ORIGINAL: 72

"I have a Saito or 3". So how do you go about finding out if you have a member number and what is would be?? My Saito's are feeling left out!!

ORIGINAL: GaGeeBees

Are you using an onboard glow driver? How's your idle mixture? Sounds like you need to lean out the low end a bit.

ORIGINAL: jkovar

Hey guys new saito owner checking in...

I am in the process of breaking in my Saito 82 for a Great planes reactor. Most of the break in was done on engine stand, now I am completing it mounted on the airframe. Wow what a great engine. Very moist at first, but now that I have just bout got it leaned out the way it should be I am blown away. I am running a 14x6 prop for break in. It is a wood prop and after reading the last few posts, I will switch it over to an APC prop.

Peak RPM is holding about 9400 RPM and 3000 on the low end. The next tank or so I will adjust the low side down some. This is my first saito, but I think I am in love..

Cheers

ORIGINAL: alpal


Hi Gageebees, yes I have a glow driver on board. I see from other posts that I may have it on too long, I have it on from idle to half throttle!. My bottom end is fine, no smoke. The mid range smokes and lots of oil. I am still looking for that article on setting up a 300 exactly. All the best Alex

From Bill Robison
Adjustment/operation of the Saito FA-300TTDP engine. (sic -Dual carb-)

Preparation:

Before we talk about settings, let’s check the installation. Set properly, this engine can suck two ounces of fuel per minute, so we want a tank with the large size hoses all the way down to the clunk. And the clunk drilled out to match. This needs to feed a tee, again with a large bore. From the tee medium hose can feed the two carbs, but make the two hoses as close to the same length as your can.

A better set up is using a tank with two clunks in it, and individual feed hoses for the two carbs. Again, make the two hoses as close to the same length as you can. With two clunks medium fuel line will do fine.

The Saito pump does not pump fuel, it pumps air to pressurize the tank. Depending on the age of your engine you could have either of two systems. The early type had a diaphragm pump mounted under the left cylinder cam box, the late one has what seem to be two breather nipples on the crank case. With either system roll the engine, you will feel air blowing from only one of the nipples. That nipple should have a hose going to the next part. You should also have what looks like a remote needle valve, with one extra nipple on it. This is the pressure regulator. Two of the nipples will be directly across from each other, and the third down on the side of the part the needle screws in. The first two are one from the pump or crankcase nipple, the other to the tank vent. Doesn’t matter which is which, they interchange. the third nipple is the bleed line, you can leave it open if you have the real pump, or if you are using the crank case nipple it is also the excess oil drain from the engine, run a hose out the bottom to keep the inside clean. The hose needs to be a minimum of 4� length to give the vent the restriction needed.

My choice for the glow plugs is the OS “F� plug in the rear holes, K&B 1L plugs in front. The new “Saito� plug from Horizon seems to work as well as the “F� plug, in front almost any medium to cold plug will work.

Now the initial settings:

Now pull all four rocker covers and set the valves as close to 0.002� as you can. With the twin carb version you wont have to bother with them, except for routing check and adjustment.

Holding the engine pointed away rom you check the throttles. They should reach full throttle together, and close off on the low speed end at the same time. Diddle/bend/adjust the linkage to get them together.

Set the low speed needles to have the flat level with the face of the throttle levers, if you have metal levers leave them there. If your levers are plastic turn them in exactly one turn from even.

The most common mistake with a Saito pumper is running the pressure too high. Turn the regulator needle in to seat (gently, please) then out five full turns.

Seat the HS needles, open them three turns.

Now with your starter choke the engine, get fuel to the carbs. If you’re running two clunks you can choke them one at a time, with a single clunk you have to choke them together – the one being choked will draw air from the other.

Now hook your glow driver to the rear plugs – you don’t have to heat all four – set the throttle to 1/4th, apply the starter. It should start right off.

If the engine starts, runs momentarily and quits, open the main needles another ½ turn, reprime, restart it.

It has been my experience that a cold Saito wont start at an idle setting, ¼ throttle or a little more seems to work best. Let it run at ¼ for 30-45 seconds, it wont idle until it warms a bit.

For initial running adjustments turn both HS or both LS needles equally. Check/adjust the high speed first, then the low. As you set the low needles go back and check the high speed regularly. The LS will affect the high a lot more than the HS affects the low.

When you have high and low running nicely set the engine to approx ½ throttle, and check it there. Now is when you can adjust the pressure. If the mid range is lean, turn the regulator needle in ½ turn at a time, or if rich turn it out, until the mid range is close. Go back and adjust the low and high needles again – the pressure affects both high and low as well as the mid range.

From this point there should be no problem to get it run in, or if it has some time on it, to set it for flying.

Hope this does it for you.

Bill.