DA-100 hard starting...?

[HuckinChikn]

Hey guys! i need a little help here... I have a new DA-100(old style) that
i've put almost 4 gallons through. (36:1 lawnboy assless for breakin, around
80:1 amsoil now) Every DA that i've seen or heard of, usually pops with the
choke on the 3rd or 4th flip, and fires with the choke off on the 3rd or 4th
flip. Not so much with mine...With the choke on, all is well. she pops usually
on the 3rd flip. Pull the choke off, and sometimes it will take 7 to 10 flips
to get it to start! The real kicker is this: The needles are set at the factory
settings, and when it does finally fire up, it runs like a freakin CHAMP!
Perfect idle, perfect midrange, and perfect high end. Shows no signs at all
of being too rich or too lean on either the low or the high end.
Any ideas? Its really not a huge issue to me, mainly because of how awesome
it runs when it fires up. the reason for my query is the result of a comment
that my buddy said to me at the field the other day....
After about the 6th flip with the choke off, he procceded to say this:
"Hey dude, when did you get the 3W?" ooooooooh......
HELP ME!!! hehe

[japan3d]

My DA100 requires the following procedure to start, and it always fires on the first flip after turning on the ignition. Throttle full, Choke on, 10 flips, Choke off, 5 flips, Throttle idle, Ignition on, 1 flip Go flying.

[Rush7]

Is the starting procedure the same once the engine is warm?
Sound like you might need to advance the throttle just a little more when starting. My DA 100 is like clock work. 3 or 4 flips on choke and then it pops. 4 or 5 with choke off and she is running.

[HuckinChikn]

yeah its about the same whether is warm or cold.
I'm still fairly new to big gas engines, so answer me this...
when the choke is on, and i flip the 3 till the pop, do i need to be at full throttle
with the choke on?
and after i pull the choke off, where should the throttle stick be for the final
flips until it starts? Should I be at idle? 1/4 throttle? 1/3 throttle?
I'm always nervous about the engine fireing up at a high throttle setting

[Flatlandman]

I put my 100 at high idle to choke and to start.

I changed up my start up procedure a little i turn on then choke grab spiner and spin back and forth 4 or 5 time then I un choke and start it so thats only one flip to start for first one of the day and hot start is no choke one flip start.

[dbcaster]

As was said, you should be at a high idle with the choke on. Your starting does not sound unusual. I have a new style but it is pretty much the same. Mine is always, 3-4 flips with the choke and starts on the 6th or 7th flip with the choke off.

[HuckinChikn]

thanks guys, thats good to know! I thought I had missed something.
I'm going flying on thursday, and before i start flipping, i'll bring the idle
up a little and see how that goes.
Thanks!

[Fast Fly]

After you have choked it and got a "Pop" on "High" idle, have your Throttle stick about 1/4 inch or less up from the down position. Always works for me!

[bodywerks]

	Quote:
	when the choke is on, and i flip the 3 till the pop, do i need to be at full throttle with the choke on?

this is useful on a new engine to pull fuel for the first time, but not necessary on an engine that has been in service already.
you may want to take a look at your spark plugs - now that you have recently switched to a synthetic oil, it is possible that it is breaking down the ashless deposits and could be fouling the plug.

[HuckinChikn]

cool thanks! I'll check the plugs tonight. When I fly on thursday i'll try bringing
up the idle a little while i'm flipping. That probably all that it is...I've always just
kept the stick all the way down when flipping.
Thanks again guys for the comments!

[Mithrandir]

If the starting procedure continues to become more and more difficult... consider the ignition sensor.

[Hoosier06]

Yours starts just about like mine. I have a friend that with hand on spinner rocks his prop back and forth 6-7 times with choke on, ignition off. Then he turns on ignition and it fires in one or two flips. Never tired it myself but will next time out if I remember to do it.

[Mithrandir]

rocking the prop back and forth creates the crank case pressure pulses that activate the diaphragm in the carb...

[dmcquinn]

Jared - the following is NOT likely your problem as your engine is so new. However, tuck this away for future reference.

My DA-100 was like everyone else's when new. Three or four flips with choke on and then pop. Then 3 or 4 more flips with choke off to start. But it became harder and harder to start after 18 months of use. Finally I could not get it to start at all. It has about 50 hours run time. I changed spark plugs, no help. I swapped ignitions. No help. I swapped carburetors - no help. Then I pulled the cylinders off and was surprised to see how much carbon had built up in the combustion chamber. The rings were stuck in the piston grooves. I broke both rings removing them. Ordered two new rings from DA ($4 each), cleaned up the carbon on top of the pistons and inside the cylinders. Now it starts like new again. I have been using Bel-Ray H1R synthetic racing oil mixed at 50-1. I have an in-flight (Eagletree) Telemetry system that measures temperatures at the cylinder fin nearest the sparkplug and generally run about 200F - 250 F, although I have hit 300 F in the summer when doing full throttle tumbles. Here's a graph of a typical flight.

I have heard that the following can cause carbon buildup:
1) too little oil
2) too much oil
3) wrong brand of oil
4) too hot running temperatures / poor baffling
5) too cold running temperature
6) too lean needle valve setting
7) too rich needle valve setting

[HuckinChikn]

Great info Dave, thanks! That EagleTree system is awesome!