Problem with spinner
 

Hello all I have a problem with my nylon spinner, I have a electric starter and I frequently get hydrolock. I spin the engine over and then it locks burning the spinner. Is there any tips to keep me from burning the spinner, am I using the wrong cone or something? I also have had problems on my brother-in-laws plane doing the same. Maybe I am not setting the engine up properly for start-up.

RE: Problem with spinner
 

It's probably not actually a hydraulic lock unless you have flooded the engine but just coming up on the high compression point. A stronger battery/starter may help there.

This is a typical problem with plastic spinners and there is not a whole lot you can do. Make sure the cone fits well and has approx the same taper as the spinner and the surface has not hardened.

Some people allow the starter to come up to speed and then jam it onto the spinner. This will usually work but can be dangerous if alignment is off. Not a recommended proceedure. Metal spinners work well but are more expensive of course.

Oh yes, keep the spinner clean and dry. Keep fuel off it. Remember there is oil in the fuel.

On the bright side, spinners (plastic) are cheap.

RE: Problem with spinner
 

Everything Bruce said was right on the money. One thing to add would be to turn the engine back before applying the starter. Turn the motor clockwise until you feel the next compression stroke starting. Now apply the starter motor. This will give the starter a little "room" to get up to speed before it hits the next compression stroke.

Hope this helps

Ken

RE: Problem with spinner
 

One other thing to do.
Turn the spinner in the opposit direction to just before the previous compression stroke before starting. This will give your starter a running start so to speak.
I posted the same time as RCKen :)

RE: Problem with spinner
 

Hi, it sounds like the hydrolock is caused by too much fuel getting into cylinder, not a good thing. I guess you were able to take glow plug out and blow out excessive fuel by turning over engine with electric starter. I had a TT 46 inverted that would lock up on me if I just marginally over primed it. So, my suggestion is, don,t over prime, make sure fuel tank is not too high relative to carb. , good glow plug. Good luck.

RE: Problem with spinner
 

What size engine is it ? Most likely it's not hydrolock, it's, as stated, the elec. starter/battery combo is insufficient to turn over the engine. I have a new Tower Hobbies .75 engine and a Tower's regular-duty elec starter. It couldn't turn the engine over at all when it was brand new. It can do so now if I give it a running start as suggested above. I disagree with the above post on this practice being dangerous. It's not dangerous in the least, you jam the starter onto the spinner while it's "at speed" and the centrifical force of the spinning motor allows it to turn the engine. The starter is spinning slow so it's not dangerous and it's grippy enough to never slip off. Works for me.

RE: Problem with spinner
 

make sure the starter rubber is still soft and pliable. when the rubber gets old and hard it does not grip well

RE: Problem with spinner
 

And just to state the obvious, without being a smarta**, have you tried learning how to start the engine by flipping the prop? Done correctly with a properly tuned engine, its just as quick and easy as an electric starter, doesn't damage the spinner, doesn't rely on a field box battery. There are those (myself included) that believe using the chicken stick is actually safer than an electric starter, since you aren't trying to apply pressure with both hands in the direction of the spinning prop. I do have an electric starter, but I save it for cold weather starts, or for the new engine that hasn't been properly tuned yet, and just won't start after several minutes of trying.

Watch the people at your field. Find the one that consistently uses the flip method, and talk to them. I'm sure they'll be happy to show you the finer points.

Brad

RE: Problem with spinner
 

Another ditto to Bruce's post, and I will also add this:

Once you have turned the prop backwards, put the started to the spinner, and before turning the starter on, make sure that it is

1) aligned as straight as possible with the spinner

2) pressed FIRMLY against the spinner

But no matter what you do, it's bound to bite to sooner or later. Just walk up and down the flighline and look at everyone's plastic spinners. You'll see the same nasty little ring ground into 95% of them. (Only the very new ones will still be smooth)