Starting Fluid

[gyrofly]

Is spray (ether) starting fluid bad to use on a rotax engine or other engines? A shot or two onto the carb filter sure helps it to start first or second pull.
Ron dupont

[Vance]

I have found that if I need starter fluid, something is not quite right. I would rather take the hint from the engine and make it right.

If you have an oiled filter, it takes the oil off and the filter doesn't work. Many feel that you don't need a filter on an aircraft, I would agree if you never had to land or take off and always flew above about 1,500 feet AGL.

thank you, Vance

[scottessex]

NO NO NO NO NO!!

Starting fluid has NO lubrication in it and will score your bearings and pistons, If you don't have one get a primer and you will be fine. If you have to squirt something in there use some mixed 2 stroke fuel in a spray bottle.

[M. Pearce]

gyrofly,
Well to begin with this is a sign of low compression or bad crank seals and or bearings, maybe even a wore out carb. Using starter fluid is just frowned upon by the good mechanics out there. The new starter fluid now comes with oil added in it mostly to keep the kids from sniffing it up their noses. It's good to have a can around but not good to have to actually use the stuff. It's really great to blow the cylinder walls out of diesel engine. I once disassembled five 6.2 liter diesel engines and found all of them had cracked cylinder walls. Found out later that these engines were ex-military engines and that's how they make junk iron out of them before they sell them. They spray starter fluid in them towards the rear cylinders till they blow em up. Start looking for an underlying problem you might have instead of using starter fluid.

[gyroplanes]

The Rotax, actually, the Bing carb uses a rather inefficient "choke" that isn't a choke at all. When you lift the "choke" lever you are actually opening a small passageway to (hopefully) introduce additional fuel needed for starting.

First, try turning the idle fuel screw CCW a turn or two, the small one, on the side of the Bing. I tcan make a big difference in starting.

Most engines that don't introduce the fuel directly into the cylinders need a little extra starting fuel due to poor fuel vaporization in a cold engine.
If your carburetor has an accelerator pump (Bings don't) it can be used to boost the fuel charge for starting.
A better way to deliver that extra fuel is through a primer system. >>> Note, do not confuse the "primer" squeeze bulb with an actual primer system <<< many folks do and wear out starter ropes at an alarming rate.

Primer systems are available through most light aircraft suppliers.

[C. Beaty]

If all else fails, use the magic Ozzie stuff below……

I used ether starting fluid once on my Mac and nearly lost my finger tips. That was before I learned how easy a Mac starts if the magneto is in proper working order.

I think ether has been banned in USA starting fluids which now most likely use butane or something similar.

[gyrofly]

I have a primer pump on my 503 and previously it would usually will start on the first or second pull with the following order.
Make sure magnetos are off, I turn the prop thru about 2 times and prime the bulb a couple of times and turn the choke on and just barley crack the throttle, then push the plunger in and then pump it twice more. Turn magnetos on and then pull...That usually works but I am finding lately it is not and I have been having to use starter spray because it seems it floods easily if I just keep pulling. It does seem to be idling a bit high now, maby I will adjust the idle and see if that helps. Thanks for the responses'
Ron

[StanFoster]

40 years ago when I was 12.....I had a go-kart. I wanted to make it go faster so I got a can of starting ether that dad used for his dieseln tractors. I sprayed it into a coke bottle and then mixed it 50/50 with gas. All I remember is fire coming out the exhaust and a cooked motor after a short while. My go-kart became a stop-kart.

Stan

[automan1223]

You need to hook up a dedicated primer for the rotax.

There should be a port on the side of the carb that will accept a small tygon hose that is connected to a primer (push pull type) works, that is plumbed (feed) into the fuel system.

2 pumps, and your ready to go.

You should also have a primer bulb on the main fuel line to make sure the fuel to carbs is ready to go and the bowls are fueled. If you have electric pumps forgo the primer in the main line to the

Starter fluid can destroy engines in short order.

Oiled air filters are REQUIRED for proper tuning.

Choke is only an enrichment circuit when cold. WIll not do diddly to help first cold start until it is running.

Jonathan

[scottessex]

How many hours on the engine? 2 strokes are very hard to start when they start loosing compression.

[donshoebridge]

Originally Posted by StanFoster

40 years ago when I was 12.....I had a go-kart. I wanted to make it go faster so I got a can of starting ether that dad used for his dieseln tractors. I sprayed it into a coke bottle and then mixed it 50/50 with gas. All I remember is fire coming out the exhaust and a cooked motor after a short while. My go-kart became a stop-kart.

Stan

I knew a guy in high school that had a Ford Maverick. He wanted NOS but couldn't afford it, so he somehow fashioned a can of starter fluid with a hose and zip tied one end to the top side of the carb. He ran it like this for a little while and was getting some interesting performance. However, after a little while, he began to loose power and then the engine quite running altogether. He found that the head was loose, and when he looked a little closer, he found that the head bolts had stretched from the increase pressures. Scrap one engine!

[REDHORSE556CES]

I got to see the results of an experiment by a local school district. They tried upping the power (efficiency) of a diesel engine in a school bus by introducing propane to the intake while still using diesel thru the injectors (They called it Propane Over Diesel) and it did up the horsepower by about 35%. All six pistons had BIG holes in them.

[Neil Hintz]

Raise the compression all to Hell and run it on Ethanol! And you will need to up the fuel burn to 175% that of petrol. I think ether has a low octane rating and will detonate easily, ie bust stuff.

[karlbamforth]

It was common practice in the UK military to add a little oil to old GPU engines to up the compression and make them start easier. One day some brave soul added Avpin, a mono fuel used for starting aircraft, this stuff ignites very easily on compression alone and generates its own oxygen, so is extremely difficult to put out once burning. The engine did start but only for a short time and it never ran again because the cylinder head was a considerable distance from the rest of the engine. Avpin was an exciting fuel and only stored in small quantities. I have had more than one adreniline rush trying to put out an Avpin fire.

[Neil Hintz]

Start ya bastard. In a can? Only in Australia!