TT Pro .36 I start with a chicken stick.
Often the motor starts backwards.
what causes this? is it damaging?

I think I've seen an instructor correct it while the motor/engine (which is the correct term?) is running by doing something with the radio????

Can it reverse direction like that???


Just curios

Steve

Steve,
It's pretty common for engines to run backwards. This is caused by over priming the engine to where it's flooded. The best fix is to get less fuel in it as you prime it getting it ready to start. Most people usually get too much fuel in them as they underestimate just how much fuel gets into the engine when priming it. Yes, you can sometimes get it to start running the correct direction by "blipping" the throttle stick. If you can't get it reverse direction simply kill the engine and try to start it again. No, this usually will not damage the engine.

Hope this helps

Ken

While the words "Engine" and "Motor" are somewhat interchangeable, "Engine is used to describe "fuel burners" while "Motors" usually mean "Electric"

When an engine starts backward, it is usually a sign of it having too much fuel in the mixture - often from having been over-primed.

Sometimes, when the engine is running backward, opening and closing the throttle can make it "Hiccup" and reverse direction. Usually, the engine just dies and needs to be restarted

Get an electric starter. That's how corrected it.

I have the same problem with my Magnum 120. It will turn in the right direction only when using an electric starter, even though it hand started fine when I first got it a few yeras ago. Everyone has covered the basics on your issue.

I had an engine that started backwards sometimes, so I would just flip the prop the other direction and then it fired up correctly.

Basically, what is happening when your instructor blips the throttle is that he is acutally getting the engine to stop for an instant, since it doesn't like to run backwards and especially if you have mixture/prime "problems" as others have commented on, and on the prop's last breath bumps against the compression swings the other way and restarts in the other direction. I've seen some actually slow the prop down by applying friction on the spinner.

I also prefer a starter but when I forget it, I normally flip clockwise to bump it off of compression and the engine will start in the correct direction. So, you might try flipping in the opposite direction, as counter-intuitive as it may seem.

Good luck!

I'm sure its the priming...I'll keep that in mind.

An electric starter is on my wish list.....


Thanks all


Steve

I want to build a twin. So having a counter rotating prop would be a good thing. Would it harm the engine?

My engine started backwards until I read a post like this which referred to over priming the engine; I used to flip the prop 4-6 times to prime it (enough to see fuel enter the carb, plus an extra flip or two). Now I prime until I see fuel ALMOST reach the carb, then try to start. One or two flips with the ignitor and my engine starts the right way. So my experiences is if your engine is running backwards it has too much fuel.

I use the backwards starting "problem" of an overprimed engine to my advantage by flipping the prop backwards and then the engine reverses into the forward direction. Instead of using a chicken stick, I grab the hub of the prop by the spinner and just give it a sharp turn backwards in a position that gives me a running start to the compression stroke. This really works well with four stroke engines and the larger two strokes. Having the throttle closed to idle or a slightly fast idle is critical when starting this way. Not only is starting the engine with the throttle wide open more dangerous, it's also harder to start that way.