ktmfrank

a very simple question is it possible to mount a saito with the valve cover toward the bottom of the aircraft? i know that in flight it run good but is there abything i should know about?

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

With it being inverted, they will sometimes be harder to start and you have to make sure that it does not flood with fuel as it will hyrdo lock and bend things that are not supposed to be bent. I always try to make sure my 4 cycles are mounted right side up or on there side. Good Luck, Dave

ktmfrank

thanks four the advice!

Trax540

My Feedback: (1)

Just to clarify, because i am currently installing a Saito 56 side mounted. Is there anychance of Hyro lock on side mount? Or only on inverted application?

Thanks, Joe

ktmfrank

Sideway there is no problem at all.make sure the exaust port is facing down of course.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Inverted they only flood if you mount the fuel tank too high. You just want to mount the center line of the tank a bit lower then the spray bar. You can mount the engine in any position you like. Once everything is set up correctly there is no problem, if there was there would be a lot of us out of luck on a lot of planes. The engine doesn't know it is upside down. Mount a fuel tank too high and you can even flood an upright engine with siphoning.

52larry52

My Feedback: (1)

I have a Saito 120 mounted inverted in a Rascal 110. I have had no problem starting the engine, and no problem with the engine quitting on final at low idle. On this plane I do keep a "junk" glow plug in the engine when in storage, and install the "good" one as part of my pre-flight prep. This prevents the plug to be flown from being flooded and fouled with the after run oil while in storage. Swap plugs, do a normal pre-flight, fuel it and fly it. Works good for me. For safety I have also installed a remote glow starter port to move the unhooking of the glow driver away from that spinning 16" prop. This is just a remote port not an on board battery system. Without the remote glow driver it was very difficult and scary to unhook the glow driver once the engine was fired. I also have a like Saito mounted sideways on a 1/4 scale Cub. With the sideways mount I don't swap glow plugs or have a remote glow driver port as access to the glow driver right on the engine is not a problem. Both engines are reliable and run fine.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

I all cases when I have had to mount a glow engine inverted I have always installed a pump/fuel regulator. The Cline unit is my favorite. The Cline is designed very much like the pump section on a Walbro carb, fuel can't get past it until it see's pulses from the crankcase. Almost impossible to flood an engine with one. In fact, the last engine I had hydralock on me was in my GMC Denali. That was an expensive repair bill, shot a rod right out the block.

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

I've had several mounted inverted. A fat idle mix will show up quicker when mounted that way. Otherwise I had no problems.

David

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

My BUSA quarter-scale Cub has an inverted Saito 100. I mounted it at an angle of about 7 degrees, if I recall correctly, so no cowl clearance holes for the muffler were required. Only a couple little divots were removed for valve cover clearance.

As DaveOPam said, idle adjustment may take some attention, but not a big deal, the installation is essentially troublefree.

In the Cub, I had ample room to adjust the tank height so it's centered on the needle. You need to check for tank mounting location versatility before you mount the engine.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

jetmech05

I have never ran a 4 cycle in way but inverted... Always used a programmable glow driver to come on at 1/8 throttle
Never have had a problem

da Rock

Make sure the fuel system does not syphon. Single cylinder 4strokes often have downdraft intakes. They are basically standpipes pointing down. Any excess fuel falls immediately down. They are basically self-purging. Turn the engine over and those standpipes point up. They become fuel collectors.

Make sure your plumbing does not syphon.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

All my saitos run inverted, about 8 of them. You have to tune them inverted. I dont wet prime, just glow heat, spin with the starter, fuel pumps and the engines start. Saito's have excellent fuel draw.
Edwin