Hot Starts

[Steve Chenoweth]

Whenever I do a hot start, such as after stopping for refueling, I cannot get it re-started without the rotors turning. The engine RPM shoots up enough to engage the clutch, and even with the rotor brake on, it turns some -- usually not a lot. I have tried various starting techniques, with fuel boost, without, priming, not priming, etc.

Does anyone else have this problem? Any suggested work arounds?

Thanks,

Steve

[donlew]

Steve,
Does it act that way on cold starting? I know that if this isn't taken care of it could cause rotor blade damage.

My ship was opposite. I would have the trouble on cold starts but not hot.

I have to say though after Harold did my annual and tune up it has never ran better.

Don

[Steve Chenoweth]

Don,

My cold starts are great, no problems. I am scared to death of the rotors jerking from a bad hot start because I lost 2 outboard blades to this type of problem in the past. Harold did some tuning, and my hot starts were going OK, but it now is becoming a problem again. Guess it is time to get the thing up to Harold in OK again!

Steve

[Ron Spiker]

Have you tried hot starting without the fuel boost pump? I do this sometimes after refueling, then turn the boost pump on after it is started.

[Steve Chenoweth]

Ron,

I tried this once and it did not work. I'll give it another try next time as the first thing I do.

Steve

[bryancobb]

Hi Steve,

I have exactly the same problem, cold starts...great, hot starts...dangerous .

I have been very cautious in my experimenting to avoid blade damage.
The following has proved to work FOR ME on HOT starts with almost no
blade swing.

1) Use the textbook priming method except only prime it about 1/2 as
much as you do when cold.
2) Set the throttle at HALFWAY between Minimum and the limit switch.
(There's Nothing That Says You MUST Set It Right At the Limit
switch)
3) When you engage the starter, with the mixture lean, there will only be
a tiny amount of fuel available so the engine will hit a little and quit.
The trick is to push the mixture rich just as it hits to keep it from
quitting. At the same time it is beginning to start, roll the throttle to
the idle stop.
4) If your engine idles at 900 to 1000, and has the same personality
as my engine, it will just sit there idling pretty.

Bryan

[Steve Chenoweth]

Bryan,

Thanks for the suggestion. I hope it works for me too. Just to verify, do you keep the fuel boost pump on even after priming it? Thanks.

Steve

[donlew]

Steve,
Hot Starts: I think Bryan is correct about the throttle. I have noticed also, there is no need to have the throttle open to the limit. Since I got mine back from tune up I roll mine all the way off before a hot start and push in the mixture ever so slightly and it will stsrt up & idle. The may be a brief moment of RPM at about 1100 or 1200 but it comes right back down to idle at about 950 or so.

Good luck!

Don L.

[bryancobb]

Steve:

I leave the boost pump on the whole time.

When it hits, I push in the mixture kind of slowly, not real fast.

Be prepared to roll the throttle to the idle stop when it starts running
on its' own.

Bryan