Got it sarted, but...
 

I've just recently finished my avistar select with an os46fx engine and started it for the first time. It ran for a couple of minutes,then died. When I tried to start it again the spinner nut keeps backing off. I'm starting the engine counter clockwise (facing prop from front) but can somebody tell me why this keeps coming loose. I appreciate the input.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

Are you using a umm....wretch??.....:D J/K MAN!!:)!!:D

Seriously, don't be afrait to REALLY TIGHTEN THE NUT.....use ALL your strength to tighten it as hard as you can.....

I got a Great Planes wrench type thing with four different ends, one for the prop nut, and the other for a glow plug, and two more for whatever....It works great because you can get a good grip....Also, when you tighten the nut, hold the prop if you haven't already and pull it the other way you are tightening......This should get it pretty tight.....

Also, one other thing might be is you have flooded the inside, and the engine has locked up.....This WILL and USUALLY causes the prop nut to come off.....I've done it many of times.....Take out the glow plug, and turn the engine (or plane) upside down and turn the engine over a few times...you might see alot of fuel come out......or you can just keep the plane upright and put a starter up to it and watch out with the glow plug off......

That's what I think, but I'm sure there are others, that would like to say what they say........

Hope This Helps Though!!:)

Have fun with that plane....

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

I agree, It's probably flooded. That happened to me too.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

More than likely, it is flooded, and you just need to take te glow plug off and clean it out.....also, just tighten the nut ALOT.....

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

I had same problem with my Avistar, fixed by using nylon props instead of wood.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

EEEEHHhHhHhHhHh.....??........How would this make a difference, may I ask??

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

The torque of the starter will loosten the prop nut- this is not unusual. As the previous posts said, tighten that nut down really well. Also, the reason a nylon (plastic) prop helps keep the nut from coming loose is that it does not crush down when you tighten the nut, unlike a wooden prop. That's the main reason I don't use wooden props.

Another thing that will help is to put a small piece of sandpaper between the spinner backplate and the prop. This will keep the prop from slipping. Just glue two pieces of sandpaper paper side to paper side, cut a hole in the center, and put it on the prop shaft between the backplate and the prop. It also helps keep the prop from moving while you tighten the nut.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

Actually... its the compressibility of the spinner backplate... Soft plastic that compresses and squeezes out from under the prop. If you tighten it to the point of maximum conpressibility with a wood prop... you crush the prop hub. (that's why plastic props can solve it...)

The fix... learn to safely hand start.

ONCE THE ENGINE IS TUNED
If you back-flip correctly, then the engine will start forward, and you have virtually no risk of getting a finger whacked. (no electric starter... no chicken stick... you can even give the spinner a quick backward twist and start most .61 and smaller engines.... the engine will kick the spinner out f your fingers and start right up... you can't backflip too far this way.

I even start my .91 4-stroke with a back-flip of the prop... 95% one-flip. Never more than 3.

********

You can not get safer than using an electric starter for dealing with a balky, out of tune engine... The hand flip and the chicken stick will eventually have you fatigued and frustrated.

I just dealt with a balky .61 a few days ago. Used the electric to start it. Once it was tuned... I went back to the hand flip.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

MY two cents....... worth this happened to me several times before i replaced my nose cone with an aluminum one and nylon prop.........problem solved.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

thats not neccisary at all... its just a bonus to a run-in motor. the best and safest way is with an electric starter.

also, what was failed to be mentioned, is to make sure you get the brass o ring off the head before you hit it with the starter, or it will be gone forever.

also, i put blue loctite on the shaft and crank the hell out of the nut when i put them on. never had a problem ever. except when i was first learning, i kept kicking the prop off.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

Thanks for the tip about the sandpaper on the backplate, i will do this. But can you give me the approximate torque range of the prop nut. I have a torque wrench and don't want to break anything by overtightening prop nut. Also, I am using a nylon prop thanks in advance.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

tight as you can get it. take a rag and put over the prop and hold the prop while you tighten it.. as long as you dont put a pipe on the tool your using, your not really gonna break anything. just get it as tight as you can by hand. dont really know how to explain it any better

PS, dont forget the prop washer!!! i seen a few new guys that didnt have it on, thats kind of iffy.;)

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

Just lost me here. Can you explain.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

[:-] Nevermind. Just hit me like a ton of bricks that you may be refering to the glow plug o ring when its off clearing the engine. I should have thought a min before the post.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

yup that i was. ive lost too many that way... mostly on heli motors

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

Tight as you can get it? [>:] Gimme that 6 ft breaker bar... I'll pop the crankshaft right outa the case.[>:]

You'll begin crushing the wood props on a .40 size motor at appx 40 ft-lbs. (varies... because the wood varies)

If the backplate didn't compress... 10 ft lbs would be plenty.

