converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
05-21-2007, 07:10 PM
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converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
Gas engine newbie has a professionally converted Stihl engine, with no idea about what the process is in starting it. So, with pics are attached, I was wondering if people could help derive a list of things to do in order to get this beast started. I know plenty about glow motors, but this has just enough differences to get me baffled.
Some questions:
1) which is the fuel line?... and if one's the fuel line, what the heck is the other one for?...
2) the kill/live switch. Dad reckons that the motor will run as-is, and the kill switch works a short between the two terminals on the black box thingie above the flywheel. So I can start it, and do an idiot thing like shorting those two terminals with a screw driver to get it to stop. Is this right?... (not the safety part of screw drivers, I'll install a real switch to do it)
3) what kind of throttle setting do these things generally like to be started at?... I can see the butterfly valve, etc etc, so I know which is full throttle, yadda yadda.
4) tuning... which one is the high range needle, and which is the low range?...
...I've tried like crazy to find the specifics (or even generalities) about starting such a beast in the forums through the search engine, but danged if I can find a recipe/details of anything that gets me steps closer. Asking like a complete newbie is my last resort.
(A sticky thread with a complete list of such details, with various in's and out's on various engines would be pretty handy to build up over time. List of steps like... 1: connect fuel line to "blah" (with a sub bullet on various motors, maybe), 2: set throttle to X, 3: have kill switch connected to Q & Y because of "whatever"... etc etc)
Anyways, my engine still hasn't had a power producing stroke in my name yet after a whole pile of flicking. Anyone know this Stihl 27cc beast?
Some questions:
1) which is the fuel line?... and if one's the fuel line, what the heck is the other one for?...
2) the kill/live switch. Dad reckons that the motor will run as-is, and the kill switch works a short between the two terminals on the black box thingie above the flywheel. So I can start it, and do an idiot thing like shorting those two terminals with a screw driver to get it to stop. Is this right?... (not the safety part of screw drivers, I'll install a real switch to do it)
3) what kind of throttle setting do these things generally like to be started at?... I can see the butterfly valve, etc etc, so I know which is full throttle, yadda yadda.
4) tuning... which one is the high range needle, and which is the low range?...
...I've tried like crazy to find the specifics (or even generalities) about starting such a beast in the forums through the search engine, but danged if I can find a recipe/details of anything that gets me steps closer. Asking like a complete newbie is my last resort.
(A sticky thread with a complete list of such details, with various in's and out's on various engines would be pretty handy to build up over time. List of steps like... 1: connect fuel line to "blah" (with a sub bullet on various motors, maybe), 2: set throttle to X, 3: have kill switch connected to Q & Y because of "whatever"... etc etc)
Anyways, my engine still hasn't had a power producing stroke in my name yet after a whole pile of flicking. Anyone know this Stihl 27cc beast?
05-21-2007, 08:13 PM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
Where is your Tech support for the engine?
1) picture #6 the bottom fitting on the carb is the pulse line.
There should be a fitting on the engine crankcase it hooks to.
It makes the carb. pump fuel.
2) Your Dad is right. A kill switch grounds out the mag.
3) the carb is probally close enough to start and run.
Put some fuel in the throat flip it over.
4) I believe the needle closest to the engine is the High needle.
There should be a H and a L next to them.
Do you have or can you borrow an electric starter?
Some mags don't put out a lot of spark at slow speede and even less at flip speeds.
I have a Sullivan that is capable of 24 volts and it does a nice job on most stuff.
Pull the plug and check for spark. Flip it a few times.
Then hook any starter to it with the plug out and check for spark.
Let us know what you find.
Who converted this engine?
1) picture #6 the bottom fitting on the carb is the pulse line.
There should be a fitting on the engine crankcase it hooks to.
It makes the carb. pump fuel.
2) Your Dad is right. A kill switch grounds out the mag.
3) the carb is probally close enough to start and run.
Put some fuel in the throat flip it over.
