Now, go fly it. I bet once you get a few more tanks through it, it will start to settle down and act right! Perhaps with just a bit more fiddling down the road. Sounds like you have it close now! You might try increasing the idle just a tad while you are still breaking it in. This might decrease the likelyhood of a deadstick. Good luck, and keep em in the air!

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

Well, it flew 4 flights this evening without a deadstick. Transition is still rough if it idles for a while, but at least it doesnt quit now. It's getting closer, and I think a few more tanks through it should do a lot of good.

mwarren400

Make sure the muffler is tight (both the muffler halves and the engine screwss)...I had a similar problem with mine. You may even want to swap out the gasket and re-tighten...voila...no more issues.

This is a rather important thing to fix...when you are landing (idling for 5+ seconds) and get a bit of wind or a big bounce ...you need the smooth throttle transition to avoid pancaking it. Nothing worse than having the engine quit after you got the nose up with too little airspeed.

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

Yup, I know this from experience... That is exactly how I tore the firewall and landing gear out of the Four Star on it's maiden a few weeks ago. Long story short, wind was about 10 as I came down on final, then, all of a sudden, wind gusts to about 30 (this was the weekend Rita's remnants blew into Southern OK) and got me pretty out of shape. I went to throttle up, and she quit. I was too low and too slow to do anything about it at that point. After having nothing but problems with keeping the muffler halves tight on my .46, I put a thin bead of high temp RTV between the halves of the .61 muffler, then put locktite on the nuts of the long screw that holds it all together. It's been rock solid ever since. I think I may still be a tad rich on the idle needle, and that is why the transition is not up to par yet, but the thing is SO sensitive to even small changes in the idle needle setting, it's been a real battle to get it this close!

Septic_Shock

There's wind in Oklahoma? What?

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Yeah, imagine that. Wind in Oklahoma!!!

I have a harder time when the wind ISN'T blowing!!!!

Ken

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)