Engine starting tips

Kestrel452

Kestrel452

Well-Known Member
[YT]3u3lyKnPxMM[/YT]

I can relate to this guy who cant start his plane. I've had days like that and it makes me want to gouge my eyes out in frustration. it's like she doesn't even want to start for me... :(

Any tips for how to start a plane that doesn't seem like it wants to be?
 
It seems like the plane I fly wont actually turn over until i release the starter. It will just keep on trying to start until i finally give up and let go of the key, then it cranks over as soon as i do that. what does this mean?
 
Tip to saving starters:

If you don't fire the engine up on the first try, purposely flood the engine and go to the flooded start procedure so you at least know where the engine is at.
 
When you are starting up the Cherokee airplanes they can be moody, but if you know what you are doing they will fire everytime.

Have everything on and ready when you clear prop with your key in the ignition. Dependant on temperture is how many times to prime (<30F = 5 shots, 30-40 = 4 shots, 40-50 = 3 shots, etc.)

After you prime the engine, pump the throttle forward and aft 1 time, then raise the throttle 1/4 inch.

If while you are cranking the engine does not start, continue cranking and close down the throttle to "readjust" the air/fuel mixture. Not the same as the actual mixture control handle, but you can understand.

Release the starter when the engine fires, adjust for 1,000 rpm and check oil pressure.
 
This is the proper way to start an airplane. Anything less than this is not masculine.

[YT]WkPFRpbSU9o[/YT]
 
Rudabega said:
I know I am not the only one that was waiting for the engine to die after he got it started.
Click to expand...

Me too. That turned out to be super boring. I finished watching it, and thought to myself, "Why the heck did somebody bother to upload this to YouTube??"


Anyway, back to the original question of tips for starting...get the engine properly tuned up by a good mechanic.

I'm not sure what a mechanic does that magically makes a plane's engine easier to start, but I've seen noticeable differences in the "before" and "after" starting qualities of an engine that's undergone maintenance.

In my 140, when I first bought it, it would always fire within one or two turns of the prop. Over time, it started taking more and more turns to start. Nothing terrible, but definitely longer, like 6 or 8 turns rather than 1 or 2. I didn't think much of it...just figured that's what planes do when they get older.

When I took it in for its annual inspection, the shop tweaked something with the magneto timing. The mechanic said something about little plastic pieces within the magneto wearing down over time. I still don't understand exactly what he was talking about, but now I'm back to my engine firing within a couple turns.

This shop has a reputation for being more meticulous than any other shop in the area, and I've seen similar changes with other aircraft they've worked on. So I don't know if sometimes mechanics get lazy and don't tweak everything they could, or don't have the expertise to diagnose minor issues like mine, or what, but I know a talented mechanic can make all the difference.
 
jrh said:
Me too. That turned out to be super boring. I finished watching it, and thought to myself, "Why the heck did somebody bother to upload this to YouTube??"


Anyway, back to the original question of tips for starting...get the engine properly tuned up by a good mechanic.

I'm not sure what a mechanic does that magically makes a plane's engine easier to start, but I've seen noticeable differences in the "before" and "after" starting qualities of an engine that's undergone maintenance.

In my 140, when I first bought it, it would always fire within one or two turns of the prop. Over time, it started taking more and more turns to start. Nothing terrible, but definitely longer, like 6 or 8 turns rather than 1 or 2. I didn't think much of it...just figured that's what planes do when they get older.

When I took it in for its annual inspection, the shop tweaked something with the magneto timing. The mechanic said something about little plastic pieces within the magneto wearing down over time. I still don't understand exactly what he was talking about, but now I'm back to my engine firing within a couple turns.

This shop has a reputation for being more meticulous than any other shop in the area, and I've seen similar changes with other aircraft they've worked on. So I don't know if sometimes mechanics get lazy and don't tweak everything they could, or don't have the expertise to diagnose minor issues like mine, or what, but I know a talented mechanic can make all the difference.
Click to expand...
Internal timing of the magneto. When properly set, you get the hottest possible spark.

It's really not a hard thing to do, it just requires reading the instructions and having some special tools. Consequently, many shops don't do it.
 
Roger said:
Internal timing of the magneto. When properly set, you get the hottest possible spark.

It's really not a hard thing to do, it just requires reading the instructions and having some special tools. Consequently, many shops don't do it.
Click to expand...

Good to know.

That just turned in to Reason #367 for why I take my plane to the shop with a reputation for detail, even if they are the most expensive. A lot of pilots rag on this particular shop for being overpriced, but it's usually the same pilots who take their plane to the lowest bidder no matter what they want done. Then they end up sitting on the ground with a maintenance issue while I'm happily taxiing out with my plane purring along, better than ever.
 
WacoFan said:
This is the proper way to start an airplane. Anything less than this is not masculine.

[YT]WkPFRpbSU9o[/YT]
Click to expand...

That video make me really want to fly a plane with an open air cockpit. But not one where you can't restart the engine while airborne :P
 
Kestrel452 said:
It seems like the plane I fly wont actually turn over until i release the starter. It will just keep on trying to start until i finally give up and let go of the key, then it cranks over as soon as i do that. what does this mean?
Click to expand...

Any ideas?
 
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