ykol and Fastfly,
You guys can do whatever you want with your equipment, I really don't give a rat's petootey. But if your starter is already spinning, then you pretty much HAVE to jam it against the spinner, otherwise it's just going to slip.
Peace
Dennis-

I understand perfectly, but as I said in previous posts, even when I start the prop at the bottom of the stroke, ( where there is very little friction) when it gets to the top of the stroke the prop stops dead. I think my problem is that I have a very tight ABN engine, and from what I've read on these forums, that's not a bad thing to have.

Thunder tigers have extremly good compression. both of mine do, even my Pro40 that has 2 gallons of gas thru it now. it still locks up.

try to start it without priming, that fixed my problem, it will suck its own gas then.

Try some of the things people are sating on your front lawn...just put up some restrains or get someone to stand infront of the tails so the horizontal stabs are against the back of their lags and try some of thses things ppl are saying! And if non of them work like what everyone is saying like I said try a smaller spinner! I have a OS 60 FP and I had a huge huge spinner on it before and my starter would barely get it started I think it only started the engine one I always had to use a chicken stick but now I got a smaller spinner and it works fine! Also maybe a ste you could do last before you try a new spinner is take off the nose of the spinner and just try using the starter to the bolt that holds on the prop all you have to do is take off the nose of the spinner and flip around the cup in the starter!

The starter slips a bit and tears up plastic nosecones but then it grips and works, its not that hard....

just try turning the starter on then "punching" onto the nose cone it my work better

that is what i said originally, but i was told not to suggest that for safety. i don't even do that now

wait........... how many flips are you priming it, ive found with my TT engines 2 flips to prime, then connect igniter and flip with stick. but if your getting fuel lock then try one prime first and so on, btw make sure your battery is charged well too

we figured it out.. its an inverted motor.. turn the plane upside down and it starts like a champ. we (he) should only have to do this untill it is fully broken in. thanks for the replies.

First thing is to make sure of the obvious, ie made sure all oil is off the spinner, and the starter sleeve is clean and properly sized for the spinner on your plane. There are many inserts with additional grab that may help.


... With all that said ... what I do with my 100, and same starter as yours, which always works is this:
Make sure someone is holding the plane for you firmly. Have starter in one hand and chicken stick in other hand. Turn prop back from compression stroke. Attach starter to prop and start starter. If prop stops at the compression stroke but you see the starter is still turning - ie spinning on the cone, just push the prop past the compression stroke with your chicken stick and the initera will keep the prop turning, allowing the engine to start. Once you get the hang of the technique it's very simple, and you can start much larger engines than the starters rating. For extra safety I try to have 2 hands on the starter except for the brief moment you use the chicken stick.