Cajuncharley

My Feedback: (2)

My Saito 1.80 has taken to running backwards when I attempt to start the engine. I am running 30% heli fuel, and the engine is simply awesome. It is disconcerting, however, when it starts backwards. I use a chicken stick to start. My guess is that the engine is flooded. I am using a DuBro fueler. Any tips to stop the engine from starting backwards?

Cajuncharley

malcolmm

The same thing happens with my OS 160 fx. From what I have seen, the larger glow motors are susceptible to this.

What often works for me is to hand start in a backwards direction. If that doesn't work, cutting the throttle down to a very low idle and then increasing throttle will sometimes cause it to reverse direction.

Malcolm

DiscoWings

My Feedback: (76)

Use an electric starter, it will start in the right direction every time.

Rudeboy

Try to start it at a very low throttle setting, and use a backflip.

If for some reason fuel can accumulate in the muffler (from priming), that will make the backwards running worse. When the engine runs backwards, it sucks air and fuel in through the exhaust, and it uses the carb as a muffler... It can't run for long when there's no fuel in the muffler

Make sure your glow igniter is well charged... that helps when using the backflip method.

B.L.E.

The muffler can fill with fuel when you leave the pressure tap connected during refueling and a muffler full of fuel can act as a crude carburator, feeding an air/fuel mixture into the engine's exhast port as it runs backwards. The suction can even draw fuel out of the fuel tank into the muffler's pressure tap and keep the engine running for a long time. Kill the engine by closing the exhaust outlet with your finger and restart. You probably will have to reprime.

Backwards starting is a problem if you try to flip the engine forwards. Flip it backwards and it will usually start forward. The key is to have the engine well primed and the throttle closed to idle position.

Walter D

My Feedback: (16)

My 1.50's exhibited the same tendency and even worse, they would backfire and send the prop and its related items flying through the air, kickback was fearsome to say the least, chicken sticks would get axed in the middle as if hit by a guillotine. Well after installing a spacer under the cylinder this problem was finally cured ( I have two of the very first runs of the 1.50's, which exhibited way too much compression, this issue was later addresed) but I was so used to flipping the engine backward past its compression stroke to get them started, that they would invariably start in the wrong direction, this is until I realized that by, and here is the trick, holding the prop at about 2 inches from the spinner (please wear heavy duty gloves in case you get wacked) and using only the tips of my middle fingers, flip the prop smartly backward but in a way that when the piston hits top dead center (starting of the compression) your fingers have already slipped off and away from the prop and toward the bottom, flipping this way is the safest and most efficient way, always flip the prop in a snappy fashion, do not do it slowly and for certain do not move the prop against compression with your fingers on it, you will get whacked, give it a few tries without fuel and without having the plug energized for practice sake. best of luck!
Position the prop at no less than the 2 o'clock position, some guys even like to do it at 3 or 4 o'clock position, practice which one is best for you.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

This is situation is worse of the low end is too rich but yep, flip it backwards.