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I need confirmation for the DLE 30 ignition timing, the hobbico manual page 13 has the timing set at 46 Degrees BTDC, any comments appreciated.
Thanks.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

HOBBICO. is Wrong....Timing is 28 to 30 BTDC....

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

Yes, and the Hobbico DLE30 manual also says that the sensor can only move from +/- 1 deg, 45 deg to 47 deg. So I'm at the point where does it really matter whether it's 28-30, 45-47, heck, 85-87...if the sensor mount can only go one way or the other a tad from what is pre-drilled on my engine, who cares what the number is? If I think the timing is off, I'll just move it accordingly within this precut/predrilled arrangement.

Of course, the other option - if in fact these predrilled holes for the sensor bracket are indeed set at 45-47 deg BTDC - is to drill new holes that match 28-30 BTDC...and I'm not doing that.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

Good luck..Get a really heavy glove to start it..Or an electric starter...

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

So you are saying that the predrilled holes in the engine that the timing sensor mounts to are drilled incorrectly by the factory? That the timing sensor is incorrectly placed on a new, out-of-the-box engine? That DLE has screwed up here and I need to drill holes in a different location on a new engine so that the timing sensor can be correctly positioned?

I'm confused here. Man, after all the good I've heard about DLE, it's amazing, isn't it, that DLE misdrilled the sensor location by almost 20 degrees?....or could it just be a typo in the manual?

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

Simple explanation! The holes are drilled correctly and most likely the timing will be just fine as the engine comes out of the box. The timing specs. in the Hobbico (Tower) manual are NOT correct. So.... use the engine as it comes and enjoy it.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

Could be a typo, could ber misdrilled holes....Either way it's wrong....
If Hobbico would actually RUN some engines timed at 45 they would know for sure and MAYBE change the manual...
I'm quite sure Jodi has addressed this problem with the DLE engines he sells.. He would NOT ship an engne timed that way...

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

Yes...I was being a wiseguy...sorry for the confusion.

My whole point was that, ASSUMING the engine timing sensor mount holes are drilled correctly - and I will go with that assumption - you only have +/- 1 degree to work with given the construction of the mount upon which the sensor is mounted. Thus, the actual number of degrees of BTDC is somewhat moot, since we are working from pre-drilled holes on the engine case that are assumed to place the sensor within the correct range of timing.

Any timing issues then boil down to whether the timing needs to be advanced a bit, or retarded a bit. Knowing the actual number of degrees BTDC really doesn't matter, simply falls into a "nice to know" category. Now, if the engine came with no predrilled holes and a sensor mount loose in the box, of course we would need then to know the actual numbers so we could drill the holes for the mount. Once that was done, we'd just be back to sliding the sensor +/- a degree for fine tuning the timing...unless of course we modded or built a sensor mount that would allow a greater range of adjustment.

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

You could always install the sensor with a hose clamp then you would infinite adjustments available!

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

Yeah, that's very tempting, but I'm good with DLE's predrilled setup...even if it is 44.9998967895550004833 to 47.00000000100098000014 degrees BTDC

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

This is the statement from Tower Hobbies DLE 30 manual which is a disgrace to the intelligence of anyone who has every worked on small ignition engines. It destroys the validity of the whole manual. And they copied this into the other DLE manuals also.

I must make note here that Tower does not send you this manual when you buy an engine from them. AFAIK it is only as a PDF file on the tower site adjacent to the engines.

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

True statement. The manual that came with my DLE30 was pretty sparse.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

Tower is wrong too... No gasser should be timed at 46 BTDC if you value your fingers, and 46 doesn't make more power, just more heat, and maybe detanation...
The RC EXL and C&H ignitions RETARD the timing from the static setting of 28 to 30 BTDC for starting...The amoun t of retard is in the order of 24 degrees....If you time an engine at 46 you're starting it at 22 BTDC...Could kick back enough to smart a little...On a BIG gasser 22 BTDC WILL definitely hurt....
The RC EXL ignition is a direct clone of the C&H...Bill used the electronic advance made by Ed Vollmer, it has never been duplicated..It has been the BEST igntiion for years, even tested and used by the military...He has made and run more model airplane ignitions than anyone else on the planet.Except maybe T O M lately.,...Bill recommends no more than 30....Tower and Hobbico need to listen to an EXPERT....PERIOD, end of story...[>:]

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

There's about a 5 degree adjustment spread with the stock sensor bracket. It's a standard RC Exl bracket that's the same as found on anything else and not specific to the 30.

