I am new to the engines and I don't know why my plane wont start. I can usually get it to start for about 5 seconds once per day and that is all. It is getting enough gas, I know this because I can see the gas travel through the fuel line. Any suggestions?

What kind of engine is it BrickLayer?

Try changing the glow plug or take it out and putting the glow stick on it to see if it gets hot. It should get cherry red hot. If it is getting hot it should be ok. If not, its no good. do you have an engine manual for the particular engine? if so, read and find out what your original setting of the needle valve should be set at. They are not that hard to work on and should be something simple to fix.

High Speed needle, on most, not all,,,,turn in all the way(gently) then back out 1 3/4 to 2 turns, will be abit smoky,(rich) but will run.

Also, what engine and support(glow driver, starter, etc) are you using?

I have a mds 40 engine. It started at my friends house but now I can't get it to start on my own. I am using a battery powered glow driver. The glow plug does get hot. I haven't checked it long enough to see if it gets cherry red though.

Try squirting a shot of glow fuel into the carb. If it fires up and burns this off, it's a fuel delivery problem (something plugged up).

I just checked the glow plug. It gets hot so I cant touch it, but it doesn't get red hot. I think I need to ditch the battery powered glow stick and go with the 12 v. I will try the shot of gas though.

1.5 volts for the glow plug. 12 will make a flash bulb out of it. If it has compression, fuel and air and a good glow plug and juice for the plug, it should run. Maybe poorly until the needles are adjusted, but it should run.

Just so we're on the same page, here.... when you say "gas" you're speaking of glow fuel.... right? Glow fuel is mostly alcohol, lots of oil, and maybe some nitro.

The glow plug provides ignition catalytically, not from heat. The element just has to be glowing a little.

What are you spinning the prop with? How is fuel fed to the carburetor? Can you pump fuel from the line attached to the carburetor? Are you opening the throttle 5%, 50%, wide open, what? I like to put a few drops in the carb with the throttle wide open, crank it over by hand 5 or 6 times with no glow driver attached, close the throttle except for the last 5% or so, and attach the glow driver. Then a flip with a stick, or using an electric starter, should make it pop & maybe run a bit. If so, then I'll start fiddling with the fuel lines and carb needles. That's another whole topic.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

Thanks for the help. It ended up being my glow stick wasn't getting the plug hot enough to ignite the fuel.