OK... so I have been messing with this engine alot over the last week. Final tach numbers as of Friday night was 20,100rpm on a APC 5x3 running a brand new #1 cylinder/piston( twin bypass NOT TD), regular glow head with 1 head gasket on SIG Champion 10% nitro all castor, either 20 or 25% lube. After reading over my old "Norvel Killer" thread I remebered AJC's chart about intake timing, Japman thought that the little engines would be happier with the intake closing sooner than 30/35degrees ATDC due to the short intake track they have. I made a rotor( it sure is nice to just be able to make a different rotor than a new crank) with the intake closing 20degrees ATDC. The engine HATED it and barely ran at all..go figure! I will go the other way when I can make a different rotor this week with 40 degrees in it.
So I mounted the engine up yesterday afternoon to my Sniper(last years contest plane). I have a balloon tank in this plane still from when I was running my reedies on it. The engine would start very well and run solid till I tosed it at launch then it would just flat out die. Two or three times of that and I knew something was up with the fuel draw. I changed to a smaller venturi and that helped. I got in a couple three flights. I was launching it a few clicks rich thinking it will lean out as the prop unloads in the air. Well every time it would richen after launch. It still had a ton of power and ran solid though alittle rich. Late last night I took the plane apart and realized the pickup on the balloon tank was maybe almost 1/2" higher than the needle ..DUH! So that was most likely a big part of the problem. This would also be the reason I flooded the engine a few times..DUH again. So I'll re-rig the balloon tank and run her some more.

Later,
Tim