---------------------------------------------------------- LycomingEngines-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Thu 05/29/08: 1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 07:45 PM - Embarassing Confession -- I Can't Start My Engine (r falstad) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 07:45:48 PM PST US From: "r falstad" Subject: LycomingEngines-List: Embarassing Confession -- I Can't Start My Engine Folks, I have about ten hours of my Phase I flying on a GlaStar with an O-360-A1A. The engine has new rings and exhaust valves so I've been running it hard and full rich. The engine has become increasingly difficult to start and I want to make sure it isn't my technique before I start pulling plugs, etc. I haven't flown in the ten years it took me to build the airplane and my total time in that time (not including the ten hours in the GlaStar) has been about 14 hours of recent recurrency training in other people's airplanes. I've used the normal start (full rich and throttle cracked about 1/4" inch) but it doesn't want to fire. I've also used (sparingly) primer for a couple of seconds (my primer is electric to cylinders 3 & 4). The problem is worse when the engine is hot (and it's already hot outside here in central Texas -- 85 to 95 degrees). I've also used the flooded engine start (mixture at idle cut-off and throttle full forward) when the engine wouldn't start with the normal technique. At least this was the technique I used years ago in an injected Mooney for hot starts. How can I tell if it's not getting enough fuel, too much fuel, or if my plugs have fouled because of a too rich mixture? I have been leaning the engine when taxiing. Best regards, Bob ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message lycomingengines-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/LycomingEngines-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/lycomingengines-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/lycomingengines-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.