4) I believe the needle closest to the engine is the High needle.
There should be a H and a L next to them.
Do you have or can you borrow an electric starter?
Some mags don't put out a lot of spark at slow speede and even less at flip speeds.
I have a Sullivan that is capable of 24 volts and it does a nice job on most stuff.
Pull the plug and check for spark. Flip it a few times.
Then hook any starter to it with the plug out and check for spark.
Let us know what you find.
Who converted this engine?
05-21-2007, 09:11 PM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
Here's some good info for you, in addition to what Ralph said. http://www.bmeengine.com/html/manual.htm
The low needle is usually closest to the engine however. You should notice an "L" and an "H" in raised letters near the needles. ("Low" & "High".)
AV8TOR
The low needle is usually closest to the engine however. You should notice an "L" and an "H" in raised letters near the needles. ("Low" & "High".)
AV8TOR
05-21-2007, 09:14 PM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
the needle closest to the engione is the low needle.start both of them 1-1/2 turns out.then adjust the high first, then the low.then you will have to slowly and a very little adjustment at a time fine tune it like a glow engine.plug the bottom nipple with a piece of fuel tubing and a screw in one end.then hook up fuel line to other needle and turn engine over and see if it picks up fuel.if it does,open throttle until the throttle plate in carb looks to have about 1mm of space between body of carb and butterfly.now try and start.yes the 2 contacts on coil kill engine when touched to ground.or use a switch.if theres no wires touching these two contacts the engine should fire.try this and post results.im pming you my phone number if all else fails.do you have anyone who flys gas that lives around you.
05-21-2007, 09:28 PM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
Hers somthing else to try.i hand start most all my engines but you must set it up this way to make it work.
Prime engine good first,rotate at least 4-6 times with finger over carb opening or choke.
set magnets on the flywheel at the 1-2 oclock position from the front of flywheel like looking at a clock.
set prop to line up between or in the center of both magnets.if theres three line up on center of middle one.
the secret if there is one is to get the prop to move fast past the coil in the space from the starting position(1-2 oclock) to the coil.you must flip it fast in this 2 inch arc.not forceful,just fast.remember the hand slap game where you put opponets palms on one another and the object is to slap the top of other persons hands before he moves,this is basiclly the movement.i hand start my echos,zenoahs,homlites,sachs,huskys all the time this way.
Prime engine good first,rotate at least 4-6 times with finger over carb opening or choke.
set magnets on the flywheel at the 1-2 oclock position from the front of flywheel like looking at a clock.
set prop to line up between or in the center of both magnets.if theres three line up on center of middle one.
the secret if there is one is to get the prop to move fast past the coil in the space from the starting position(1-2 oclock) to the coil.you must flip it fast in this 2 inch arc.not forceful,just fast.remember the hand slap game where you put opponets palms on one another and the object is to slap the top of other persons hands before he moves,this is basiclly the movement.i hand start my echos,zenoahs,homlites,sachs,huskys all the time this way.
05-22-2007, 08:39 AM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
Thanks for the quality help guys! ...at least it's up to teasing me now. To make sure I have the details right, attached is a 4 point plan diagram to get it started.
I checked the spark last night, and there is one. This morning I followed all the details above, including prop position and flick technique. It didn't give me any flicking joy. Because it was handy, I got all evil and squirted some engine start fluid down the carb... few flicks and she banged out a few RPM's and then stopped. With the start fluid, ignition was reliable within a few flicks, but it quickly dies. Once it looked like it was going to pick up and keep it, but it died too. But it's certainly fired through more than a dozen strokes in succession... the usual teasing that motors do that are almost happy.
What's the throttle/starting position for cold motors?... should I let it sit in the sun all day and let the black anodized head get all hot?... do I have the fuel line correct in the diagram?...
Anything bad about using the starting fluid?...
In answer to the questions above:
*) where's my tech support?... this motor is an ebay special. the guy said it had run in testing for all of 15 minutes.
