How often do you tune your engine
 

I would like to know how many of you tune your engine before every flight.
I sometimes fly with someone who does this every time before takeoff.
I have been flying for a few years now and I very rarely have to fiddle
with engine tuning. My engine always ran fine an OS40LA and I just tune it
at the beginning of the flying season, my idle is smooth and not too fast
and it transitions well from idle to high speed. I believe in the If runs good
do not fool with it philosophy.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I would think that when you start it and it will idle ok and accelerate without stumbling, then you wouldn't have to worry. We always do that at our field before each flight to ensure that nothing has changed.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I've seen guys at the field that fiddle with their engines all the time. They are constantly messing with the screw and tweeking it. Then they come over and ask me why their engine dead sticked. We will probably have to richen it a little bit when the weather warms up shouldn't have to screw it in and out all the time.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I'm with you Grizwald - I prefer to properly break-in and setup an engine and then rarely touch the setting unless I notice something is off (almost never). I am a big believer in not messing around with the needles once they're set (that doesn't mean I don't know how to tune an engine though ;) ). I fly with a buddy that just can't seem to leave that high speed needle alone. It never fails, he's the one at the field with the most dead-stick practice. I say, if it ain't broke...

-MA

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

Once I have a new engine dialed in, I never touch it except when we get a significant temperature change.

I subscribe to the "if it aint broke don't fix it" philosophy.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I'm with the others, I adjust it ONLY when it's not running right. When I get to the field in the morning I start the engine and check it. Most of the time it's good from my last flying session, although occasionally it may need a click or two of adjustment. After I have it set I leave it alone and don't mess with it. The old saying applies here " If it ain't broke, don't fix it"!!!!

Ken

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

Yeah, I don't touch the engine unless the air density has changed quite a bit since last time I tuned. Warmer or more humid weather will require a slight leaning of the engine, and dry and/or cooler air will require the pilot to richen the mixture slightly.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

Once I got it running just how I want it and it flies good, I leave it be. Unless there is a drastic change in weather that may cause my engine to run lean, then I would usually richen it a few clicks and return it back to my previous setting after I'm done for that day. Air is denser when it's cold and it could cause your engine to lean out, and if you were already at peak performance then the little bit may cause a dead stick, thats why I richen it a little bit on colder days.

But being in San Diego, CA....... our weather is pretty constant.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

Watching people twisting the needles makes me crazy!!!! After break in the only time I fool with A needle is when I change prop sizes or there is A BIG weather change.
By big weather changes I mean like now, high is around 100 to 108 then comes winter it will get into the 30s, that's A big change and I have to fatten up my high end by 4 clicks. How do I know when?? My engines will go dead stick on me or just start running different, they tell me when it's time. Soon as it starts warming up again I start leaning them out again, it isn't much but those 4 clicks makes A big difference.
Most of my glow engines are 4 strokes, the 2 strokes seem to take the weather changes A little better.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

There is no way to determine if your engine is set correctly without moving the needle valve. Having said that, I check it when I first start it on any given day, and then leave it alone for the day. If I see dark oil residue building up on the plane, I'll richen it a click. If it seems to be hesitating on spoolup, I'll lean it a click.

I never mess with the low end mixture once I have the engine running well.

Brad

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that thinks this way.
I find that you will only need minor adjustments even at the start
of the season if it was put away properly. I had noticed very early
when I got into this hobby that the more the guys would mess with
there engines the more trouble they would have.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I have one pet peeve that I want to blow off some steam on. We have one guy in our club that when he comes out he will tie down his plane in the pits and sit there for entire tanks of fuel adjusting the needle hunting for that "perfect peak". Of course he usually over leans the engine and it dies once he takes off. We've all tried to tell him this but he just won't listen. So why does this irrate me?? Because when he's in the pits running his engine nobody can hear anything else. If I'm in the air I can't hear the engine on my plane anymore. Of if I'm talking to other at the field we can't hear each other to talk. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind somebody adjusting their needle settings, because I do the same. I make the adjustment and then return the engine to idle. But he runs his engine for 10, 15, or even 20 minutes at a time!!!! [:@]

Ok, I'm better now!!!! :D

Ken

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

Hi RCKEN

We had the same problem with a group of needle fiddlers and engine runners.

We set up a seperate area well away from the main pits for anyone running an engine for more than a minute or so.

In reply to the original question I only retune my engine if I have changed fuel or the weather changes significantly. Mostly it is fire up and go fly.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

Hey there!!!! I thought you were out and about on vacation!!! You must be parked somewhere near internet access!!!! :D

Luckily this guy doesn't come out but once a month or so. But we are considering doing exactly what you said if it keeps getting worse. Our new field is set up on 80 acres, so we have PLENTY of room away from the flight line!!!

