I have a dle 30 with about 1 1/2 gallons thru it. It starts and runs great, but here is the problem. It is prone to stalling when inverted or vertical. I am turning an 18 x8 at about 7800, just a bit below peak. I have checked and re-checked the fuel system and all is fine. It is the latest version with a rear carb. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

Did you change the spark plug to the NGK CM-6 yet?

The DLE spark plug is very unreliable

I have about a half gallon through mine so far, seems like it does not like to run at low idle for very long, seems to choke out and is hard to start there after. Does yours have this symptom? Mine seems to prime easily with about 5 flips.

Sounds lean, on low end

Or rich. Sometimes a rich engine will idle, then slow down, then quit as the engine slowly loads up with too much fuel. Hard starting afterwards might be because it is flooded.

AV8TOR

The mid range will tell you if the low end is richh or lean (assuming the top end is correct)
Burbly mid range indicates a rich low end

If it chokes out like you say... the low end mixture is too rich! You can tell that too on restart...it will be hard to start and puff out smoke just before it starts again. Capt,n

Cliff Baker:

My DLE 30 acts the same.
It wouldn't idle very long....sounded like it was loading up rich, but it would idle worse whether adjusted richer or leaner.

In a high G turn at idle it would act like it was running out of fuel and die. By adjusting metering pin lever, closer to the diaphragm, (so the diaphragm can open the meter pin easier) the symptoms have improved. (I need to fiddle with it more.) It looks to me like there isn't enough vacuum at idle to open the metering diaphragm and pin unless the lever is adjusted exactly right. Maybe the metering spring is too strong.

I had turned the carb over from its original position. Thus the G forces would tend to pull the diaphragm toward the closed position, so at idle the engine would die from fuel starvation when making the turns to a landing.

If the carb was turned the other way it would probably cause trouble when flying inverted.

Any way, try adjusting the metering pin lever to see if that will help.

Jerry

I'm assuming this is at or near wide open throttle (WOT)? I had one making me absolutely crazy for a while last season. Same thing, went through everything, incuding carb, several times. All over the carb adjustments. Dead stick landing followed any extended attempt at vertical climb. Then one of the fellow club flyers suggested I hold the nose of the plane up with engine at WOT, just like I did when checking a nitro plane. Well, that point out, with no doubt, the plane was going lean, though I thought I had the carb set up fairly well. Went a tad richer on the high speed and no more trouble.

Point is, I found though it's obviously much more difficult handleing a DLE30 powered plane, nose up at WOT check is just as necessary to assure proper performance as it was when checking a nitro plane.... FWIW

Lots of good suggestions, just make sure you're looking for horses when you hear hoves before looking for zebras.

Is the plug an NGK or original? If its not a CM6 replace it with one.

Is the plug gap set correctly?

Does it have a fuel filter inline? If yes, clean it out.

Have you checked the screen in the carb? Lawn mower shops sell rebuild kits with that screen in them or clean it with brake kleen.

Still the stock plug, will replace that right away, yes on the inline filter, have not yet checked for debris. Will reply with results. Thanks!

Yes, please let us know how it turns out.

AV8TOR

Rear carb or side carb? The side carbs are known to have the issue, hence the revision change & rear mounting kit.

If it's rear carb, you likely have a diaphram pressure issue. Tap the cover and run a line into your fuse (pill bottle optional).

I agree....most likely cause I think ! Capt,n

Don't mean to hijack the thread but my problem is similar with the 30: engine runs fine in the air (some burble at mid-throttle), but when I roll inverted from straight and level flight, dead stick! Think this might also be a needle setting as noted above? Thanks.

Could be...goes from rich...to too rich...quits..............Not good ! Forgot....look at the sparkplug color....should be lite tan in color. Do that right after a hard run and quick land............

Stiff fuel line in tank - holding the clunk/pick-up out of the fuel? Does it quit right away or after a few seconds?

My suggestion to you guys that have this inverted problem is to fix up a nice padded stand to run you plane and engine inverted. You will need help doing so...but worth the trouble. Capt,n

More....when I had my DLE30 cc engineon a test stand I moved the tank 10 inches higher and 10 inches lower than than carb while running....absolutely no change in running. Your milage may vary! Capt,n

No matter what I do or how I tune my DLE 30 (V1), it runs poorly and invariably dies, either taxiing or in flight (3D flight especially). The engine has a mortal design flaw and I basically got fed up with it. I believe this line of engines was brought to market too soon and lots of unsuspecting customers are paying the price with crashed airplanes. DLE acted irresponsibly and needless to say, that was the last time I bought from them.

Yes. They're junk. If you'll shoot me a PM I'll give you an address you can send it to for recycling. I hear they'll even pay the shipping.

On a more serious note, if you can't get yours into tune, I have to believe it's broke, or you're doing something wrong. The engine is awesome.

If you get a DLE30 with the rear intake...a good carb...and the right CD unit with the correct advance curve, it is kinda awsome. Oh yes & a Piston ring that is not too hard !

Change your diaphram spring, several RCGF's had this same problem and id cured them,The spring tension is weak from what I'm told

Right away. After starting, I picked it up, had a friend go to WOT and I rolled it over myself....quit!

What I was wondering is if it's quitting after burning the fuel in the line between the carb and clunk, like after the clunk has been lifted out of the fuel because of a stiff fuel line? That might take a couple of seconds (vs. immediately after rolling inverted). That's where I would go first anyway. All else being equal, I'm not sure what else may change going inverted?