kwik

Hello,

I have a Saito FG-57, and it refuses to start now.

After 45 flights with impeccable running, except it behaved the same way after 30 flights.

It is completely dead. No life at all.

I have tried four different ignition modules from RcExcl which works fine on another boxer.

I have tried many different spark-plugs. NGK, RcExls, you name it.

Nothing.

I opened up and cleaned the carb after 30 flights. It run 15 more flights. I have opened up the carb again and looked.

The carb is of equal design as a standard Walbro Carb, excepts everything is smaller. But the principle is the same.

Except a rotating drum adjusting airflow and a needle.

I noticed that one of the lips on the pump mebrane was curled up. That could be it!

So I sendt a mail to Horizon asking to buy a new one.

Here is the answer;

"Unfortunately, we do not have this part for individual sale. I would suggest contacting your local distributor to see if they have
the part or what the repair options for you are."

The local distributor? My experience is that this would be a waste of time. If the main distributor in the US can't help me,
why would a small importer in Norway be able to help? No way.

Now what to do? I am used to being able to replace the membranes in standard Walbros.....and now I am stuck !!!

( The pump lip tends to curl up after long usage. But the membrane is a bit ticker, I think, on a standard Walbro)

big max 1935

My Feedback: (9)

Take the carb to a shop that repairs chain saws ,leaf blowers & other small engines . We have a lucky deal up here ,one of our club members has a motor cycle shop ,small engine repair + a hobby shop. Don't get much better than that! Good luck , Max H.

kwik

Hmmmm....so you think a local hobbyshop can make a new membrane? I would think they would use one of their membrane replacement sets
that you can get plenty of on ebay? For standard Walbros?

And this carb has a bit smaller and different shaped membranes......but the principle is the same.....and there is no sets to be found for the Saito FG-57 engine...

wphilb

My Feedback: (10)

Why not contact Saito directly? On a lark I called Japan direct for a Futaba part, got some gent who spoke English and they mailed me the part. That was in the 80s though. Try to get a contact email from them in Japan.

Whit

big max 1935

My Feedback: (9)

What I was trying to get across was that I doubt that Walbro would make a carb that would fit a one only engine .I figured the place to look would be a place that has several hundred carb parts.No he don't make diaphragms. Maybe you need a whole new carb. Horizon says those are in stock . Good luck, Max

wphilb

My Feedback: (10)

The whole new carb is a great idea. Get one, swap it out. If it solves the problem, great and now you have a bunch of spares for other parts of the new carb (in the old carb.) If it doesn't solve the problem it probably wasn't the diaphram. I say probably because you can have more than one problem, so I'd leave the new carb in even if it doesn't solve the problem and keep looking.

Keep us in the loop!

Whit

David Eichstedt

My Feedback: (17)

First, please recognize that Horizon Hobby only distributes Saito in North and South America. We do not have any distribution rights in Europe. It's hard to provide support for engines in a different territory!

Nevertheless, I have forwarded this thread to Pete Bergstrom, our Engines Category Manager, to see if he has any ideas to help you. Pete just got back from Asia yesterday, including a stop in Japan to see Saito. Maybe he'll have some pointers for you.

JPate147

Are you sure the problem is fuel related ? Is the diaphram wet after strong choking ? Does choking produce fuel at the carb choke ?

You may have an electrical problem with the battery, kill switch or a simple connector problem. Try an ohm meter to check for contiuity on the red and black power wires going from the battery to the ignition (with battery disconnected), and if it passes that test, then test the battery and circuit with a load meter of approx 500 mah.

I hope this helps. The diaphram is normally curled or wrinkly after a few gallons are run through it.

kwik

I would love to, but it is impossible to find a number nowadays. They probably try to filter out the noise via the distributors?

kwik

Well I have about 5-6 Walbros on the shelf here. And my FG-36 and FG-57 has very special carbs. I might buy a new carb, but I have repaired Walbros
by buying new membrane sets many times. Did you see the price of these carbs? Will be expensive to replace every 40 flights or so.....

But yes, in dispair I might end up buying a spare carb.

kwik

Choking produce fuel, but these engines are very sensitive to getting too much fuel....so hand starting it is difficult now....my hand gets very tired.

Yes, it could be electrical, but I have spark when I look at the spark-plugs. And another boxer starts with the ignition and the spark plugs, so I turned my attention
to the fuel.....

The only thing I havent replaced now is the Hall sensor. But since I have a spark I figured it is okay. Might dismantle it again and try that.

I have seen a test on youtube where the spark dissappear when it is pressurized , even thogh there is a spark at 1 athmosphere, so,
yes, there can still be a spark problem.But then again another boxer started with this ignition.And I have tried 4 different ignition units;

First on another boxer; It started, then on the Saito, so....I switched my interes to the fuel.

