What are the things to be careful about (if any) if an engine is being started after a long (like a year or more) break ?

And this is primarily for glow, but similar information for gas engines would also be of interest.

Kool..This would really help me..

In btwn anwar i believe u have a YAK 54 Pro 3D from rcdhamaka..I saw your flying skills video on rcdhamaka  .. Superb..

cheers

atul g.

I guess you are referring to this :

http://www.rcindia.org/gas-glow-nitro-planes/yak-54-profile-3d/

I am a heli guy, that is what I like most, and what I spend pretty much all my time on.  Airplane work is mostly to help others with setup issues, and some times for personal fun by quickly getting flights in small areas using foamies.  The RC Dhamaka YAK 54 is my only big plane and my only nitro plane.  All other planes I have are foamies (and one or two balsa electrics).  And I have no intention of getting any more nitro planes.  My brother has some, so if I wanted to play with one, I have the option of borrowing from him.

Still have lots of way to go, since I have not started practicing moves on the airplanes step by step (unlike helis, where I have spent significant time picking one maneuver at a time and sort of trying to execute it well in the field).

It is important for anyone to make gradual progression in flying skills, but first trying specific moves (hovering, blender, waterfall, cuban eight, etc etc) on the sim first, and then in the field.  This keeps the mind fresh, and keeps the hobby from becoming boring over time ! 

Going off topic again...   Since I never had to start an engine that was left idle for a really long time, I don't know the usual tricks employed (and never had to research it for others).  I imagine that worst case you open the engine up and clean it.

Well practically nothing if you have cared for your engine well! If you have preserved it in non corrosive oil film,it would be just drain out the oil, fill her up light the plug and flip/whirr the engine and off you go with a little bit of tweaking the needle to ensure it runs consistently.
I just did this on a Magnum 52 FS which was lying unused since last 5-6 years after being run in on castor based fuel but was oiled well and every 5-6 months was routinely oiled again toensure that there was no corrosion or parts stuck. After few minutes of spewing out all the preservatives it is now running as usual but now on synth only as I have realised the benifits of synth on a 4T first hand.

If it was not cared for it would be a different story altogether. You need to free up all the gummed parts, ensure that bearings and other parts are corrosion free and suitable for work. if required open it up inspect lube and reassemble and if all is well go fly. In diesel engines except for gumming you do not see much of problem of corrosion due to kerosene use which is an excellent rust inhibitor   

Hi Guys,

I have a SuperTigre GS-40 Dual BB Ringed w/Silent Muffler, this engine was lying idle for a year..

Any suggestions for me before i start her up ?

Your comments would really help me...

thanks guys

atul g.

Started a different thread on care of nitro engines (after-run oil etc).

http://www.rcindia.org/fuel-and-engines/routine-care-for-nitro-and-gas-engines/

Quote from: anwar on September 06, 2009, 11:22:33 PM
What are the things to be careful about (if any) if an engine is being started after a long (like a year or more) break ?

And this is primarily for glow, but similar information for gas engines would also be of interest.

Open the glow plug, drop some synthetic oil in, crank it up a few times and make sure the lubricant coats everything. Then pump normal meth fuel mix that you use and start it up. check the glo plug before. if you have been using dirty castor when you stored it, make sure you clean as deep as possible with pure methanol as you can .

Never leave your engine unrun after cleaning it with Meth. You need to immediately run up and then lube it up. If you are not convinced try doing a little experiment with an old engine and leave it for a few weeks after washing with copious amount of meth and then post your results here for all to see

Quote from: flyingboxcar on September 07, 2009, 05:29:35 PM

I just did this on a Magnum 52 FS which was lying unused since last 5-6 years after being run in on castor based fuel but was oiled well and every 5-6 months was routinely oiled again toensure that there was no corrosion or parts stuck. After few minutes of spewing out all the preservatives it is now running as usual but now on synth only as I have realised the benifits of synth on a 4T first hand.

Capt, do you use synthetic as a lube for 4 strokes ? What are the benefits of using a synth-only lube vs. a synth/castor blend ? 4 stokes run at a higher temperature than 2 stokes, and wouldnt castor be more effective here ?

Gaurav,
I use Klotz Kl 200 (i.e. synth + castor) mix for all 4 T engines. I have never measured the difference but it is there and very appreciable difference in performance all over

Ok. I also use a Klotz Kl 200 mix for all my engines.
I use 10% Klotz, 10% raw castor, and 80% methnol.
Do you use a similar ratio as well ?