*) who converted it?... no idea, but it was certainly spiffy and professional enough looking job to have me pony up the cash.
*) do you have anyone who flys gas that lives around you?... it's possible, yet I'm in the middle of nowhere PA so anyone would be some amounts of driving involved. I'm a 30yo Australian that's been flying RC since he was 6, somehow stuck in central PA ...I've watched a ton of guys play with petrol motors, but not in such a way that I know how they tick.
I checked the spark last night, and there is one. This morning I followed all the details above, including prop position and flick technique. It didn't give me any flicking joy. Because it was handy, I got all evil and squirted some engine start fluid down the carb... few flicks and she banged out a few RPM's and then stopped. With the start fluid, ignition was reliable within a few flicks, but it quickly dies. Once it looked like it was going to pick up and keep it, but it died too. But it's certainly fired through more than a dozen strokes in succession... the usual teasing that motors do that are almost happy.
What's the throttle/starting position for cold motors?... should I let it sit in the sun all day and let the black anodized head get all hot?... do I have the fuel line correct in the diagram?...
Anything bad about using the starting fluid?...
In answer to the questions above:
*) where's my tech support?... this motor is an ebay special. the guy said it had run in testing for all of 15 minutes.
*) who converted it?... no idea, but it was certainly spiffy and professional enough looking job to have me pony up the cash.
*) do you have anyone who flys gas that lives around you?... it's possible, yet I'm in the middle of nowhere PA so anyone would be some amounts of driving involved. I'm a 30yo Australian that's been flying RC since he was 6, somehow stuck in central PA
...I've watched a ton of guys play with petrol motors, but not in such a way that I know how they tick.
05-22-2007, 02:29 PM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
indeed!
...I improved the dodgy fuel feed setup (little thing I was using as a tank wasn't getting fuel through), and a few flicks later it was ticking over. It cut out, few flicks more it restarted and set into a happy idle for like a minute or so. Happy indeed.
The fuel ran to the level of the hose in the tank and died. I then made the tank a little more formal and tried to restart it again for a longer break-in run, but it wasn't quite so happy to restart. So after my arm got tired I decided to get back to my day job
However, the summary is that it's now running! thanks for the help!
...I improved the dodgy fuel feed setup (little thing I was using as a tank wasn't getting fuel through), and a few flicks later it was ticking over. It cut out, few flicks more it restarted and set into a happy idle for like a minute or so. Happy indeed.
The fuel ran to the level of the hose in the tank and died. I then made the tank a little more formal and tried to restart it again for a longer break-in run, but it wasn't quite so happy to restart. So after my arm got tired I decided to get back to my day job
However, the summary is that it's now running! thanks for the help!
05-22-2007, 03:02 PM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
w00t w00t!
...I just went back out to start it again (hang the day job). Opened the throttle just a little bit and it started right up. Hopefully it's all fun from here.
...I just went back out to start it again (hang the day job). Opened the throttle just a little bit and it started right up. Hopefully it's all fun from here.
05-22-2007, 03:03 PM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
Most the starting fluids in this area contain lube. It will say on can. Squirt a little fuel in carb...then starting fluid. The most bulky engine will start right up. WD-40 works good too. I have see the WD 40 used at repair shops for starting ...it works! Capt,n
05-22-2007, 09:28 PM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
Yeah, WD-40 is better than ether for two strokes. Apparently they changed the formulation a couple of times. We used to use it occasionally like a starting fluid, and then they came out with a formula that wouldn't burn. Now, from several reports I've heard, it burns again and will work as a starting fluid.
I still don't recommend using any "starting fluid" except under the most pressing circumstances....
AV8TOR
I still don't recommend using any "starting fluid" except under the most pressing circumstances....
AV8TOR
05-22-2007, 09:32 PM
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RE: converted Stihl engine - how the heck do I start it!??
I still don't recommend using any "starting fluid" except under the most pressing circumstances....
AV8TOR
AV8TOR
