franchi

Hi All:

I my flying mate and have reached a point in our lives where we are forced to use an electric starter to start our Diesel engines. The resulting shoulder pain is not worth hand starting our Diesels. Perhaps, we can hear from other Senior Citizens who have been forced to use the evil electric starter. I know that I should learn the correct starting drill for each engine but the Diesels seem to not follow my established starting methods. Perhaps I should spend more time with them and keep copious notes! Perhaps my engines are not broken in. In the glow world, I will not keep an engine that I can not get one flip starts almost every time.

I am confident that I am exercising enough caution to avoid the dreaded engine damage by attempting to start a flooded engine. The engines that we use the starter on include 3 Olivers, 1 MVVS, 3 ST G20/.15D and several Davis conversions.

Come clean and tell us if you are using an electric starter. It will be good for your Soul!

Cheers,

Franchi

SteveM

My Feedback: (1)

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Mr Cox

I'm hand starting everything, diesel and glow.

It helps if you can prime the side of the piston, this should give you a fire each time. On RC engine with mufflers I prime using a primer bottle into the carb, then tilt the whole plane about 90 degrees (for an upright engine) in order to get the fuel on top of the piston. With time one will learn how a "wet" engine feels and if it doesn't fire then, one just has to increase the compression ration a little bit (and be ready to reduce it when the engine fires).

1QwkSport2.5r

I use an electric starter when necessary. On diesels with a known good compression and needle setting, I will use a starter on difficult engines (to hand start) but only if the fuel hasn't been primed to the carb. I let the engine draw fuel on its own. If it doesn't start quickly after fuel reaches the carb, I will make an adjustment where needed.

I prefer to hand start engines too, but some engines are a royal pain to do so on.

controlliner

Not required on my PAWs or Sharma diesel. All start on low compression setting and run well once warmed up.

greggles47

If it means the engines are going to be used and enjoyed, by all means use an electric starter. From reading many of your posts you seem totally aware of the need for caution with the compression screw.
Go play with your engines..... or give them to me. ;-)

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Franchi, I have been told and also read only use starters on engines with ball bearings. I may be younger than only 77 you but have a bad right shoulder. I can not raise my right hand to the side or over head but can still start a diesel by hand. All the way from .020 to .75 FS Laser. Can be difficult on a cold day with a fixed compression Drone but not difficult when temp above 40 degree F. I have no Davis conversions. The Laser .75 has a ringed piston and instructions said to use a starter. I did at first but find it starts very easy by hand. An Enya .41 FS diesel takes from 8 to 20 prop flips to start by hand following the instructions that came with the engine. I had many runs on this engine before using a starter which I have done on a couple occasions. I have a couple MVVS 10 cc diesels. I have been told cranks on these can break using a starter. I also have a couple MVVS 2.5 cc diesels. Never used a starter on these. Many PAW diesels over the decades. Webra 2.5 cc Mach II and Super Tigre diesels from the 1950's and early 1960's. Plus an O.S. 2.5 cc diesel from the late 1950's All started with out starters. Some like a couple drops of fuel down the carb. Others a couple drops against a piston closed. Some a bit more compression to start and others a bit less. Small diesels can be a bit more difficult starting and may need extra ether. As I get older a bit slow spinning small props on .020 or smaller diesels. But no problem with the larger ones. Jack Hiner in North Illinois.