Popriv

Last night when I tried to start my engine ( TTPro .36 ) it seemed to lock up on compression. I've never had this happen in all my 3 months of experience...
I took the glow plug out and it turned ok. put the plug in and while I could turn the prop by hand it seemed very "tight" when it got to the compression point.

I took the plug out again and spun the engine then put the plug back in.
I finally got it to start and it ran fine the rest of the night..


What caused that? Fuel lock?


My 1st evening at the field without instructor. flew 4 flight with no major problems.

Immilman, loops, barrel rolls (not very pretty with the trainer ), inverted (a little bit ) The sky seems bigger than it was when I started flying a few month ago. I remember barely having enough room to turn the plane and head back in the other direction Just missed the trees at the end of the field that everyone has warned me about...Now I see what the plane guys mean about the heli guys. They were flying all over the runnway. not doing anything wrong but it was a little distracting. they dont fly any kind of pattern like the planes. They hover over the runway or shoot straight up.. I just stayed off to the right side of the field now that the sky is bigger
Lots of fun, I'll be out there again tonight...

TIA

Steve

brett65

My Feedback: (18)

Sounds like fuel lock, I have this problem if I leave the carb open when fueling.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

You can also try turning the plane on its side (So the muffler is on the bottom) and moving the prop back and forth. That will allow any excess fuel to spill out into the muffler.

It's easier than removing the glow plug

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Do what Mike said. If you over choked your engine that can flood it, if you have A tank with fuel in it and your plane was upside down or nose down that can flood one. If it's flooded like that and you have A good electric starter you can break and bend some of your engines favorite parts. If A plane has A full fuel tank and it's sitting out in the hot sun I have seen the engine draw [siphon] fuel and flood itself. Most the time doing what Mike said works very well and is A lot easier then taking out the plug.

Popriv

Thanks guys, thats what I suspected but hadnt seen yet...

Is it because I'm trying to compress a cylinder full of fuel?

Good to know about just pouring it out the muffler..


Steve

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Yep, just A little something you have to watch out for. First time it happened to me was after A fun fly event, you have seen the photos of all the guys holding up there planes with the nose down. After the photo I wanted to fly some more!!! I always roll my engines over by hand before I put on the glow driver and hit it with A starter, wow, was that engine locked up. That's the day I was taught the drain trick, lucky I was in the habit of rolling my engines over too, I just never put two and two together about the way we hold our planes flooding them. Good luck to ya.

Popriv

I did try to start it with the electric starter. It was wearing the rubber off the starter cone!

It seemed to run ok after I got it started so I assume there was no damage.

Figures it happens the first time I'm out without an instructor. I was just about to ask one of the other guys when I used the electric starter with the plug out. That must have shot the fuel out???


Steve

JohnW

My Feedback: (6)

Yeah, spinning then engine without the plug with a starter will blow the excess fuel out. You can also do what mike posted by holding the plane exhaust port down, rock the prop back and forth, then let the fuel drain out of the muffler. Probably won't happen evry often. But if it starts doing it enough to take the fun out, consider several way to fix the issue. If the fuel is draining into the carb, get some hemostats and clamp off the line to the carb until you are ready to fly. If it is due to tank pressure during fueling, can still use the hemostats to block the line during fueling or use a 3 line system, etc.