The tightest you want... hand an average 14 year old kid the 4-way prop wrench (Du-Bro's or Fox's appx 4 inch versions) Have him crank as har as he can. That's as tight as you want to go. Ynd the 4-way to Arnold Schwartznegger... he could probably break something using 2 fingers.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

Hmm, even if your theorey made any kind of sense at all, who mentioned anything about changing the spinner or backplate. This is a rediculous comment.

I think H02zoo has the correct answer.

A wise ole bird like you recommending this on a beginners forum? Whats the matter with you?:eek:

When I got my first engine last fall, I started mine that way. I back-flipped it "correctly" for the first 10 times, worked great! Too bad the engine tried to start backwards the 11th time and sent me to the ER for stitches.

This is a strange recommendation coming from the someone so safety conscious. Refer back to your "Lets talk about Safety Thread".

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

Sounds to me like you don't know what you are doing.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

Exactly what do you not agree with?

And you are correct, when I first got my engine, I really didn't know what I was doing. Sure wish I would have used a chicken stick or a starter. If you think recommending to a beginner to start a plane with his fingers is wise, maybe you don't know what YOU'RE doing.


As far as the props, obviously wood is will compress more easily than nylon. Thats a no brainer. The more you tighten a wooden prop, the more it compresses, so the nut isn't going to be as tight as it would be tightening it against a nylon prop that compresses less (if at all, it would probably be more likely to crack than to compress.)

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

FHHuber
can you not read>??????? or did you only read the first five words???? :eek::eek: hes using a nylon prop, its not an exact freaking science here. you got to be pretty strong to crush a nylon prop with the prop washer..... let me tell you, i have tried to break them just to see and i cant do it with a combination wrench.. but i suggest you read all of my post before you jump to the keyboard. any info you give, i do not respect because of what you just said.:eek::eek::eek::eek: people still use wood props?? why? nylon is better.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

If the engine runs backwards, how did your hand get caught in the prop. The plane certainly isn't pulling forward. Whatever the reason, the plane wasn't secured when you were flippin on it. My fingers are in tact. I must be doing something right.

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

Do I really need to explain it? I am well aware that an engine can be started with fingers without getting hurt. The point is, its not smart and its really not smart to recommend this to others, specially beginners.

Its been several months ago. I don't remember the details. All I remember is the engine went the opposite way that it was suppost to and embedded into my hand. Let me ask you, do you think it is smart to recommend a beginner to do this? I think you just want to argue because anyone with common sense will tell you its not a smart thing to do.


Yep they will be untill that ONE time you do it wrong. If you feel confident that you won't hurt your fingers, go for it. All I am saying is don't recommend it to beginners. Thats all I'm going to say about this, this is a stupid arguement. Its common sense.


Wings

RE: Got it sarted, but...
 

In my experience, on this topic, there are only three kinds of RC people.

1. Those who have been hit by a prop and lived to tell about it. Though it may or may not have been a serious injury.
2. Those who haven't been hit by a prop YET.
3. Those who have been hit, but have forgotten about it or just lie about it.

In my case it was one of my 1/2A models and luckily I was working behind it tweaking the needle with it blasting along full steam at 20K rpm. I accidentally got a little too close and received a bruised finger nail for getting in the way slightly. Now I was standing on the back side so I got the flat of the blade rather than the edge, so it could have been worse.

Whether its a valid technique or not, one should not be advising beginners to get their hands anywhere near the prop. They should be using a chicken stick or a starter. Once they get some experience they will decide for themselves what works best, but until then we need to be guiding them along the safest path, not putting them in a position where a small mistake might result in a serious injury.

Duke