I forgot to mention;
I asked Horizon for a net membrane set after this happened a couple of weeks ago;

After fault finding for a month, with the engine in a test-bench, it suddenly fired up, and was the good old Saito I love so much !

I took it out of the test-bench, into the airplane ( a lot of work) and off to the field !

And it refused to start on the field. Back to original situation.

kwik

Yes, I know....Therefore I dont expect any support. I normally manage all engines myself. I just wanted to buy a new membrane set.

And it is the lips of the pump membrane that is a bit curled and that I suspect to be the problem, not the diagraphm membrane.

Just wants to replace them as a method of elimination. But yes, I might buy a new carb this time just for elimination's sake....the whole summer has rained away anyway.

If anyone is interested which lips I am talking about, have a look here, please;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GW82csWkNk&feature=plcp

larrysogla

.....................to test the ignition system under compression load, use an automotive spark plug with a factory recommended .060" gap to test the spark quality under simulated compression(usually a spark plug for a 1990 to the present Chevrolet engine has a .060" gap)..............leave this automotive spark plug outside the engine and then connect your spark plug cable to this spark plug and then turn the propeller swiftly and see if the spark jumps thru the .060" gap.................if it does then the ignition system is OK even under compression load.....next to check is the fuel delivery..........................drop a few drops of fuel into the carburetor mouth and then try to start the engine..........if the engine starts and then dies out after a few seconds then you have no fuel being delivered to the carburetor...............you could have a bad carburetor diaphragm or an air leak in the fuel line from the fuel tank preventing the carburetor from sucking up fuel.......or a clogged fuel filter or the clunk inside the fuel tank could have fallen off and now the fuel line inside the fuel tank is not submerged in the fuel and that is why the engine starts in the bench but not in the plane because you use a DIFFERENT FUEL TANK IN THE BENCH TEST...................................Larry.

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

Sorry to hear of your issues. I have an FG-36, that I haven't started yet. BUT!! I have a buddy who is an engine guy. He keeps all of the stock FG series running, PLUS has converted all of his normal glow Saito's to gas. He might be able to help you. He is an Engineer and engine tinker guy. His name is Andy @ [email protected] Good Luck!

Johnny_Zero

My Feedback: (44)

After fault finding for a month, with the engine in a test-bench, it suddenly fired up, and was the good old Saito I love so much !

I took it out of the test-bench, into the airplane ( a lot of work) and off to the field !

And it refused to start on the field. Back to original situation.




Work backwards....if it runs fine on the bench but doesn't in the plane...that leads me to beleive there is a problem with things in the plane.

fly24-7

I expect that Pete B. from Horizon will follow-up with you. I've met him on a couple of occasions and he's their Saito guy. If anyone at Horizon can help you, he can. They know that word of mouth goes a long way in generating sales. You've bought an expensive engine and I'm sure they'll want to help you get it running reliably.

kwik

Yes, maybe I can get a membrane set. I will be patient. Perhaps ordering a new carburator in any case.
I have had this problem before with an ordinary walbro. Changed the membranes. Voila.

GaryM

My Feedback: (14)

http://wem.walbro.com/distributors/


Maybe I missed something in all of the above post but have you tried asking these guys if they have the rebuild kit or the part?

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

I don't understand why you don't just take the carb to a small-engine repair shop, especially one that does chainsaws. It's not a 'hobbhy shop', as you mistakenly posted after the very first response:
Try that, but it could be the aircraft tank-related, as larrysogla said above. Good luck.

Airplanes400

My Feedback: (349)

Personally, I think you should be feeling like a helical plane wrapped around a vertical substrate.

CARDFAN

My Feedback: (64)

I would urge you to hang in there with Horizon Hobby. They have always been first class with me and, while I haven't addressed a Saito problem with them, they have ALWAYS followed up with other supplier issues I have asked them to review.

MetallicaJunkie

take the carb off, disassemble it, and let us see how the membranes look. im sure saito would not design a carb that did not use membranes and diaphargms from the most trusted/used carb compay...walbro

MetallicaJunkie

.

kwik

Another solution is perhaps to use some energy on testing a standard Walbro carb, instead of this special one they have on the Saito.

Like a friend of mine is testing here; A Zama carb on a Saito FG 30 which just stopped in the air;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCiJL...em-uploademail

Pete Bergstrom

The diaphragm kit for this should be readily available from a local small engine repair parts shop. We (Horizon) will be stocking these soon but currently we do not have these available.

D20-WYJ Gasket/Diaphragm Kit

I hope this helps.

Pete