This is my first canister installation.

Canister is installed on an EF extra 91" with dle-61. I am using synthetic oil mixed at 30:1 ratio (manual recommendation).

I wonder if it is ok to break-in the engine with the canister installed!

I just had one full tank run on the ground on idle. Engine temp was fine as I took it soon after stopping the engine (was roughly 82 degrees Celsius ).

So far, I had only two 8 minutes flights. The second flight was today. The first flight was 3 weeks ago. However, today, I had to try several times starting the engine as it was dying soon after it fired. Then, I had to increase the throttle as soon as I started the engine in order to keep it running, and I noticed a lot of smoke initially coming out of the stinger. Then, the engine was running smoothly with the sweet canister sound.

So, this brought me to the thought that since during break-in, an engine is expected to eject lots of residue and since the canister is much longer than a stock muffler, the residue will have more chance of staying inside the canister. Would this cause a problem.

Do I have to clean the canister after the break-in process?

Is it a usual practice to break-in a gas engine with a canister installed?


Thanks in advance.

Very good question. I have broken in engines also, with a canister, but i use synthetic oil from day one. Sounds like you are too. I do not know what the answer is, would be interesting to know. I do not believe the canister use would have any deleterious effect on the motor, bearings, rings, cylinders, etc....

your question if it will accumulate oil residue/carbon is a real good one!

Maybe someone knows the answer. Seems to me that it would not be any different than once your are broken in.

Will you be changing the oil ratio once it is broken in?

Originally Posted by orthobird

Very good question. I have broken in engines also, with a canister, but i use synthetic oil from day one. Sounds like you are too. I do not know what the answer is, would be interesting to know. I do not believe the canister use would have any deleterious effect on the motor, bearings, rings, cylinders, etc....

your question if it will accumulate oil residue/carbon is a real good one!

Maybe someone knows the answer. Seems to me that it would not be any different than once your are broken in.

Will you be changing the oil ratio once it is broken in?

Thanks for the feedback.

No, I will not be changing the oil ratio after break-in since this is what is recommended in the manual unless there is an obvious reason to do so. But, it might be true that an oil ratio depends on the type of oil more than what the engine manual says. For example, it is common to see a 40:1 ratio for redline oil on different types of engines including DLE engines. I used to run 40:1 with redline oil on a dle-111 for 4 seasons with great success. Since I ran out of redline which we don't have here locally, I started using Mobile 1. But, for Mobile 1, I decided to use the manual recommended 30:1 ratio, just to be on the safe side.

I would like to know this also. Good question.

If you have ever seen a cut away of a typical canister there really aren't too many small passages where carbon and oil residue can collect to a point of restricting performance. Especially considering the short time of a typical 'break in' regardless of *rich* needle settings or a slightly higher oil to gas ratio for that break-in or thereafter. But I have never run any one canister more than five years.

Here's a typical canister cut away. Pic courtesy of 'PlaneKrazee' @ RCU



I recently had a canister break at the header pipe and instead of trying to get it welded opted for a nice new KS unit. I have since thrown it out but before I did I ripped the broken can open for curiosity's sake. The canister was five years old and had always been run on Red Line 40:1. It was surprisingly clean. Certainly cleaner than the exhaust port/header flange area with regard to carbon build up.

Running organic Dino oil, even for break in, may yield a different situation. Dunno. I will also attest that other makes of synthetics like Amsoil Saber can leave a lot of unwanted carbon in ratios less than 100 or 80:1 for which the oil is advertised and rated.

Consider too, my new KS canister has a factory 'smoke tap' on the front face of the can next to the front dump. Smoke oil residue on a gasser is almost as sloppy as the exhaust of a nitro engine, and no performance drop due to oily residue in the can would be expected running a smoke system.