Bad needle valve?
 

I am about ready to take the Tower Trainer back up in the air after my last learning experiance:eek: and I was checking the engine (Evolution). It was running rich at the factory preset settings. I was only getting 9500 RPM at full throttle.
I leaned out the valve and set it three clicks rich. It seems to be running fine now, full RPM. Pinch test is good, pointing the plane up no problem.
But I checked how much travel I have left on the needle valve and it is only a quarter turn from bottoming out. (lean)
I think the needle valve has a slight bend in it. Am I OK for flying like this or should I ground the plane until a new one arrives?

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

Hmmm, place is pretty quite on a sat afternoon.
Hope everybody is having happy landings![8D]

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

I think I would wait for a new needle. If you go lean while flying for some reason, the engine would be damaged very quickly. Having said that, you may want to take a closer look and see if you have an air leak somewhere. Perhaps around the fuel line or the needle fitting. A leak will cause a lean needle setting.

DaveB

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

Thanks Dave, I belive I will ground the plane, a little while ago I said screw it I'm going up. Turned out I left the TX and the plane turned on and they needed a recharge.
I'll take that as a sign![sm=frown.gif]

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

I'll try taking the needle valve off my other Evo and see if that corrects the problem before I order the replacement.
Don't know why but I just hate scavenging parts off a perfectly good plane. Still waiting on my TX box from Horizon on that plane.

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

Skynard
It's good that you see signs.. Today when my engine wouldn't start and i switched it out, that should have been a sign..[:@]

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

After my last crash I decided to be over cautious. Anything new I want to put on my plane gets cleared by the experts here.
Anything out of the ordinary also gets checked by the experts here.
You guy's are going to be mighty sick of me by the fall:D

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

I see dead people too!:D

Not really..just felt like saying that.:eek:

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

lol I hate this crash. It's the only one that i have no clue of what happened..

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

Yeah, I saw your other post, bummer:(. Get it fixed, have an experianced pilot look it over to make sure it is right.
And get back in the air.:D

RE: Bad needle valve?
 

A new needle valve corrected the problem. Thanks guys.