starting tee dee trouble

thanks.I will give that a shot.

When working with a TD forget everything you know about a reed valve. There are many ways to start a TD and the methods mentioned already are sound. Keep in mind they flood very quickly. Get in tune with the way a flooded engine sounds as opposed to a starved engine.

It's better to start on the lean side and richen than the other way around. Once you develop a pattern for your particular engine they start as easy as a Babe Bee.

It also helps to use the shortest possible fuel line, and raise your tank so its internal pickup is even or very slightly higher than the NV. If it's higher, clamp the line so it doesn't gravity siphon and flood the engine. Then start it on an exhaust port prime plus 1 drop in the venturi. Quickly unclamp the line while it's still running on the prime. If you accidentally flood it, keep flipping with the line clamped until the flood is totally burned off, and start over again. Once you find your needle setting it will be the easiest engine you ever cranked.

Also take a 1/8" drill bit and see if it will pass through the venturi. A stock venturi will be too small for it to pass. If it does pass through, then it's been bored out for a pressure feed. Depending on the bore width, it may still work on suction, but will be harder to start. If that turns out to be a problem, it will crank with the raised tank, and we'll address that problem later, before you're ready to fly.

Once you get it going, you'll wonder why it was so hard. I did.You'll fall in love with it. They work. You don't even ever have to test crank them before you leave the shop to go fly. They always start provided you spray out all the NVA orifices after every use. Once you find the needle setting, leave it. You'll only ever need to adjust slightly for changes in fuel, weather and altitude. It'll crank right up every time you fly.

And once you go TD, you'll never go back!
Good luck
Rusty

I see Ron and the Nut answered while I was writing. So, yeah... what they said.
Rusty

I could not agree more. If you keep your TD clean you will not touch the NV anymore once you have found the right setting. You may want to pull a short silicone fuel line over the NV threads of a used TD to prevent occassional air ingress along the threads. Other than that should not be required to flip start it providing compression is OK and the plastic NV body is tight. Please check the radial play of the crank in the case.Elongated use by previous owners of unbalanced props may result in excessive radial play leading to reduced fuel draw capabilities that also hinders starting.

Wow. alot of good info. thanks guys

Sure thing, Gardner. Please let us know how it goes.
Rusty

taking the advice from all of you, I finally got one started.(flip started it)Holy cow does this little fella scream. Thanks for all the help

Good Deal ! What prop /fuel you using ?? That's what I thought the first time I ran one accept in another language

Great to hear you got it started, all the tips mentioned are spot on so I won't say more however I'm gonna include a little video of my TD .051 starting flooded so you can hear what it sounds like. You probably have already heard it but it's a nice run anyway and you get to watch it eat the fuel lol. (yup I about drowned the little guy) enjoy! (Bandit)

actually I said it in another language too, Just maid it PG for this forum ,Ha ha.......... Bandit...that was how mine sounded too.I never did lean it out to much and it was still screaming.Thanks againg for everbodys help

Oh yeah, I was using a 5.5/3 prop with wildcat 30% nitro and 14% synthetc/castor blend

I also got a .020 tee dee runing,It was actually easer to start then the .049 tee dee.In all got seven of my swap meet find engines cleaned up new parts and running this weekend .....SAW WHEAT.....