harleygaz

Hi. I know I've seen somewhere a process for starting with a PS5 but I can't find it now. My O-360 doesn't seem to like to start and I think I jave the procedure wrong. I'm setting throttle, mixture rich, electric pump for abut 15 seconds, mixture full lean, hit the starter pump still on. On Sunday it took about seven attempts of about 10 seconds each on the starter to fire (and as we all know 10 seconds cranking feels like forever!). he had been sitting for two weeks, mixture just aft of middle to protect the diaphragm. Fuel off. She dos turn over slow but has a shower of sparks so cranking speed shouldn't be an issue. She's in for annual right now but I know the compressions are good as they were checked on the pre-purchase inspection in September. So, is my procedure correct? If so any other suggestions? And no, a full injection system is not in the budget yet!

wally

Hi Harley,
for cold start this is what works for me:
Throttle at idle, mixture full rich, elect. pump on until you see fuel pressure for about 5 seconds then off. Just crack the throttle, maybe about 1/8 inch from idle, crank and it should start. After it is running, I can lean it a little after it is running.


Hot starts: good luck! Just takes some practice to find the best combination.


Wally, Pitts S-1 at wolf river.Edited by: wally

Cameron

Realize that when you have the boost pump on, you are dumping raw fuel into the air box, kind of like pumping the gas on a regularcarburetor. I've got a wobble pump on mine and here's what seems to work best, and its basically the same thing that Wally said.


Throttle idle, mixture rich, one pull and push on the wobble pump, crack the throttle a little then turn the key. It should start on the 4th or 5th blade.


For me, hot starts use the exact same procedure. The only exception is if I shut the engine down hot and then start it up a few minutes later. For that, I just crack the throttle, mixture rich, then turn the key. If it sits for more than 5 or 10 minutes or so after a hot shutdown, I just use the cold start procedure. Seems to work fine.

harleygaz

I have a wobble pump too - previous owner had an engine pump failure and wanted to have a third option if the mechanical and electric both died on him. Sounds like my problem is cranking with the mixture at full lean. It probably got resolved and started because I dumped so much fuel into the air filter that the mixture got rich enough to start. I read that the electric just dumped fuel in so I never had that on if I wasn't cranking apart from the initial 15 seconds or so.

Cameron

This only my personal opinion, but I think pumping fuel for 15 seconds is way too much. It should be more like 3-5... or just use the wobble pump to prime.

EAABipe40FF

I had a PS5C/150 0n my PITTS, NO STARTER. Mixture rich, throttle cracked, wobble to get psi on gage(couple strokes), it would usually start on 2nd or 3rd blade. Same hot or cold. Started much easier hot than my buddys injected S1S.

15 sec seems too much. IMO you should have fuel psi gage. Wobble or hit pump until you get 15 psi and then start.......

I'm surprised you got it started full lean w/o catching fire [img]smileys/smiley18.gif[/img] Edited by: EAABipe40FF

harleygaz

Hi. Thanks for the advice. I'll go with a cple of pumps on the wobble to get pressure - I have a a gauge and low pressure light -then full rich and crank. I'll use the electric for T/O, landing and aeros.

Cameron

Go to full rich before you use the boost pump. If the mixture is at idle cutoff, there's no place for the fuel to go. Also, you should store the airplane with the mixture control NOT in the idle cutoff position.

harleygaz

Hi. I was "priming" using the boost pump at full rich and then coming back to full lean to crank. Go to full rich as soon as it fires. Same process as for a regular fuel injected engine.I did read about leaving the mixture forward of idle cut off and also either an article or blog that said not to leave it full rich either so now it sits just aft of the middle position when the plane is not running.

Cameron

You can do that, it just doesn't seem to work as well..... at least for me. I tried that several times at first as well. In my limited experience, a pressure carbed engine starts alot easier than a fuel injected one. Give the mixture full rich, crack throttle, one complete cycle of the wobble pump, turn the key procedure a try. It works for me every time..... very consistent starts, hot or cold.

harleygaz

Hi. OK, that sounds good to me. It's in for annual right now so it'll be next weekend before I get to fly again but I'll see how that works out.

jgnunn

Harleygaz...u seem to be clicking the Report this post button....this sends a complaint email to our moderators.....

harleygaz

Hi. Sorry, I think I did that on one one post. Didn't read the button properly. Are the rest OK? BTW why the Union Flag? Are you ex-pat Brit?

jgnunn

Yeah, from the UK, been here 11 years,..

harleygaz

Me too, been in MS since June '08. Used to live in Kent.

Dave Baxter

After owning and flying a PS-5C equipped Starduster for over 20 yrs and 2200 plus hrs. This is my starting procedure. Boost pump on, throttle cracked mixture at idle cut off. Prime engine with engine plunger type primer 4 to 6 strokes depending how cold it is and after setting over night. Second blade almost every time, followed by mixture to full rich! It is very easy to over prime. Hot starts no prime throttle cracked mixture to idle cut off when engine starts mixture to full rich!

Don't have an engine primer? you might think about getting one plunger type, that primes three of the four cylinders. An old B-25 pilot told me that with pressure carburetors they needed to be started with prime only and after start up mixture to full rich! If not they were catching fire sons a bitches!

The B-25 though had gigantic Pressure carburetors! This has worked well for me. Shower of sparks should not be a problem mine is impulse coupling on left mag. Spark plug gap can be a problem if worn and gaped to wide. Is your PS-5C in good shape, does it idle okay, does your exhaust look gray or black what kind of fuel pressure do you have? Just my thoughts. Dave

cwilliamrose

I don't have experience with primer-equipped airplanes but I don't think the primer is necessary with a PS5. Hot or cold, the procedure described above (rich, cracked, one stroke of wobble) worked 99% of the time for me. The 1% is that in between time when hasn't sat long after being shut down. For that I just used full rich and cracked the throttle without pumping -- worse case was it didn't start right away and needed some wobble pump. I did not fly in the winter so seriously cold starts are an unknown for me.