Blue_Sky

I'm interested to see if anyone has experienced anything similar to this.

FA-80, hadn't been run in about two years. It starts right up, then dies a few seconds later. Pull the glow plug, it's fried, put in another plug. Same thing, starts then instantly dies. Pull the plug, it's fried.

This goes on 5 glow plugs in a row, I'm not exaggerating, it's totally strange. On inspection the plugs just look fried, the top contact to the middle coil is gone.

Could there have been a particle in the engine acting like a sand blaster taking out the plugs?

Could it have been the glow starter? I was using a wired glow starter with banana leads into my Hobbico panel. The glow heat was never dialed up past the green - 3 Amps or less.

When I started using a Kwik-Start everything was fine - except at that point I had lost 5 glow plugs! lol, that's a kick to the wallet.

Did the engine cause this? The plugs didn't fry until the engine started.

Dzlstunter

It sounds as if you have answered your own question. You did an experiment with the other power source and had no problem. It would appear that your power panel (or the gauge) is faulty. If you want to risk another glow plug, you could try the power panel on a different engine and see what happens. Good luck, Dzl

beppeVRCS

You may want to test the Hobbico panel with jus an old plug, starting from 0 and gradually giving power. Look what the needle says when the plug is glowing fine!
Beppe

Pilotsmoe

just make sure you're not running it too lean, that will blow the plugs

Blue_Sky

Thanks everyone for your help. The puzzling thing is, this is an engine I bought new 12 years ago, it's always been reliable, always ran great.

I did the panel test with glow plugs at the field when all this was happening. Hooked 'em up, ran the power up and down over and over - and I checked plugs again with the panel this morning - same thing, cranked power up and down and everything is normal.

The "un-normal" events, were every single time after doing the panel test with a new plug and everything is normal - then putting the glow plug in the engine it would immediately blow.

Would a lean engine cause a plug to blow after 1 second of running?

freakingfast

My Feedback: (3)

Bearing debris can take out a glow plug too.
How does your bearing feel/sound.

Blue_Sky

The bearing feels great, nothing abnormal. Interesting though you should mention something not sounding right. The person I was flying with, and going through this "ordeal" with, is a gentleman of great achievement in our hobby - he was more perplexed than I was :-) but at one point he said, "It sounds like a valve is stuck." We flooded the engine and cranked it over. It still blew plugs.

This engine ran on Omega/castor for most of it's life. Three years ago I switched over to Cool because even though I'm a fan of castor, if you don't run a castor fed engine every once in awhile it gets gummed up big time if the engine sits. I've noticed a greenish discoloration around the valve covers... I'm not bashing Cool Power, I just bought a gallon this morning, but I wonder if the Cool sitting in the engine was not behaving nicely with the former Omega as it sat for two years.

I'm now thinking more in line of a stuck valve, and it was a coincidence using the Kwik-Start and it freed itself up.

I won't know until I put this engine into a new plane, a few minutes after all this happened the airplane unfortunately went in for the last time.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

OF, if the engine is 12 or so years old it could very well be one the early high compression Saito .80s, I have one and it will destroy a plug in a heartbeat if lean.

Blue_Sky

Good thinking (and remembering about engines) Hobbsy, thanks.

You're probably correct because I've heard people complain about FA-80's, they're a dog etc, but this Saito has always been very strong. I didn't know about a differentiation in compression through the years.

Turning this engine over, it has a lot of compression. I'd post case numbers but there aren't any.

At this point I'm going with the theory the motor was either abnormally lean as a result of sitting for two years, or debris that was subsequently flushed out. The thing is, I'll find out soon if it was the glow starter.

Look out glow plugs here comes the Hobbico panel ready to eat you the next time I fly. :-) I have to keep using the panel, just to see if that's what caused it.

And actually, 5 glow plugs is ridiculous in terms of cost lol. Can't we make these things any cheaper, geez.

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

....I had one of those problematic high compression Saito .80 engines. I gave it to Bill Robison.

I haven't had any problems with the engine since.

FBD.

Blue_Sky

LOL! I guess Bill Robison and I have a pretty sweet engine.

Oh well, I guess what I don't know (yet) won't hurt me.

But I'm steadfast, I love this engine lol. And I'll continue loving it dang it. :-)

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Bill Robison's engines burned up in a fire about 3 yrs ago.

He passed away a couple years ago.

Blue_Sky

My sincere condolences to his family and friends. I didn't know he had passed on when I wrote my post.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

After I posted that I saw that you were new. I didn't really mean anything about it.

Keep up the good posts

Bill Robison was a regular on here until his passing. He enjoyed himself

Blue_Sky

Thanks for the information, it speaks of good things for the camaraderie of this forum.

OK, I'll fess up. I didn't intend this post to be from "Blue_Sky."

I registered as OregonFlier to buy an airplane from an RCU forum member. I shouldn't have posted in this forum, although I'd considered giving Blue_Sky the boot. I've deleted the OregonFlier account, these were the only posts made with that user account.

I keep my personal information private.

So, I'd like to come back and discuss this FA-80 if it goes that way, or if you guys think I'm a total schmuck I'd understand.

Actually, the thing to do is eliminate Blue_Sky as well.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

I also have a high compression 1.50 from the first run that had a black engine and chrome rocker covers called the 150S. They really aren't problematic unless you're hard headed and insist on running high nitro in them, either the .80 or the 1.50 will run on 5% nitro as well as the other run on 15%. But, treated with a little respect they'll run fine on 10% nitro. I tried my .80 on Davis Diesel fuel and surprise of all surprises it has too much compression for the Diesel fuel and at about 5,500 rpm begins to make black and gold grenade sounds.