Cyberwolf

My Feedback: (4)

At a local flyin yesterday I was asked to tune a couple of new 21 VVRC engine's I did so with both running W/O issue's untill the one ticked a prop on landing and replaced it. I noticed the next time or two he flew the engine was running on the rich side and thought maybe it was just the breakin process. When I tried to readjust the engine the needles was shaking so bad at certain speeds I couldn't keep the screwdriver in the slot. Turns out the prop was way out of whack causing the vibrations plus maybe part of the rich running condition. Anyway another prop change and all was well. I have a lot of respect for any moving object after being in the Machine Shop trade all of my adult life, I have seen some very bad accidents from moving parts and people getting caught or hit by them, The part or machine always wins by the way.
Anyway if a person is afraid or Leary of a running engine chances are it will more than likely find a knuckel or worse so I say to those folks shut it off, and to all other's pay attention to what your doing.

I have a tool that slips over the needle with a screwdriver in the middle and is approx 12-14 inches in length which works well on the larger engine's with a lot of vibrations going on. But I make sure the plane is secure and I don't trust anyone to just hold it, I use a restraint to make good and sure there is no movement going on and I myself use the radio not someone else for run ups and so forth again I don't want any supprise's.
I'm fairly proud of the fact as long as I have been in my trade and still have all my digits and both eyes, that alone says something, BTW I plan on keeping them also.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I have been very good at evaluating a engine IN FLIGHT and then turning the engine off on the ground and adjusting the needle valves.

Lightspeed1551

My Feedback: (4)

My dad and I take our chances on our rear carb gasers and adjust them running. However if his OS GT55 (witch is a front carb 55cc gasoline engine) needs a little tweek it gets shut off.

av8tor1977

My Feedback: (6)

'\

Yep. When you get to the fine tuning in flight, out of necessity you need to tune it on the ground and the engine might as well be off. These adjustments should be quite small if your ground tuning was done right and if your cowling setup is done properly. I did have a 50cc Extra recently that changed tune dramatically in flight even though I had a remote static line setup. I finally had to make a small air dam in front of the carb to keep it from leaning out in flight. (There was no room in this installation for a velocity stack that might have helped as well.)

AV8TOR