hopkimf

My Feedback: (56)

I have a Hangar9 Cap232 Arf w/ Saito 150. It has been sitting in basement unflown since 02. Built with Saito 120 then made a swap here on RCU for Saito 150. Before this brute,my biggest 4 stroke has been 120 size. I've had both Saito and OS. They would start with Sullivan high torque starter. My procedure (right or wrong) with the starter has always been to cover the exhaust outlet and spin it with the starter to get fuel into engine. Put on the glow starter and they have started immediately

I just tried to run this one for 1st time. The 150 wore a groove in the cheap supplied plastic spinner but would not turn it over. I covered the exhaust outlet and tried to hand prop it to fill the fuel line. Wasn't able to. Since engine is mounted with cylinder horizontal and cowled, the inlet hard to reach. So I squirted a little prime in. It did pop over with the chicken stick and ran backwards until it ran out of prime. Tried a few more times and spun prop loose, etc. Spinner broke into two pieces and took off like a rocket as prop came loose. I thought I had the prop nut pretty tight. Tried hand propping forward to start. Broke a wood prop on index finger (wore a glove).

What do the experts recommend? Buy a bigger starter? Take up bowling or stamp collecting?

Thanks.

rcdude7

My Feedback: (264)

I would suggest you not use a plastic spinner, you can see why. Ususally when these engines run backwards for a few seconds it is because fuel has pooled up in the muffler andthe engine is pulling it in through the exhaust.
Ihandstart start my large saito by priming the carb and swinging the prop through a few times before igniting the plug, probably the same method you used for staring your 120.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Some people flip them backwards towards the compression stroke but not all the way through. The engine fires ans runs it the forward direction.

I start mine with a Sullivan Dynatron

Ken6PPC

Ditto on the Sullivan Dynatron! I have one Saito 1.50 and two Saito 1.80's, and Ialways use the Dynatron on a 12VDC lawn tractor battery. The nice thing about it is you can always help someone out at the field who can't turn their engine over with their starter. Ihaven't had a failure yet with the Dynatron.

Iknow many who always hand start, and that works too. Ijust had rather use a starter, especially when an engine is new! Once you have them broken in and tuned well, they hand start much easier.

If Iever need MOREpower than I can get from the Dynatron, Iwill try two 12 V batteries in series for 24 Volts. The Dynatron gives you that option. If that STILLisn't enough, Iplan to get a Sullivan Megatron with belt reduction.

http://www.sullivanproducts.com/StartersMainFrame.htm

blw

My Feedback: (3)

Ken6PPC- What kind of starting amps does your garden tractor battery have? I've tried several big amp ones that won't turn over my Saito 1.25. Also, I returned my first Dynatron starter and the second one is the same as far as lack of cranking power on 12v.

Ken6PPC

Barry, Ijust checked my battery, and it says it has 275 Cranking Amps. It is just a cheap Lawn Tractor battery from Wal-Mart, but it really works great!I usually only charge it about every other month.

captinjohn

Most engines start very easy. Just get them wet and turn over a couple of times. Then put glow on and with a leather glove just pull it through backwards untill it wants to fire and let her go. It should fire forwards and keep running. Easy to do...if done right. Capt,n

Ken6PPC

Remember, the OP's engine is NEW! It is NOT easy to start a brand-new engine by hand. Once they are broken in and tuned well, they are much easier to start by hand. However, I don't mind at all using the starter. In fact, I prefer it!

Edited for typo...

Ken6PPC

Barry, Ithink some engines are harder to crank than others. When one of my 1.80's was brand new, Icould barely turn it over even by hand. (I didn't have the Dynatron then.)

Ifound that it was easier to start spinning itwith a closed throttle. Once Ihad it cranking over, Ihad a helper open the throttle a little and it started right up.

bayward

Istart my Saito 180 with a Sullivan Dynatron. The Saito has a TruTurn spinner though. The Sullivan is powered by a West Marine deep cycle marine battery. The battery has a handle built in to make it easy to carry. It is only a little larger in dimensions than a cheap lawn garden battery. Waaaay more expensive though. When I bought mine they were around $110.00. Last Ilooked they were approaching $150 !

If you want to guarantee that the Saito will turn over hook that Sullivan up to two 12v Pb batteries. The Sullivan is built to handle 24 volts and man does that give it the power.

