Hey all,

I was thinking of having a pullstart OS 40 LA (smallest engine I have). If I could make it into a pullstart, I would not have to bring a 12 volt battery and engine starter to the field. Plus I wouldn't trip over the wires. [&:] What y'all think? Is it good or a bad idea? I would type more but I'm gonna be late for school.

Thanks,
IBrakeForNobody

these are some pullstarts I was looking at for the OS 40, not sure if they will fit, though

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXCT63&P=7

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXCT65&P=7

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXWY90&P=7

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXCW03&P=7

Thanks for looking!

If you flip start your engine, then you'll not have to bring all that stuff either! I don't know if those recoils will work, but I don't see a need for it--if you don't want to use an electric starter, get a chicken stick! Problem solved.

I tried flip-start before...and after like 5 prop cuts and the thing never starting...back to the orginal elec. starter. either that or I need to flip more carefully...

yeah chicken sticking sucks when the engine loses a bit of compression

I'm going to have to disagree with this. I prefer to flip start my engines. It's actually better for the engine in some ways. If you are getting cut then you should have a chicken stick to start it with. You can buy them from Tower, but you can make one just as easily. I made mine out of some 1" dowel I had laying around and wrapped black tape around it. When the tape starts getting cut up I cut it off and put some more on it.

As far as engine damage. A lot of people like to hit it with the starter and turn it over until it fires. You need to realize that these engines get their lubrication from the fuel. If you are turning it over without fuel in the motor it is turning with metal to metal contact with no lube. Once you get the hang of priming your motor it will flip start pretty easily.

That's my 02¢ worth.

yes, ken is very true. It will flip start. I flip start my G-51 if i am to lazy to hook up the electric. For me, with the la when i got out the first time of the day was when it was easiest to start. I used to turn down electric startes so i could show off my flippin skills.

Chad- are you saying you enjoy getting flipped off? Sorry, just too easy.

Get an electric starter with a built in battery pack if you are alergic to wires. Plenty on the market.

Just put something like this: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXL372&P=M

on your starter (get appropriate one for your starter) and no wires anymore.

Be sure to prime your engine for lubrication purposes.

I just purchased this starter from Central Hobbies - [link=http://www.centralhobbies.com/Electrical/starters/pwrtrk.html]PowerTork Starter[/link].
Used it for the first time yesterday and I really like it. Plenty of torque to start one and even though its a little large everything is encased.

The pullstart may get caught in the prop. You'll also need a new backplate, one way bearing, and the little crankshaft extension out the back. Not to mention that those strings aren't meant for the load of starting a .40 size engine. It's a good idea that I actually had thought of once, but people talked me out of it.

Steve

Yeah,
one of those at my field. Seems to have plenty of torque for the big four strokes too.

Not to mention the added weight of the pullstart. I'm guessing on a 40 LA the extra weight would be a real issue.
Dennis-

The weight isn't a big issue for me...but every time I go to start up my engine and I don't whip out the electric starter like in those old western movies, my engines all like, "Oh, he isn't armed...so I shouldn't start." [:'(] Then when I give it the starter, it fires up in .5 seconds. I have a chicken stick but I lost it ever since I got the starter...

Thanks for the replies, guys!

Okay...tried flipstarting...

The engine fired up perfectly for about 5 mins then it suddenly died...I flipped it for 15 mins with no sucess. Then the meter on my Ni-starter said I had a bad plug...I just assumed it was a dead battery so I swapped it for a dry cell ignitor (full D-size battery) and it still wouldn't flip. I am thinking I am running it rich...its 8 clicks back on the high speed needle from max RPM. Its humind here too so I think that might have something to do with it...

IBrakeForNobody,
Ok, the problem you are having with flip starting it is more than likely a simple matter of priming the motor. Here's a pretty simple way to prime your motor:

- MAKE SURE THE GLOW DRIVER IS NOT CONNECTED
- Open your throttle wide open
- Cover the air intake of the carb with your finger (for a 4-stroke or limited access to the carb cover the exhaust outlet of the muffler)
- Flip the motor counter-clockwise. As you flip through compression you should see fuel being pulled up the fuel tubing. Keep flipping until you see fuel get to the carb. Flip it 1-2 more times to pull some fuel into the carb. Remove your finger from the carb and flip the motor 3-4 more times to pull the fuel into the cylinder.
- At this time close the throttle to idle, with your throttle trim all the way open. Put your glow driver on the glow plug. At this time, when you slowly turn the prop WITH A CHICKEN STICK as you approach the compression stroke you should feel the prop kick back. This is the best thing, it means your motor is properly primed. Use the chicken stick to flip the prop through the compression and the motor should fire.
-if you have too much fuel (motor flooded) the motor will run backwards. Use your throttle to kill the motor. Flip again. should only take a time or two to burn off the excess fuel for it to run correctly.

each motor has is a little bit different, but this should be a good starting point to get it going. Adjust for your motor until you get the feel for flipping it. One reason I like to be able to start with a chicken stick is to take care of things when I'm on the flight line. I put my glow driver and chicken stick in my back pocket. If I have a dead stick or a ground loop that kills my motor, I move my plane on to the grass on the side of the runway and I restart it right there with no need to head back to the pits to restart.

