P.A.W. 100 Starting Procedure

Ok. Gave it its first try this evening. Mixed up 1/3 kerosene, 1/3 Sig castor oil, 1/3 starting fluid. I used a syringe and put a few drops in the venturi, and a drop or two on the piston. Quite a few flicks later, it ran its prime. So I repeated the procedure again. Ran fine again after a few flicks. Then it had no compression. So I tried tightening the bolt on the head a bit and to my surprise, it moved. Did this a few times with success. Then I mixed up another small batch of fuel. This time all I was able to get was a very rough type of run, if you could call it that. It was slow enough I would have been comfortable using my gloved hand to stop the prop. I was not able to get a steady type of run as I did earlier. Would this be due to not enough starting fluid/ether? Any help would again be greatly appreciated.

Forgot to mention that I do not have a fuel tank for this fuel, so I have to run it by prime only until I can find a tank somewhere around here. Or find the time to make something. This is why I am only able to use a syringe and run it off of prime. If I get it running, which should I adjust first, the needle valve, or the head bolt? Thanks again.

Sounds like it's over compressed now. Not good as may bend the conrod. or even break the crank pin off the shaft.

Get a tank and set up as suggested, move the comp. lever back, fuel up, prime then flick and the contra piston will go back to where it was.

Use another syringe with the plunger removed as a open top fuel tank. Free flight like this arrangement since the fuel level is directly visible, and graduated. Works good on a test stand too.

Phil

Ok Phil. I have a question then for you. I had tried that earlier, but it seemed that the syringe was steady flowing, very slowly, but it was moving, so I went back to the 'prime' and fire routine. Is there possibly something I did wrong? I have a skewer standing up a couple inches away from the fuel nipple, tied it up in place then filled. Thank you again.

NEW222 wrote:  ...So I tried tightening the bolt on the head a bit and to my surprise, it moved.  Did this a few times with success.  Then I mixed up another small batch of fuel.  This time all I was able to get was a very rough type of run, if you could call it that.  It was slow enough I would have been comfortable using my gloved hand to stop the prop.  I was not able to get a steady type of run as I did earlier.  Would this be due to not enough starting fluid/ether?  Any help would again be greatly appreciated.  

 
Are you referring to the compression screw as "bolt on the head"? Sometimes if you start it WAY over-compressed it will fire, then fire again as it comes up on compression so that it literally flip-flops back and forth without making a complete revolution. If this happens, usually you can lower compression while it is firing and it will start running in one direction.

If you can get commercial fuel I would suggest doing so. Learning to start and run primes before using a tank is a good decision. This provides you with starting compression and running settings. For initial needle settings if you do not have instructions, start with the needle closed. Open a turn and try choking. Open another turn and choke again. When it pulls fuel into the carb or venturi use that for a starting position and be ready to adjust.

The most important advice I can provide is to seek help. Someone helping and showing you makes things much easier and shortens the learning curve.

Good luck.

George

The fuel in the open syringe is going to seek level, so the fluid level and the needle need to be at the same height.  This is different from setting the pickup at the height of the intake since the installed system is movable, and this is not, sinc eit is on a test stand.  

Just rubber band the syringe to a support so you can push it up or down.  Until you can start consistently on prime don't worry about more fuel.

Phil