Devil_Inside

My Feedback: (3)

I have a DLE-30 v1 (side carb) that seems to be acting a little weird. First of all I can't really seem to get it to hold a low idle without quitting. I tried adjusting both the high and low speed needles, but the best I could get was around 2300rpm and only after the engine has warmed up. I am also noticing some inconsistent transition - it seems fine on the ground, but once in the air it wants to quit when I go to full throttle; the idle settings also seem to change all the time in the air. Last but not least, I have some pretty noticeable vibration at high idle (2400-2500rpm) which worries me. I checked the firewall and the stand-offs and everything is solid and all the bolts are tight. The prop and spinner have been perfectly balanced also.

The engine is relatively new with about 1/2 gallon of fuel ran through it. I am running a mix of 30:1 using Stihl conventional oil and an 18x8 Xoar laminated prop.

marcus doobus

My Feedback: (3)

Devil_Inside.

I can't explain all your problems. I have one of the original DLE30 with th side carb & it runs great! 1/2 gallon of fuel isn't a heck of a lot to get it broke in & idling proberly. Your oil & prop are good brands. Mine wouldn't idle very well either until I got atleast 2 gallons run through it. Some of the forums suggest that break in doesn't accure until 4 gallons +. This is just another opinion. I can't explain the vibration, except that most gassers vibrate more than usual until they get closer to break in. Mine did. It's fairly smooth now & I can get my idle down to 1550 - 1600 rpm. This is just slow enough to keep my Edge from roll on the runway by itself. All I can say is hang in there. It's a good engine, side carb & all. I'm sure many are going to tell you to change it to rear carb. "I'm not going to fix mine if it's not broke".

Zippi

My Feedback: (10)

Devil_Inside,

Doesn't sound like you have the needles tweaked just right yet. I had the DLE 30 side carb on a H9 Taylorcraft and the needles on this engine are a little more sensitive than most other gassers. The low end needs to be right on the edge of being to lean to get the best performance out of this engine. I think my idle was around 2200 rpm and that was fine, my plane wouldn't move on concreate so I was satisfied. Are you using a tack when you set the high end?

manmedi

Hello,

I have a dle 30 with side carb tillotson.
After the 1 1/2 gallon brake in, I put it on my brand new Yak 55.
I noticed problem on the low idle I cannot go lower than 2000 rpm the high rpm is 6950 with 19x8 jfx.
The problem is that the engine cannot hold lower that 1800 without stop and even in 2000 sometimes had the same problem.
Some guys in the field propose to change to rear carb.
Any suggestions?

kerwin50

retard the timing a bit

steph18

are you sure that all seals are good between the carb and the angine . or that any fixation screws are correctly tighten ?

D_wilbur

My Feedback: (8)

I sounds like there may be an air leak in-between the carb and the engine. Check all seal and gaskets on the engine. T
Check the timing it can be part of the problem. I have V2 with rear carb and works quite well. only proble I have is with the stand off bolts comming loose. I have tried lock tite with lock washers. My friend shugjusted I clean any machining oil off the threads in the stand off witch could be my problem.

CK1

My Feedback: (60)

It sounds fairly typical for a version 1 engine .
There are a few thing to do to improve it . some of which you have already done- but I will note the steps in the order I use.
1) Use an NGK CM6 plug gapped at .024 (throw the original plug in the trash)
2) Check and verify the ignition timing is no more than 35 deg BTDC ( 28 to 32 is recommended) , some are incorrectly set at the factory.
3) install a vent tube and line on the diaghram vent cover plate of the carb. run the line in to the fuselage away from irratic pressure changes.
4) Be sure the prop is balanced correctly (don't assume it is, ever)
5) make sure the engine is mounted securely to the firewall and the wing(s) are on the plane when running the engine (this helps to dampen and stabilize the engine and does make a huge difference in how the engine runs and how it is tuned.
6)readjust the low and high end needles to 1-1/2 turns out each as a starting point .
7) warm the engine up thoroughly 5 to 10 minutes at 1/2 throttle prior to attempting to fine tune the carb .
Peak the engine rpms at WOT with the H needle
idle it down as low as it will go reliably and lean the L needle , the rpms will rise-then lower the idle speed and lean again. keep doing this untill the engine will not idle reliably . then open the L needle 1/16 turn at a time untill you get a good throttle transition and a reliable idle. Do not open the L needle any more than needed to get a good transition from idle to WOT as this will also effect the mid range and make it rough .
Peak the RPM's with the H needle again. do not go over rich untill the RPM's drop - get max RPM
Note : After tuning the engine Keep the idle speed as high as you can and still be able to idle down for landing and ground handling untill the engine breaks in some , the engine will idle better and have more power as it breaks in with Several gallons of flying time .
You may need to go to a lower pitch prop during break in . I recommend an 18x6 or 19x6