dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

I have a DLE 35RA inverted mounted that is not drawing fuel and is essentially dry; I was told to remove the single screw cover and prime the inside of Carb with some fuel; the problem is that there is only a 1/2" clearance between the carb and firewall and I would have to remove the engine to remove the carb to access the single screw cover to prime it, considering that the engine is inverted and the 4 screw cover on the other side of the carb is easily accessed without having to remove the engine or the carb; could I not just remove the 4 screw cover, lift off the diaphragm and gasket and prime the inside of the carb this way?

Thanks.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

There's an old school technique I have used in the past that might help, a direct prime. Invert the plane, rotate the prop til the engine is at bottom dead center, and squirt a small amount of gas into the muffler. Raise the airplanes tail to allow the gas to flow into the cylinder and rock the prop back and forth to make sure fuel went into the cylinder. Place the plane back on the ground and flip the prop. The direct prime will run the engine briefly, but with enough enthusiasm to get the carb pump working and you're good to go.

I have been doing this for YEARS with no problems, although I'm sure the armchair quarterbacks will certainly attack this suggestion even though they have never tried it. If you need more details, PM me.

rgburrill

^^^^ That's the way to do it ^^^^

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

I do the pretty much the same thing except that I just remove the plug and squirt a bit of fuel in the plug hole. Accomplishes the same thing. Yes, the quick burst of running will usually get a carb flowing fuel again. Learned this with chainsaws decades ago and years before anyone ever though of using these sorts of engines for model use.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Most of my gas planes have the plug cap within the cowl so access is difficult. I have to prime thru the muffler. Hopefully the original poster will have success with this technique.

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

Yup, any way to get a bit of gas in the cylinder will work. When side mounted carbs were more common it was easy enough to just quirt a bit of gas in the intake but with rear carbs being more common these days, that is not so easy.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Dasintex,

Did you have any success?

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

Hey Lifer, Not yet, haven't tried anything since I first posted, the Holidays came and now the cold weather, even down here in Texas preventing me from going outside with the plane, getting warmer now, my game plan is to remove the carb to soder the choke plate bleeder hole shut, remount the carb then remove the 4 screw cover on the carb just before I attempt to start it again to wet the inside of the carb and with any luck should start and if it does, I will try it again several days or a week later to see if I have the problem eliminated.

Thanks for asking, will post my results.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

I've got an EME 55 in a 40% Howard Ike. I think my record was 120 flips before my arm just about fell off. Took the damned thing home, pulled the carb and replaced the tan reed valve with a black one. Next time out to the field it started in about 5 flips. I switched to non-alcohol gas last year and everything got better. The Ike was wayyyy too big to flip over or I would have used my earlier technique.

Used to live in Austin on a business assignment. Flew year around. The locals though I was crazy, flying in Winter. Didn't seem all that bad to a Missouri boy.

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

There is no need to remove the choke plate to solder the hole closed. Shine up the area around the hole with something like 600 grit sandpaper, use a bit of flux and rosin core solder and a hot iron. Should be able to solder the hole closed with no more than a tiny bit of solder and in less than a few seconds. Clean with acetone and reinstall the carb. Whenever I hear someone talking about removing a choke or throttle plate, I get concerned they won't use good technique by grinding the swaged, threaded part of the screw off before removal and the shaft will be damaged during removal. In worse case, removing the screw w/o removing the swaged part can fracture the shaft. If you must remove the screw, always replace the screw with a new one. Frankly there is little need to solder the hole shut if the choke plate completely closes. I have seen very little difference between the performance of the tan or the black pump diaphragm. The tan one just lasts longer and is more resistant to some fuels.

ahicks

My Feedback: (2)

TR, I'd agree with you, but here, it looks like he said remove carb, not choke plate. Carb in hand, I'd rather remove one screw than 4 to wet the inside, but that's me.

BTW, I agree shooting a few drops of fuel into the exhaust works great, but not everyone will grab on to exactly what needs to happen there. Often, you can also drop the nose of the plane, remove the canopy, and gain access to the throat of the carb to get a shot of fuel in that way as well. -Al

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

I think you're right Al. I have repeatedly read where people suggest removing the choke plate though and I constantly wonder "why". I think I'll leave my comments unedited though as they reflect my preferences

Regarding soldering the hole shut, I've only done that in a few cases then only on smaller engines as they just don't have the "suck" required during choke to pull the fuel like larger engines. Even then I usually drill a smaller hole back in the solder to prevent over choking when the engine pops.

Some years ago, adding a primer tube, or just a brass tube that went from outside the cowl to the carb opening was somewhat common. You could just squirt some fuel in the tube and it ended up in the carb air inlet. Instant prime and the engine usually pulled fuel when it fired a few times. This won't work when a pump flapper is stuck but that is fairly rare.

ahicks

My Feedback: (2)

I agree 100% (maybe 150%), that soldering the hole closed is a trick that benefits mostly smaller (say 30-35cc and smaller) engines. The bigger ones (50cc+) all have enough displacement where they can suck much harder on each intake stroke. The extra displacement of the 50cc+, with an intake tract volume that's about the same size as what you find on a 20-30cc class engine, really makes a difference! I think that's why a lot of guys will say the 50cc+ engines handle easier, seemingly making the smaller engines seem fussy in comparison. -Al

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

Success;

Got the engine started; soldered the airbleed hole shut on the choke plate, removed the cover on the carb and wet the inside of carb with some fuel; cranked the prop a bunch of times till I saw fuel arrive at the carb, turned on ignition, a few flips later and it started, ran for awhile on low throttle because I didn't have the wing on, shut it off before it came close to running dry; plan now is to start again in a few weeks before I put the cowl back on just to be sure I got it fixed, post analysis, last summer or spring when I first ever started the engine to break it in I believe I ran the engine till it ran dry.

Appreciated all the help!