[Dieselchanic]

I have a Super Tigre 45 that I bot several years ago. I mounted it onto an Avistar 40 that I'm putting together. I started to break it in yesterday and it's the tightest engine I've ever had. I was looking for some tips on break in procedure. I've run a full tank of fuel thru it do far with it about two rounds rich. Warming it up and letting it cool down several times... Feel free with the tips....

[fhhuber]

Two turns extra open?
That's too much.

You want to just be a couple of clicks richer than you would tune for flight. the needle should be open no more than 1/4 turn extra for a ringed engine.... no more than 1/16 extra for a ABC.

Breaking in an ABC engine too rich can damage it. They MUST warm up to expected normal operating temperature during break-in.
Tune it like you'd fly it. then just a smidge more open.
vary throttle, running mostly appx 2/3 about 30 sec to a min at a time, bring to full for about 10 sec at a time and down to maybe 1/4 for about 10 sec at a time...
You should notice the engine SUDDENLY need less fuel. Sometimes within the first 1/2 tank... some engines take more than 1/2 gallon.
Don't even try to adjust idle.. except to richen if needed before the sudden change.
When that sudden change happens, retune and you can fly it.
Always tune top end then idle. If the top is wrong the idle will be wrong if you mess with it.

A ringed engine may require the needle to be open considerably more to get started than when running until the ring seats. But don't run it at that setting. The ring won't ever seat if you don't get the temperature up.
Similar break-in to the ABC works just fine but they tend to take longer.

[Dieselchanic]

This is an abc engine and I'm not totally sure how rich I'm running it but it may not be two rounds...(not sure if it'd even run that rich)

My reason for the richness was this engine was so tight I oiled it thru the plug hole and could barely turn it past tdc before I started it. It was do tight it squeaked. I was sure if I had it tuned to fly it would've overheated in quite short order. On a ringed engine it would need the heat to seat. I realize that. I run it rich till it quit squeaking and have been leaning it out now...

[fhhuber]

ABC engines have a tapered sleeve. They are designed to expand at the top through the expected temperature increase of operating.

if you don't heat the cylinder... you don't expand the dia at the top and you can crack the piston or con rod.... or peel the cylinder liner's plating.

Its supposed to feel very tight when its cold.

If you run rich you WILL damage the engine. You may have damaged it already.

[rccardude04]

I always just run new airplane engines a little richer than normal... Just so they kinda have a burble in the transition.

If you can get it to where it doesn't die and you trust it to run in the air, it'll be fine... just don't run it too lean.

-Eric

[Dieselchanic]

I worked on this plane again tonight and rechecked the setting and I started out with two rounds rich off of FULLY CLOSED. Not flying tune.... It was too rich and I've been running it at a round and a half off closed. Which is probly no more than 1/4 turn from flying tune if I remember correctly from the last G45 I flew...

I don't beleive this engine is damaged as it starts easier than any I've ever had. Even after only one tank of fuel it'll usually start with one flip cold.

[rccardude04]

Go to normal tune, run it on the ground 'til you're convinced it won't die, then go fly it.

I've never had trouble doing it that way. The only thing I idle for longer than 30 seconds is a 4-stroke because Saito is pretty insistent that you have to run them slow for a while... And even then, after about a tank on the ground I pretty much go fly it if it doesn't just die on the ground constantly.

Sometimes, if it does want to die on the ground, I'll kick the idle up 5-10 clicks and fly it anyway.

-Eric