ORIGINAL: ricfly52
I have a tower hobbies .46. I currently have it dismounted out of any planes, and am getting ready to ues it as a fishing weight. It ran like a raped ape, when I could get it started. Finaly I could not get it started at all.
Rick
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Rick, you have to understand that model engines will run, even with the carburetor off.
Don't believe me?
Try this:
If your engine is mounted in a test stand or your model, do the following.
Make sure that your booster battery is fully charged. This is the battery that provides power to your glow plug during starting. A fully charged nicad battery will provide sufficient voltage to start your engine, IF it is fully charged. Carbon zinc flashlight batteries can also be used.
Remove the carb.
Pull the glow plug now and ensure that it will glow brightly with power applied. If it doesn't light up, your engine will not start. It is your responsibility to ensure that the mechanism used to conduct power through the glow plug works effectively - not the engine manufacturer.
Reinstall your working glow plug, or install a fresh, working glow plug.
Put three or four drops of fuel into the slot of the exposed crankshaft, right under where the carb was positioned. You may have to turn the propeller to find the open slot in the crankshaft.
Flip the prop four or five times, to distribute the fuel droplets throughout the engine's internal passages. This is without booster power applied.
Apply voltage to the proper, working, glow plug that is installed in your engine. One side of the battery connection goes to the center post of the glow plug. The other side of the battery connection goes to any place on the crankcase, or the glow plug body.
Smartly flip the propeller through TDC (top dead center), ensuring that your chicken stick is adequately out of the way in case the engine starts, which it will. DO NOT flip the engine's propeller with your fingers. Regardless of how quick you are, eventually you will injure your fingers if you use them to flip the propeller.
If all of the above steps were carried out as I "think" I have written them, your engine WILL start - even without a carburetor mounted.
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So what was the point of all of this? The point is to demonstrate to you that carb needle position or quality has nothing to do with starting your engine. The engine requires that certain criteria be met in order to start. If these criteria are met, proper fuel/air ratio/ignition source, the engine will start.
Of course, the above assumes that your engine has not been previously damaged (no compression), or improperly reassembled (liner reversed).
Try the above and get back to us here on the group. I know you can do it. Good luck.