Ken

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I'm with you on that, but I remember the GLH with a Norvel .061 I flew a few years ago in the winter. I could NOT get that to start & run without richening the needle. Then it would be too rich, when warmed up.

I developed the habit of getting it started, warming it up, leaning it back to the original setting... and then shutting it off (by pinching the line) & refilling the tank. (The process took me a while.) Then I would restart, and have a nice long filght. With no throttle, and that hotrod Norvel, it was energizing!

I recall there was a .25 FP that I had to fiddle with a lot. Seems like I was always richening it up. None of the larger engines seem to give me that hassle.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

Yeah the guys who play with their engines all the time are the ones with the problems. I do a pinch test once per day, maybe twice, just to make sure I'm not too lean due to weather conditions, which I never am. So I don't tune often.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

we almost always get the engine started for the first flight of the day and get it warmed up and then tip the plane stright up at full bore. If it stays running with no sag, we fly for the day. If there is engine problems while flying we retune.....[8D]

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I fiddle with it due to temperature, huminity, pressure, nitro content and glow plugs types changes but nothing drastic.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

My brother and I pretty much agree with the "leave it alone" theory.

The low speed needle, or air bleed screw, hasn't been touched on any of our engines since right after break in.

Our OS four strokes, and all of our two strokes, seem to tolerate a lot of weather change without needing adjustment. If they sound good and transition well we do not tach them.

Our Magnum four strokes get tached before the first flight each time we go out. For some reason they seem a bit finicky to needle settings. One click, either way, from ideal seems to make them very rich or very lean. Once adjusted they are good for the whole day.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I know a couple of guys in my club that are always tuning their engines...they don't run any better than those of us that don't tune that much.....as a matter of fact they run a little worse...look at it this way if you're making power, running without dying, accelerate smoothly...and leave a tad of smoke in the air what do you want...don't fix things that aren't broken

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

This is the one that really makes me crazy, I mean throwing things at the fool crazy.
The guy warms up, twists the needles for A while, fly's, dead sticks, fiddles A while longer, it fly's really well finally, lands, fires up for the next flight and starts twisting again.
How much can something change between flights?? Not one flight but every flight!!

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

Scar, lap the crankshaft to the case with scouring powder mixed with oil....then run 50/50 synthetic / castor fuel up to 25% total oil. Your Norvel will hold a good needle setting if you do this.
Amen to not messing with the needle......unless the engine flunks a pinch test. I always set the needle with the nose pointed up. Did you know that with most 2 needle carbs the high speed circuit doesn't take over fully until the throttle is open 75-80%?
If you make a change, like nitro %, prop size, head clearance, etc. that forces you to open the needle, then you have increased horsepower. You will see the need to open the needle as an engine breaks in...because it is developing it's max HP. After a few tanks, most engines should be settled in.
Guys who overprop their engines will need to tweak [needle-dick] more because that's how it works.
Running supplemental castor in your fuel can contribute to more consistent runs, if consistency is a problem. The culprit is sometimes a runaway heat condition. I'm talkind about applications where you are "pushing it".

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

So that guy shows up at your field too, that's not good. I really hate it when he fires the thing up right as you are about to do a maiden take-off.

I'll never claim to be the best pilot on earth but one thing I can do is adjust an engine. I've been working with small engines since I was 9 or 10 and worked on cars trucks and forklifts from the late 80's until 2005. I've always tried to help someone who was struggling to get their plane running right but it seems like a lot of people don't want the advice or help so I try to mind my own business now if I can.

Glow engines really have gotten a bad rap in some cases and a lot of it is with people not knowing how to tune them or fiddling with them all the time.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

I start rich with my glow engines and then lean it out every first flight at the field. From there I adjust it depending on how it transitions at altitude once back on the ground. Does that count?

With my gassers I might go 15 flights and not touch a thing but the throttle.

RE: How often do you tune your engine
 

Ever watch American idol? Not the ones that are in the finals, but rather the ones that don't go past the first audition. Most people are tone deaf. I think they are the ones that can't set a needle.

I've been in a half dozen clubs over the years. Every club has one or two guys that run run run and tune tune tune. Total hacks every one. You can adjust their setup and they get a great flight, but the next time up an half hour later, they are on the needle again.

I usually fire up, do a simple pinch test if the fuel line is exposed, and fly. If it sounds good in the air, then finish the flight. Otherwise, just land and turn the needle a whole click and go again. The most I ever have to change a sport engine is two clicks. When in doubt, richen up.