SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

[dedrekon]

OK! After a little "customizing", I finally got the stainless exhaust on 43457. I even got my funky home-made looking heat shroud back on and everything is working fine....it sounds great too.

Now I have a new problem.......after 15 years of starting on the 1st pull, it's suddenly taking a LOT of work to get it running. I pulled and pulled for about 30 minutes to get it going...tried all the usual tricks and nothing worked, then it finally started. I flew it around the pattern, shut down and checked all the connections that had been reassembled during the exhaust install and went through the same thing again trying to restart it. I did finally get it going, but this is a frustrating situation. Once started, it runs great. It will idle steadily at 500 RPM, it runs perfect on both mags, and it's turning about 2300 RPM flat out in the air. Suggestions???

Another question, I want to replace the nuts on the prop. I have the self locking style on a McCauley 7445...I believe they're 3/8" bolts. Anybody have a part number or know where to pick these up?

Here's a few pics....one of Wonderboy (43457's nickname) and Mike the Stinson, plus my brother's '57 Mercedes Ponton in the background. One of the SS exhaust (sounds german) and one of Wonderboy idling outside my hangar.
46TC turned 60 yesterday!

Vincent

[Carl Ellis]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

Love the digital smear of the idling prop in the last photo!

[jdoran]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

I know from 2 cycle engine experience that the exhaust and intake play important roles in getting the air/fuel mixture right-especially when starting. Since you changed the exhaust recently, I'd do some experiments on the intake. Try temporarily removing the air cleaner element to see if that makes any difference. If it does, you can fine tune it by experimenting with the element IE, paper versus foam, how much oil in the foam, etc.

Since you feel everything else seems right (ignition, fuel, etc) it might help.

John

[Howard Wilson]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

Vincent, Did you loosen the mags while working on the exhaust syst.?

[fearofpavement]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

Did the engine pop or make any start attempts before it finally ran or did it just eventually go?

Since the idle is smooth and slow it doesn't sound like an intake leak, so my guess is that either the timing is retarded too much (if you didn't have the mags loose not likely) the impulse coupler(s) aren't working properly (obviously not a factor if you don't have them) or my strongest suspicion is that you are not getting enough fuel or too much. A change in back pressure may cause this but at starting compressions doesn't seem likely. Anyway, what I would try the next time you go to crank it is give it a shot of starting fluid (ether) in the air cleaner and see what happens.

When the engine started, did it seem flooded at all?

[dedrekon]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

We didn't touch the mags...I believe one of them has an impulse coupler. It did pop a couple of times (out of probably 30 pulls) and kick back like maybe it was flooded, but most of the time nothing. Just a spin with no results.
My standard procedure until now has been (cold start) to give it 2-3 shots on the primer, pull it through with the mags off 4-5 times, flip on the mags and presto...it starts.

Those photos were taken with my phone camera....they sure have gotten a lot more sophisticated!


V

[Howard Wilson]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

intermittant (sp) mag switch?

[Armstrong]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

When you pulled off the exhast you let the magic out.
This is a common problem and explains why some repairs can cause problems that are seemingly unrelated to what was fixed.
My T-craft would start great all winter, first pull as long as you primed it enough, but come summer and it was hit or miss.( you could pull for an hour and not get a pop) I missed alot of morning fly- ins.
I finally connected it to the humidity. I brought my Monokote heat gun on foggy or high humidity days, opened up the little window on side of my Eismans and blasted in hot dry air, starts right up every time!
Or maybe the heat gun is just injecting the magic back in that I have inadvertantly let out doing some repairs.

[1948TCARTDRIVER]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

These old birds just don't like change. I ran into a similar problem of hard starting after replacing my cylinders. I had no problems for 11 years with my old Bendix SF series magnetos. It always started right off after a few shots of prime. After I installed new millenium cylinders I had hard starting problems, or sometimes when it was hot it wouldn't start at all. When it ran it ran normally with normal mag drops . I suspected that the new cylinders were running at higher compression ( that's why I replaced the old ones) and that the old mags just didn't have the spark at low starting rpms. Anyway I installed slick magnetos with new plugs and harness and the problem went away. I now have two impulse couplings rather than none and starting hot or cold is just not a problem.

[Pearson]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

I know you said it didn't seem like an intake leak problem, but since it is relatively easy to check all the clamps on the intake tubes I would do that just to eliminate it as a possibility.

[dedrekon]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

Success!!
After checking every connection, checking tightness on intake tubes and everything else with no joy, I decided to move the prop one "notch" to the left, because (even though I marked and replaced it in the same position) I didn't think we were getting the PULL through on the right stroke.
It worked! Wonderboy is now starting on the 1st or 2nd pull every time. Keep that in mind if you have a similar issue. I only rotated the position one bolt over and it made a world of difference.
Thanks for all the good advice. Wonderboy has his Mojo back

V

[Len Petterson]

Re: SS Exhaust installed, New Problem

Oh yes, and now the impulse kick in when it suppose to!
# 1 on TDC and and prop on 10 oclock.
Len.