Gaurav,
No I do not mix any castor over and above what is already in the Klotz. I just run the engine a bit rich (to be sure). You can try it with klotz alone (mix about 18% Klotz) and run a few clicks rich. You would definitely feel the difference 

Quote from: flyingboxcar on October 14, 2009, 08:50:30 AM
Gaurav,
No I do not mix any castor over and above what is already in the Klotz.

Capt, KL200 does not have any castor blend in it. It is purely synthetic.
KL100 is a Castor + Synth blend.

That is why i mixed castor with KL200 for my fuel. But perhaps, for my 4 strokes, i should be perhaps using KL100, as that would offer benefits of a synthetic, + "clean" castor oil ..  OR mix castor with KL200 ( that is what I am doing now ) .

with KL200, wouldnt it be better to mix some castor ?

I have only 4 stroke engines and have been using the following mixture for years, with very satisfactory results: methanol 80%, nitro 7%, klotz 13%. I suppose I could reduce the synthetic to 10% + 3% castor but have not felt any need.

Isnt 13% a very low amount of oil content in the fuel ? Most companies recommend at least 16-18% fuel in 4 stroke engines .

This is an interesting read :  http://saito-engines.info/fuel.html

My OS46AX engine's carb got stuck.It was not used for around 9months.I tried after loosing the throttle arm,the arm is moving but the carb is not opening.Any solution?

In the past month, I had to go through two cases of reviving 50 size heli engines, one which was unused for 15 months (Trex 600N), and another about 6 months (TT Raptor 50SE).  In both cases, the starter did not even turn the engine.  Since we had limited access to tools and materials, the sequence of events was something like this :

1) Remove glow plug and try to turn the engine. No go.

2) Pour nitro fuel (had 10% nitro in one case, and 30% nitro in the other) through the plug opening direct into the cylinder and, as much as we can, keep the engine tilted in such a way that the poured fuel would settle around the piston (and not flow out into the muffler).  After about 5 minutes, one engine freed up using starter alone.  For the other one, we had to hold the starter shaft using a big set of pliers, and apply some significant amount of force by hand. 

3) One engine worked well with just that.  In the case of the engine that was in storage longer, we still had problems with the carb getting clogged.  Even though piston movement and compression buildup was there, fuel was not being sucked in, even with the exhaust being shut by hand.  Removing the main needle and cleaning it did not help, so we tried the same trick of pouring glow fuel through the carb air intake.  This being a Trex 600N, access to the carb intake was tough, as it sits pretty much covered by a fan shroud.  But we managed to use a fuel pump nozzle to put some fuel there, and again, we let it sit for about 5 minute.  After that, the carb became unclogged, and the engine started working normally. 

Normally, we have things like WD40 or professional engine+carb cleaner sprays at home, but all this was in the field.  The lesson learnt was that nitro fuel itself is a pretty good lubricant/de-clogger !

Where can I get the WD40 locally? Checked in ebay cost rs1600.Does it cost tat much? Any other local brand spray available like that?

Your local hardware store should have WD40. A shop that sells stuff like plumbing GI Pipes etc.. should stock WD40 cans in various sizes

Hi

As WD 40 is mainly available in bigger can sizes, there are also several variants from "Pidilite" which are similar in function as WD40, available at Rs. 80 to 100.

these are pressurized cans and can ease releasing any jammed part.

thanks,
sandeep

Sandeep do you know the exact name of the product? It'll be better to ask by saying the product name.

You get WD 40 in small cans as well. I think should cost around 150 bucks. When i dont intend to use my glow engines for some time then i remove the engine put some after run oil through it. Close it and turn the prop a few times. If you are starting the engine after long time then put some WD 40 through the slot where muffler fits. Flick the prop a few times. You will see the gum of castor etc will come out. Then start the engine after cleaning it with methanol. And Captain was right about not preserving the engine after cleaning it with methanol. Because methanol contains water and that aids in rusting. If you live in a place where humidity is very high(like assam) its advisable that you apply some after run oil to the exterior as well as sometimes that also gets rusted.

While the above is true in general, there are many commercial fuel blends (like the CoolPower, the one we have been using all along), which says directly on the can NOT to put any after-run oil.  It comes with the necessary additives to take care of fairly long term storage.

Will the Zorrik88 in my case?