DA 150 is a "shaker"

[flyktmd]

Bought a nib DA150 for my Hangar 9 46%Ultimate ARF engine runs great at high end but shakes excessively at idle and low throttle settings. carb setting is not rich , prop is balanced, I'm afraid the DA is going to rattle the ARF's glue joints loose! Some of the guys have told me DAs tend to be shaky others say it may be a factory defect My prior experience with big twins have been Zenoah and 3W both of which were smoooth running engines..............Any of you guys have suggestions/thoughts on this problem.............................thanks

[flyin woodbutcher]

I have a suggestion, I have a 3W 150 just back with a clean bill of health. want to trade, I'll even throw in the K&S cannisters . There in a 36% Ultimate now.

FWB

[dick hanson]

Nope not a shakeyjake engine - in fact a smooth engine -- seen to many of em -- run em- did a mag review on one -- Unless you have a loose mounting setup the engine should be glass smoth right down to 1000rpm on even a wood 30x10 prop

[TheTank]

Did you buy the engine new from DA? Or NIB from someone on the internet? Just asking because if it was a private sale,it could have been dropped and the crank may have a little run out. Mine runs nice and smooth. Another thing you might want to try is leaning the low end a little bit, I know you said the low end isnt rich, but have you leaned it down to the point where the RPMs no longer increase at an idle setting using a tach? Most of the time when there is a shaky engine, it could just use a little tweaking on the needles, or the crank is bent-which it wont come that way from the factory, the check every single crank for the proper run-out prior to assembling the engine.

[DKnippen]

If the Idle is too rich it will shake on the low end. Try leaning the low end 1/16 at a time and see what happens. You may hay to richen the top end a tad as well. I had the same thing a few years ago.

[Shawn Berkheimer]

Were the wings on the airplane? I ask this just in case this was just a test run of the engine without the wings. Have you also checked every glue joint on the motor box? If those things check out you will want to send it in to DA. The other option is to send it to Sala. If it does have a bad crank Sala can repair that as well but if you opt for the mods he does it will run even smoother than the stock engine would without issues.


Shawn

[adrian]

smooth is the word - come-on DA 150's have been around way to long to now have a shake problem. i have had one in my ultimate for more than two years and all is good - maybe youre a little rich on the bottom end - check it out - and those factory balanced props dont trust them, check them!!

[3Dkid330]

I agree with Shawn; I have done static runs with the wings on and off on a few of my airplanes (one with a DA), and the wings seem to dampen out the vibration. (engine seems very smooth) With them off, however, the entire airplane shakes to the point that you think it will begin breaking glue joints and shaking out bolts. (After a few minutes of running with the wings off it does start to)

If that's not the case, I agree with everyone on checking the low end settings and then the crank if that doesn't work.

Hope you get it resolved soon!

Brandon

[hillmanr2]

I am by no means even close to an expert but, me and my buddy where at the feild having no end of problems with a BME 100 twin. It was god aweful at low rpm when it had been smooth as silk. We took the cowel off and one of the ground wires was loose. Check plug caps, ground wires, and the plug gap.

[Shawn Berkheimer]

There are no ground wires on a DA ignition, the issue you had was with a rather old CH ignition.


Shawn

[GremlinX]

Did you balance the spinner... I have practically had to add weight to a spinner to get it to balance... Then, I bought a Tru Turn and it was perfect out of the box. Check the spinner. Recheck the prop and the prop hub...

[shannah]

I'm suffering from the severe DA150 engine shakes as well. My plane vibrates like mad at low throttle. I'm not sure what the heck is going on. I've swapped props and spinners with my other plane which has no vibe, leaned out the low end to the point were it almost cuts out, and still get severe vibe. I've put the engine in my other plane and it seems OK. So, next step is to change out the ignition, battery, kill switch etc. I'll take the entire power setup from my other plane and drop it in this one. I've broken aileron horns and wheel axles in flight due to vibration. Hopefully my complete powerplant transplant will solve it. If it does then I'll send the motor and ignition back to DA for a check. If it doesn't solve it then I give up.

[TheTank]

If its fine in the other airplane, it could be something loose in the fuselage, like a loose motor box side.

[shannah]

nope. everything is solid. I suspect the ignition. That's why I am going to swap it out.

[snap a saurus]

The DA 150 has the tendency to shake a little more than usual in the Hanger 9 Ultimate due to the ultra lite construction of the airframe and the design as a bipeplane, had one and it shook more than other planes also the noise from the top wings slapping tend to exaggerate the situation, I don't think there is a problem there.