franchi

Hi:

How many of you use an electric starter to start your diesels?

Thanks,

Franchi

gcb

Personal preference....never!

George

earlwb

Only when I have to with certain engines. But you have to be sure the engine isn't flooded or at risk of a hydraulic lock condition.
I normally hand flip most of the time.

Diesel Die-hard

In 55 years of diesel flying, I've never used an electric starter for any engine, diesel or glowplug.  This includes such notorious engines as the Bambi, K Vulture and Drone diesels as well as Dooling 29 and McCoy 60 racing glows in speed models.  I don't even own a starter.  However, I have benefited from the use of electrics by others, since after the engine breaks I acquire it dirt cheap and simply make a new shaft, rod or whatever to get it going again! 

A properly fitted diesel (and even many improperly fitted ones) should not require the use of a starter.  If it does, there's something wrong (often a loose piston/cylinder fit or a base compression leak).  And if you keep using a starter, sooner or later it will break. You may get lucky for a while, but it just takes one error in priming or choking. 

There are also some engines which will be seriously damaged by a starter even if they don't break right away. The E.D. Bee and Hornet are cases in point - the only restraint upon rearward movement of the shaft in those models is the crankpin bearing upon the disc valve.  Use a starter, and the disc valve will quickly be toast!  There are many other examples ............

paw080

Well Franci, My first diesel engine was the McCoy .049 diesel; got it in 1954(59 years ago).

I have never, ever used an electric starter on any engine, glow or diesel, in all those years.

Tony

franchi

Hi:

I was admonished for NOT using an electric starter by a leading Diesel "expert"! He told me that I was living in the past if I were hand flipping! I prefer to hand flip and I find it a good idea to use a chicken stick on the .40 size Diesel engines! Lol Did you ever flood a .40 Diesel? Lol

Stay well,

Franchi

Mr Cox

I've never owned any electric starters, there is simply no need for it with the small diesels and glow engines that I use (< .20).

Saves a lot of space and weight for stuff to take to the field too.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

F-man, I use a starter on occasion, but when I use one I do not prime the engine. It actually starts quicker if you don't prime.

AMB

rarely, not on the small ones on the irvine 53 davis head yes no prime its up in a second or two (no finger wacks) martin

ffkiwi

Infrequently-but I have a range of starters-from 1/2A thru small up to standard heavy duty, so I size the starter appropriately to the engine. I would use an electric starter under the following conditions:
(1) a brand new engine that is set up tight and not responding to hand starting
(2) an old worn engine that has very little compression and not responding to hand starting

It is never the first choice for starting! I also have the following inviolable rules:
(1) The engine MUST be fitted with a spinner nut or spinner
(2) The engine is ALWAYS held backwards against compression-ie prop rotated clockwise until the engine comes up backwards against compression-before the starter is applied
(3) Compression ALWAYS is backed off before starter is applied, and slowly advanced whilst starter is turning engine until engine fires

And I'm selective about how much fore and aft shaft play I'll tolerate on a plain bearing engine-(very little, if I'm going to use a starter.........)

New engines I've used a starter on for the first run: MVVS 1.5cc, Yin Yan 1.47 and 2.47, Russian Elfin 149 replicas, PAW 35, Cox 09 fitted with MECOA diesel head

As with most here-I consider it a tool of last resort, but I will use it in difficult cases. I do not own any large 'converted glow' diesels so offer no comment about its suitability or lack thereof for this category of diesel.

Likewise-at the other end of the scale, I would never consider using a starter on anything smaller than a PAW 80

ChrisM
'ffkiwi'

AMB

I turn the key and it starts ( ha ha had to say that well its 360 CID Cummings in my Dodge PU truck guess pretty well covered in diesel sizes
0.03PAW to 360 with the Cummings no gas or glow for me martin

Jim Thomerson

It depends. I like to leave things alone, thinking if the engine ran well last time, it will run well this time. So I like to leave the compression set on the running setting, and same for NVA. Generally, I have found running compression to be lower than quck and easy flip starting setting. I figure a hydraulic lock is unlikely at running setting. What I will do is squirt some fuel on the side of the piston, choke once, and flip a couple of times. Occasionally that is all it takes. If not, I have cleared things so no hydrolock. Give it two or three seconds on the starter and that is usually all it takes. The engine will run undercompressed until I am ready take off, at which time it is warmed up and ready to run to suit me.

I don't use a starter on all diesels, as I have several which start readily and I can duplicate the running compression fairly easily.