Give it a try and you'll find that you really can live without that starter. I have one and it rarely leaves my flight box.

Hope this helps

Oops. First time it started, it spun correctly for ~2 seconds, coughed, then I felt air on me.

Thanks for the info...wil try once my glo driver is charged (charging at 1.3A on the triton) and its no dark. Dark or late + living in town = death by neighbors.

I don't get it ... my engines will all flip start, only my Saito needs an electric starter as it tends to start reverse. I use a paint brush handle as a chicken stick or just back flip by turning on the spinner. It fine on my TT46, ST G90, YS110, Rossi 45, TT61 ... some patience in tuning helps.

Also ... I used to hv an RC car and my first had a pull start mechanism, they will eventually break.

Okay...this thing has me really P.O.ed...I flip started it, it ran fine for about 10 mins. then it suddenly died. So I bring it back over and flip it, and it won't start. Then I prime it and stuff and I grab the chicken stick and the fuel goes "zoom" back into the tank. So I prime it again and hurry to grab the chicken stick and the fuel slowly goes back into the needle then falls back from the needle to the tank. again. So now I'm down and out. what do I do now? i have the engine at 1/2 turn from max RPM on the needle if that helps.

Thanks for the help!

That's normal. As soon as the engine starts, it'll suck that fuel right back up the line

Try priming more? Say about 5-7 turns of the prop ... That is what I do when the engine will not start after a short run.

k thanks for the help!

Sure there aint more things to fix first? Tank in line - centred with main needle and make sure no fuel tubes leaks?

When it comes to flip-starting: I always flipstart my engines. I grip around the spinner and flips it backwards without much power. Engines starts easy back the right direction. Sometimes, when overprimed, the engine might start backwards. When this happens, cut fuel, and engine stops. Might need a little priming again.

Flipstarting is simple, when you learn to know your engine, and when everything is tuned and properly put together. Even big 4-stroke can easyli be flipstarted, but dont try to flip it OVER the compression-top (counter clockwise), as the engine might turn back and kick your chickenstick out of your hand.

Pal

Our club prez tried to flip his 4 stroke...it kicked back but he wasn't using a chicken stick...it was the ole 2 fingers...OUCH. Then he got a Band-Aid and walked over to this one guys field box (guy didn't know about it) and helped himself to his starter and glo plug ignitor and glo plug wrench!

brake,
It should run for normal time when you flip it. Espeacially after 10 minutes. It was probably that you didn't have a full tank or something. On mine, if i am going backwards with the prop, i can make it go forward by just throttling up, and then when it is about to die go back down. What this does is make the engine almost stop, then gives it gas to go the right way. It works good. I can't tell you if it is good or bad for the engine. if that method doesn't work, i can put my starter on the spinner to make it stop and when it slows down it kicks in.

Hope this helps
Chad

Chad,
Please tell me that you aren't putting your starter on a running motor. Please don't do that. It's a good way to wind up with a trip to the emergency room.

As for the motor running backwards. As I said in my earlier posts, this is caused because the engine is flooded. The best thing to do is shut down the motor and restart it. It will only take a try or two before enough fuel has burned up to let the motor run normally.

I fly at a club in the middle of no where out in the country. The nearest hospital is like 1/2 an hour away assuming the ambulance driver can negotiate all the pot holes. Although they could just dispatch CalStar's Bell 222 Air Ambulance and have it here in like 5 seconds. The club I fly at is a unused taxiway at KPRB (Paso Robles Municipal Airport) and you have to drive across the taxiway from a dirt road across the runway to the pits. CalStar's hangar is right across the airport (~1 mile)



Back on topic, so far, my flipstarting is going pretty well...today, first flip- nothing, second flip- coughed, third flip- starts up! Oh and Chad, I had a half tank like I usually fill it up at so I know it wasn't that and my fuel lines were not broken because one of my relatives custom made it and it is very thick. And I checked, too.

Thanks for the help!