A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

What's a dependable procedure to get a four stroke running in the dead of winter? Seems my Saito's have always been "riga-mortise" stiff while the two-stroke fire without hesitation?
Appreciate your help.</p>

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

Try a few drops of Ronsonal lighter fluid to get em started .

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

The lighter fluid works if you can get to the carb. Our winters only get down into the 20s and most the time it's in the 30s. Mine still don't like to fire up. I use my power panel and let the plug warm up a little before I roll them over. I have seen some guys stick there engines just under there cars exhaust pipe to warm them up before starting. It's a pain but it seems to work.

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

Run it slightly richer than you had been in the summer. The cool air is denser

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

Most of us pull the fuel line off the carb or remote needle assemble to refuel the plane. On my 2 strokes, I just shoot alittle bit of lighter fluid into the carb, & off she goes. On my 4 strokes, I fuel as always, but before I hook up the fuel line , I shoot a little bit of lighter fluid into the fuel line & then rehook. Priming brings the lighter fluid to the engine & it starts first time. On my cowled engines were I fuel through a third line or a fuel dot, I shoot it into the exh & hand rotate the engine backwards to get the fluid into the cyl, then hit it & again, always fires up. Bill

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

What the others have said. Just a few drops of lighter fluid either directly into the carb or in the fuel line and she'll fire right up.

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

This could also work, http://www.featurepics.com/online/Ca...ure293337.aspx :D:D

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

I like that the best of all

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

I'll second this suggestion. Open the high speed needle a good 1/2 turn from where the engine usually runs, fire her up and readjust for flying. This is particularly effective when the plane is sitting on or around snow where the humidity may be high. Not entirely sure why this works but it just does.

Stay warm!!!!

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

It works because our carburetor intakes can't be adjusted and because the denser air delivers more oxygen. Mix in the same amount of fuel that gave a correct gas mixture in summer with less oxygen, and our engines run too lean. That's something that most people can't hear with 4strokes.

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

OK, I'll buy that. Thanks!

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

Even here in NV we have to fatten up the carbs every year. After four years of living here I know how far out all my engines need to go but it isn't all in one day. We are in tune for 100+ degrees right now. When it gets into the low 70s we have to start slowly fattening them up. From the 100+ my engines will go out a click at a time until it gets into the 30s and by then I will be on average 4 clicks out on the high end. The low ends never seem to need any changing at all.

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

Hey Graybeard it was 39 here this morning! I don't know how you AZ guys fly @ 100+degrees. When it gets that hot I declare it 'building season'.

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

Vegas and it's cooler here then AZ. When it's hot here you have to remember the humidity factor, there isn't much here, it's more like fire, very dry so when it's 85 it's really nice, 100 isn't bad, 110 to 115 sucks!!!! During the summer we fly from sun rise to about 9:30 or 10:00 then get the hell into our air conditioned vans and head home. Winter it is in the 30s and 40s and you can't feel your finger tips, spring, summer and fall are great, I didn't move here for the cold.;) I thought I left the snow behind me too but I was wrong again. Last year was wet for us and the dry lake bed didn't stay so dry. I really did give floats a thought and may build a small float plane just for those special times, 7 sq. miles of shallow water, sounds good to me.:D

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

Sorry Graybeard.......I read NV and thought AZ. Next my inside loops will become outside. Yes, AZ is hot. I helped a buddy out at the Scale Masters in Mesa a few years back. Great club hosting a great event but I was dying from heatstroke and it was October. But don't give me the dry heat routine we use that out here in CO as well! Our winters are cold /snowy but nothing like back East. It's a 'dry' cold :).

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

In my ski bum days I used to go there and it was so dry in the winter my nose would be dry like the desert! This is a dry heat but so is fire!!! I take the heat these days a lot better then the cold. I can't take humidity at all. Last winter I discovered I can no longer fly worth a darn with gloves on so my flight times are a lot shorter. A mind twister for you, why would anyone come to Vegas in the summer?? Winter is our slow time. It's so nice right now and the town is winding down?? I was out flying yesterday and I left the field at about 11:30 and it was a very nice 84, way better then 115.

RE: A Flying Four Stroke in Winter
 

I wish you good flying for the Fall and winter!