The title says it all........any help will be appreciated.  I know a couple of techniques but believe that there must be a better way.

Thanks, Steve. 

No chicken sticks for me.....with two blade props I use a leather "driver glove" or one a bit thicker.  Not afraid of the engine but the T.E. of some of the props will cut badly if the engine is too wet.

Don't like inverted starting on 50/60 size planes, too big to easily flip them over after engine starts although I have done it.

Easiest, safest way for me (so far) is to invert the model, prime a bit, flip prop through several times then set it on wheels and hand flip to start.  If stubborn or at contest just use electric starter after being POSITIVE that there isn't a flooded
(hydraulic lock) condition.

The title says it all........any help will be appreciated.  I know a couple of techniques but believe that there must be a better way.

   

   I assume you burp it first, with the airplane held inverted, with a helper (or not if you are super-cool like David and I). With a PA, unless you have been very careful since the last flying sessions, you more-or-less can't started it on it's feet. Same with the OS. You have a chance with a RO-Jett, but I still never do it.

   Once it is burped, if the engine has cooled from the last run, fill tank, pull through with finger over the intake 3-4 times (choking) , then remove finger and flip through forwards immediately, about 5-6 times (aerate). Hold on to prop to attach the battery. Once the batter is connected and the helper is holding, bump the engine up against compression backwards, should start right off. Try a few more times. If you get nothing, no pops, then hold prop, remove battery, repeat choke procedure, repeat aeration procedure, hold prop, attach battery, back-bump.

    If it is still hot, fill tank, pull through compression once or twice, aerate, hold prop, attach battery, bump backwards. My PA61 and most PAs need at most one choke when hot, and 3-4 when cold.

    Note that back-bumping is not flipping it backwards through compression, you never flip it through compression in either direction, unless you have some spare fingers. Just turn it CCW until it starts to come up on compression, then fling it backwards up against compression in the CW direction. Don't use a chicken stick or anything like that. If you are doing it correctly, your fingers are not on the prop or spinner when it pops.

    You have to experiment to know how much to choke under different conditions. Usually, you can tell by the sound it makes when you are aerating it. It should sound slightly juicy, more than it you were going to flip it through forward. Any excess will be blown out. It will take much more choking when the engine is cold than when it is hot. If the engine is in an intermediate state, it may be very difficult to start because you have to choke it, and the cold fuel will get on the underside of the piston and shrink it, and leave the sleeve hot, so the compression will sort of go away. If this happens, aerate many times until you feel the compression start to come back.

     NEVER attach the battery without holding the prop, and NEVER flip it with fuel in it unless someone it holding it. The engine can start without the battery pretty easily, once you get the perfect mixture. It can also start spontaneously when you attach the battery. These are extremely powerful engines with very strong razor-sharp propellors, and have such good piston fits that they can start in conditions when you do not expect, once it is choked and aerated properly.

    Brett

"On the subject of safety, is there any good argument against using a remote glow igniter connection like mentioned above? I used to do this all the time with RC engines that were hard to reach, especially large 4-strokes."

I don't see a problem except for the potential for getting the "extension cord" (attached to a power panel on the other end) caught in the prop or aeroplane. Which brings up a question I've wondered about for awhile. Will the power panel/glow driver be smart enough to adjust for the long wire's resistance? I'm guessing that one would need to crank up the "hot" dial for a longer wire. But then, I have one power panel that is automatic...and worked fine while I used it...but I didn't think to try it with a longer wire. Sorry for the thread drift.

The magic gurgling sound seems harder for me to hear with CF piped engines in general, probably because the outlet is much farther away. I also haven't bench run or practiced starting procedures with either the PA .51 or OS .46VF, because they were purchased used and long since flyable. Did I mention that I hate benching engines?  Steve

   Burping your engine by yourself is a stupid idea and I will look a lot less cool when I have 50 stitches in my face.

    There's nothing much wrong with a remote glow adapter. I just never tried one.

     Brett

If I see anybody burping their engine single-handed, I jump in there and hold onto it. Sometimes get told to "bugger off", in which case I tell them I'm ready to call 911 for them.

Alan Resinger and Keith Varley used remote battery on their last IC planes. Not sure if Chris Cox did or not. Alan devised a very cute and easy to make clip that beats the snot out of anything you can buy! For contest use, we do need a backup plan, such as one of the typical glow igniters. Might even want to practice using the backup?  Steve

In place of chicken stick, I really like using a slip on finger protector.  Don't know who makes/sells the black one (has FK stamped on it); but I prefer to use piece of silicone tubing, same tubing we use for pipe coupling.  Good snug fit over 1st joint on index finger, and two cuts halfway lets it open up to fit over 2nd joint.

Thanks for all the input.

I have used the "back bump/flip" technique on lots of engines, including the PAs.

It would be good for me if there was/is a procedure that doesn't require the model to be inverted for burping, etc. 

     My RO-Jett 61 is the only piped engine I have had that seems to be able to tolerate being carried nose-down without loading up with oil, even hanging nose-down for months. All the others seem to load up, the 40VF being particularly bad about it, to the point I always had to remove the glow plug and put fuel right in the cylinder to get it cleaned up enough to burp.

      Brett