Tower has their head up their butt, as usual, evidently along with Hobby Services since they haven't stepped in to correct the obvious errors in the documentation. But what the heck, you guys pay a little less going that route so you should expect a little less.

Before jumping to a conclusion about holes drilled in a hub put a protractor on the engine and verify the actual timing. It may be just fine and only the documentation is all wrong. Not anywhere near the first time this has happened with Tower documentation. Anyone remember the oil ratio Tower recommended with the Fuji engines? Wasn't it 200-1? LOL.

Just think, for a few bucks more people could order their engines and have correct documentation, assembly, and set up assured, along with a friendly source of user support at no additional charge. Evidently that's not worth the extra money but pulling out hair to figure out deficiencies in an RC forum is preferable.

When you went to gas it was time to step up, in both product quality and mindset, from the glow toy distributors you had used in the past. People may be using small gassers but they are playing in a higher game.

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

Ok, then perhaps it's time for a new thread with a poll:

Has anyone found their new-out-of-the-box DLE engine predrilled sensor mount timing holes to be so far out of whack that, even when moving the sensor mount as much as the slot in it will allow, they still needed to drill new holes for the mount so as to achieve the proper timing?

Whistling Death

I own a RCGF 45 that was over 10° off the mark, out of the box. No big surprise I know, I just saying.
I almost ran out of extra room in the slots to finally get it to 28° BTDC.
It pays to check them and it only takes a few minutes.

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

You seem to have way too much time on your hands today!! Why is this even important? With all of the many posts about these engines there have been few if any related to too advanced timing!

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

LOL , yes for sure! I've been taking breaks from installing my DLE-30...pushrods, ball ends, servo arms, now fuel lines.....whewww!

And BTW, that's exactly the point....it's not important at all. Good grief, we all know 46 deg BTDC is absurd, that it's most likely a typo, that the holes do not need to be redrilled elsewhere, and that the slots in the sensor mount will allow the timing to be adjusted to the correct spot, if needed. If this was an issue, indeed there would be posts about DLE quality control being AFU and the engine would not have the great reputation that is currently has.

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

There's a thread of about 400 pages about the DLE 30 and all of this stuff has been covered about 10 times per subject.

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

I think 'sluggo is just funnin us a bit! Probably has the day off, enjoying a few beverages while he works on is new plane.

rglgatortail

My Feedback: (7)

If i know any better guys there is a reason that the sensor is placed where it is, second if you stop and think the ignition box has been set up the way it has because it has automatic advance, it is much easier to retard advanced timing as as the rpm goes up so does the timing and that is done in the ignition that is supplied with your DLE motor, follow install instructions and fuel and oil and prop as per manufacturer instructions and you should can and will have a motor that will last you a long time to come.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

The box actually has automatic retard...First flip retards it for starting, then electronic advance to full advance at 4000 rpm....
3W and DA and Falkon work the other way, timing is set for about 4 BTDC starting and advances...Don't know where their full advance happens...

jedijody

My Feedback: (1)

This subject was covered exhaustively in the DLE20 thread. Here are the facts with all due respect to T.O.M. and Antique (loads) but none to Hobby Services.

For the past year, ever since the rear carbed DLE30 was introduced, the ignition module has been made with a unique timing curve that retards the timing further than the standard Rcexl ignition for a slower and smoother idle, the correct factory set timing is 35-36 BTDC, there is a 6-8 degree adjustment in the slots of the sensor. The Hobbico manual is a joke, there are many more errors in it than just the timing specs.

The DLE30 will run with the timing set to 28-30 but it will be harder to start. I haven't checked to see if it actually gets up to 35 degrees full advance but it doesn't really matter, the engine runs best when timed that way and it's almost always right on right out of the box. Unless you use a degree wheel and learn to check it correctly, forget about the timing and run it as it comes out of the box, you'll be happy. The DLE30 does run well on the standard Rcexl ignition with the timing set to 28-30, it will have the same WOT power but idle quality is slightly less and a little higher RPM.

FWIW,
The ignition module throws the spark as the magnet leaves the sensor turning clockwise (as viewed from the cockpit), if the engine is timed correctly at 35* but  the timing is checked while turning the engine in the wrong direction the spark will occur at around 45* BTDC which is when the magnet leaves the other side of the sensor.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

The WORD
Just goes to show what happens when someone decides to "improve" on a system that has worked well for about the last 20 or so years