Hey fellow flying addicts!

It dawned on me that there is no write up for a dle55 reed block mod, only one for the dle20 which is not the same engine. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked but I hope this gives you a good idea of how to do the mod.

This was done after about 500 flights and two seasons of flying. This engine ran great before the mod, but now it's my $320 DA-55. I did not change over to bowman rings because I showed no signs of blow-by. I will however put them in a brand new engine and do this mod before even firing the engine for the first time.

Order a new gasket set before doing the mod! Mine were ok and reusable but they are $3.99, not worth the risk IMO. I also sanded the carb smooth. You have to remove the choke plate to do this, just the plate, not the entire arm.

ENJOY! Ask me any questions!


So you have a dle 55? Lets make it run like a DA.



Remove these two bolts. And take note of the orientation of the reed block, and port location that goes to the carb.



Thats a slap of marble I had laying around. 320 wet sand paper on the left and 400 on the right for finishing.



Reed Block Before. Clean them on the outside first, then mark so that you place them back exactly as they were before.



Clean up these edges using a file. Notice they aren't even square.



Mark with a marker. It may look flat but the results will fool you.



Notice the low spot. Keep sanding.


Very light pressure and keep it strait on the edge. Take your time!


This was actually the furthest off. This is what it looks like after. As soon as you begin sanding, you will see the low spots. I took extra care with the 400 grit paper after the low spots were gone.

This video does the mod no justice. The true test and change is in the air. No more blurbling the entire flight. It now runs smooth throughout the power band, and throttle response has been greatly improved. ALSO before anyone brings it up... I lowered the throttle in the video to see how low I could go. This is NOT the engine loading up.

DLE55 Reed Block Mod (0 min 42 sec)

Are the Tortilla chips mandatory or optional?

Mandatory!

Nice work dude, I’m going to make this a stickie!
Thanks so much for sharing.

Thanks! Any questions regarding the mod, just ask. It was very simple to do and went smooth. I want to note that I ordered a Gasket kit before doing the mod.I replaced all gaskets ($3.99 from tower) and additionally sanded the carb smooth.

Nice work and thanks for sharing. Using a sharpie for bluing agent. Brilliant.

Now get inside the Jug and remove the jagged edges.

Thanks for the write up. Sounds real good!

Let's see, new DLE 55 - check, Bowman rings - check, new gaskets just in case - check. Got my weekend project!

FB

Well done Justin. Can't wait to see it run in person in 2 weeks!

Tanks man. Very Nice joob

the screws for the reeds, do you use loctite on these?

Yes! I found out the hard way about the throttle plate inside the carb. I did not use loctite and my idle became erratic. I immediately took off the carb and found the problem. Loctite all screws!!

Appreciate all this info! I look forward to these mods.

My valve dle55 modified.
Tomorow test...