DA50: Idle Too Rich?
08-29-2006 | 10:51 PM
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From: Montreal,
QC, CANADA
DA50: Idle Too Rich?
I'm clueless about engines so please be gentle...
Have a DA50 in my H9 Extra 260, since last fall but most of the flying and gallons of fuel were ran through it this summer. Within the past month, it has started to run less reliably while ilding on the ground. For example, I'll get it started up and sounds great, transition from idle to full throttle is good. But if I bring it back down to a high idle and let it sit there, it will eventually quit abruptly... Alternatively, if it idles for a while and then I give it a slight amount of throtle (one or two clicks), it will also sometimes die.
Similarly, runs great in the air but once I'm on a landing approach (flying idle, not low idle) and having landed, it will sometimes quit within a few seconds of taxing back to the pit area.
Also, my spark plug seems to have a lot of nasty carbon on it. I've been taking it out regularly cause I'm often flooding the engine (plug soaked) at the beginning of the flying day.
Have a DA50 in my H9 Extra 260, since last fall but most of the flying and gallons of fuel were ran through it this summer. Within the past month, it has started to run less reliably while ilding on the ground. For example, I'll get it started up and sounds great, transition from idle to full throttle is good. But if I bring it back down to a high idle and let it sit there, it will eventually quit abruptly... Alternatively, if it idles for a while and then I give it a slight amount of throtle (one or two clicks), it will also sometimes die.
Similarly, runs great in the air but once I'm on a landing approach (flying idle, not low idle) and having landed, it will sometimes quit within a few seconds of taxing back to the pit area.
Also, my spark plug seems to have a lot of nasty carbon on it. I've been taking it out regularly cause I'm often flooding the engine (plug soaked) at the beginning of the flying day.
08-29-2006 | 11:27 PM
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From: Locust Grove,
GA
RE: DA50: Idle Too Rich?
What I do for my gas engines is to lean the low speed needle until it hesitates with a quick addition of throttle. Once this is done and the high speed needle is adjusted on the rich side of Max RPM, I then fly the plane. If it slows on uplines then I richen the high speed needle. I find there at low midrange, it will run rough, on the high side of mid range, it runs good. I just add a curve to the throttle so normal flying is never done at the rough area of midrange.
ORIGINAL: xed
I'm clueless about engines so please be gentle...
Have a DA50 in my H9 Extra 260, since last fall but most of the flying and gallons of fuel were ran through it this summer. Within the past month, it has started to run less reliably while ilding on the ground. For example, I'll get it started up and sounds great, transition from idle to full throttle is good. But if I bring it back down to a high idle and let it sit there, it will eventually quit abruptly... Alternatively, if it idles for a while and then I give it a slight amount of throtle (one or two clicks), it will also sometimes die.
Similarly, runs great in the air but once I'm on a landing approach (flying idle, not low idle) and having landed, it will sometimes quit within a few seconds of taxing back to the pit area.
Also, my spark plug seems to have a lot of nasty carbon on it. I've been taking it out regularly cause I'm often flooding the engine (plug soaked) at the beginning of the flying day.
I'm clueless about engines so please be gentle...
Have a DA50 in my H9 Extra 260, since last fall but most of the flying and gallons of fuel were ran through it this summer. Within the past month, it has started to run less reliably while ilding on the ground. For example, I'll get it started up and sounds great, transition from idle to full throttle is good. But if I bring it back down to a high idle and let it sit there, it will eventually quit abruptly... Alternatively, if it idles for a while and then I give it a slight amount of throtle (one or two clicks), it will also sometimes die.
Similarly, runs great in the air but once I'm on a landing approach (flying idle, not low idle) and having landed, it will sometimes quit within a few seconds of taxing back to the pit area.
Also, my spark plug seems to have a lot of nasty carbon on it. I've been taking it out regularly cause I'm often flooding the engine (plug soaked) at the beginning of the flying day.
08-30-2006 | 06:16 AM
#3
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RE: DA50: Idle Too Rich?
Yeah I'd say your low needle is too rich. From my experience on this engine you can leave the high needle at factory setting (1 7/8 to 2). Only lean the low end until, as Geist says, it starts to hesitate on transition. When it does this, I richen it back a little until it will transition again. One thing you will notice immediately when you lean your low end is that the idle RPM goes up significantly. That's because your engine is starting to fire almost every power stroke so naturally the idle RPM will raise. I always have to reduce the idle trim when I do this. Also the idle gets smoother and so does the midrange. This is an easy fix for you.
09-01-2006 | 01:54 PM
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From: Montreal,
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RE: DA50: Idle Too Rich?
Thanks guys, I played with the idle needle some more and went about 1/4 of a turn and the idle is definitely higher and it isn't dying after a few minutes at idle.
I'll tinker some more another night, I was getting eaten alive by pesky black flies.
I'll tinker some more another night, I was getting eaten alive by pesky black flies.
05-15-2007 | 06:57 PM
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From: Martinez,
GA
RE: DA50: Idle Too Rich?
ORIGINAL: xed
I'll tinker some more another night, I was getting eaten alive by pesky black flies.
I'll tinker some more another night, I was getting eaten alive by pesky black flies.
Hey dude you shouldn't be racist against black flies. A black fly has the same rights as a white fly ya know!
P.S. This is a where a good smoke system comes in handy.