Bob

hopkimf

My Feedback: (56)

Guys,

Thanks for all the good comments. I have the Sullivan Dynatron starter mentioned above, but my battery is wimpy. Maybe that's why it won't crank. I'll buy one with more amp hrs and get a Tru-Turn or similar spinner and try it again. The engine is new and never seen fuel until today.

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

Hi Hop,

Maybe you have one of the older Saito high-compression 1.50s like mine; that thing was a bear to run until I figured it out.

Item: Never let it get too lean. It will toss the prop and spinner. Even with the jam nuts!

Item: Never try to start it with a starter when it' s wet. It will try to kick back but the starter will force it through and it can damage the engine.

That said, I'll tell you my procedure. In a cowled Saito engine, I spin it on a starter with the throttle wide open, my finger over the muffler outlet and with no glow starter applied. that gets fuel into the engine. Then I return the throttle to high idle, apply the glow starter and flip it backwards agains compression. Starts nearly every time. Shoot, no procedure is perfect.

The bottom line is that Saitos like to be "wet" on starting.

CR

Prairie Mike

Charley is correct. The Saito 150 likes to be wet for starting. I have used 2 ways (always with a thick leather glove-and that even hurts sometimes)

1. Pull it though the normal way, but you have to hang onto the prop, .ie. actually grab it & pull it though smartly. Don't try to start it like you lwould a 40 size engine, just by placing your fingers at the back side of the prop. Doing it that way will hurt your fingers! You have to actually grab the prop and pull it through smartly.

2. (Better way) Bring it up to comprssion backwards and just "pop" the prop backwards. It'll usually start first time and will run in the correct direction. If it starts backwards, play with the throttle and most times you can catch it and it will reverse directions.

I gave up trying to start them with an electric starter, but that's just me.They really start easy wet & striking the prop backwards.

still4given

My Hobbico Torque Master starter with a 2300 Ma 3S battery spins my Saito 180. Make sure you start with the prop turned all the to the right  so it gets up to speed before it hits the compression. Also, get a silicone starter insert. They grip better and won't burn a ring into your nose cone.

hopkimf

My Feedback: (56)

SAito 150 now starts and runs. I bought a Tru-Turn 3 in spinner, a Sullivan white insert for starter and got a better battery. It now turns over, starts, and seems to rune fine. I'm just now putting a few tanks of fuel through it. It must be the older High compression version. It takes a bunch more to turn it over than my Saito and OS 120s. Thanks for all the tips.

Mike H

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I have a Saito 150 that I know is not the high compression one and it takes a lot more to start it than my Magnum 120 or Saito 125's

FlyingPilgrim

My Feedback: (26)

Mike, I know you already got your problem solved, but for any others out there, another tip: If your Dynatron is struggling to turn it over because battery is a little weak, apply the starter and crank with throttle totally closed (it has weak compression when it can't draw any air/fuel) while a friend slowly opens the throttle until it starts. Real easy!
For hand starts with chicken stick, prime by blocking exhaust for a few flips with open carb, close throttle to high idle, apply glow plug heat, and flip clockwise (opposite of direction it normally runs).

Walter D

My Feedback: (16)

I have one of the old 1.5's installed in my H9 Taylorcraft, when I first got the engine (previous owner sold it to me because he couldn't get it started and have it run without backfiring). Being the Engine Whisperer that I thought I was at the time, on the first start on the bench the Beast backfired so hard that the broom stick I was using as a chicken stick was splintered into little pieces and my hand was sore from the whack it gave me and I was wearing heavy gloves as well.
After a while I was able to start it by back flipping it, but it was extremely prone to back fire at the slightest change of throttle change, regardless of having it run at different settings, to make a long story short, after having it back fire on the air a couple of times I decided to order an aluminum gasket spacer in order to reduce its compression, this the trick, the engine became maneagable and still had plenty of power.
I always started by priming it a few times and then back flipping it, some times it took quite a few tries, I could not use the Sullivan starter that I have (Heavy Duty) because it could not get it over compression, until one day (recently) and after being tired of flipping the darn thing I opted to wait a few minutes after filling up the tank so it would drain any excess fuel from the muffler and then applying the same starter with the engine at fast idle and without priming it, I realized the starter would crank it just fine until it drew enough fuel and it starts every time like this, my engine is mounted sideways and I do have on board glow juice, it hasn't kicked back since I lowered its compression, problem is I can't remember who I bought the shim from, perhaps some body else knows the source, I'll post it if I can find it. Hope this helps.