IO-540 starting technique

[Green Hornet]

Chuck,

Is this the same device you used?

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/e ... kstart.php

[Green Hornet]

Lowflybye,
This winter I encountered a hot start issue using your "Normal start procedure" This worked every time for me until recently as a hot start. My normal does not have mixture at full off. It also works every time. I recalled this discussion and gave your Hot start a try. Works like a charm. There is nothing that bothers me more than going some place and worrying about being stuck there for hours.
Thanks for illiminating this annoyance.
Blue Skies
Bill

[Norm]

For Hot Starts or flooded engine

- Mixture off
- Throttle Full
- Boost Pump ON for 30-60 seconds (this will purge the fuel system)
- Continue on to Normal Startup procedures

Normal Starts...this will not allow the engine to flood

- Mixture Full
- Throttle 1/2 inch
- Boost pump ON until positive fuel pressure is achieved (about 5-8 seconds)
- Boost Pump OFF
- Mixture OFF
- START
- Advance Mixture to Full on first "fire" of a piston

I agree with this procedure as it works well for me. But can you just imagine a 16 year old girl in Driver's Ed class trying to get this all straight if that's what we had to do to get our cars started? (Sorry, I'm just poking fun at our silly aircraft engines.) But, hey, we'd probably have fewer cars on the road and fewer accidents.

[Green Hornet]

Less than <1% of the world pop. are pilots. Less than 1/2 are active. I remind myself of this because I fly in class Bravo, Charlie, & Delta most of the time. Very busy airspace
So lets thank our lucky stars that not everyone can qualify to be a pilot & there is Class Echo. Can I get an AMEN

[Wayne]

AMEN

[Norm]

I just bought my IO 540 Maule last Fall and was at the very remote Fish Lake, ID, and had a hot / flooded start. The battery was starting to head off into the western sunset before I got the combination correct.

After being out of aviation for 15 years I was rusty on my hot / flooded starts with FI. Needless to say, my advice to anyone with FI is to get sharp on those start procedures before you go out into the backcountry strips (Fish Lake is Class Z).

[Lowflybye]

I recalled this discussion and gave your Hot start a try. Works like a charm. There is nothing that bothers me more than going some place and worrying about being stuck there for hours.
Thanks for illiminating this annoyance.
Blue Skies
Bill

Glad it worked for you...nothing like trying to wake up a cranky engine when you are away from home.

I have walked out to the flight line on many occasions where I have seen fuel pouring out of the exhaust stack and steam coming out of the ears of a frusteragted owner attempting to start a hot engine. You should see the look on their faces when I tell them this procedure...even better when the engine comes to life so quickly when they try it.