FPE 1.3 INSTALLATION  & OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

ENGINE MOUNTING:

1) Use 8-32 bolts, of proper length for your particular airplane/firewall setup. - Always use high quality hardened steel bolts for this purpose.

2) Use the attached mounting plate template and measurements to accurately locate the engine to the firewall.

3) Throttle connections should always be made using nylon push rods and nylon connectors. This is a spark ignition engine and we therefore do not recommend using steel push rods or steel cable for throttle connections.

4) The coil should be mounted using the supplied clamps, directly onto the firewall, with sufficient spacing to avoid excess engine or muffler heat. We suggest using clear silicon adhesive to glue the clamps to the coil to avoid excess vibration and to keep the coil in place.

5) ALWAYS INSTALL THE GROUND WIRE LEAD TO AN ENGINE MOUNTING BOLT BEFORE IGNITION IS TURNED ON! FAILURE TO DO THIS WILL BLOW OUT THE IGNITION SENSOR.

6) NEVER TURN THE ENGINE OVER WITHOUT THE SPARK PLUG WIRE FIRMLY IN PLACE ON THE SPARK PLUG.

7) For ease of access, it is preferable to mount the ignition module and ignition battery on the outside of the firewall. However, this is not always possible and mounting these components immediately behind the firewall is also acceptable.

 

GASOLINE/OIL MIXTURE:

We have used and recommend several brands of quality oils for this engine, such as Bell Ray MC-1 at 50:1 and Golden Spectro also at 50:1.  If these brands are not available in your area any good quality synthetic oil, formulated for mixing with gasoline will be fine.  During the break-in period, oil to gasoline ratios of 32:1 is acceptable.

 

IGNITION BATTERIES:

A 4.8-volt battery is used to provide power to the ignition system. A properly charged four-cell 600 - 700 Mah AA size battery pack (typically used in most airborne systems) should provide approximately six 10-minute flights. As with any onboard ni-cad batteries, check the voltage between flights to be safe.

 

PROPELLERS:

Some suggested propellers for this engine are:

            Master Airscrew 16 x 8

            Master Airscrew 15 x 10

            Master Airscrew 15 x 8

            Mejzlik  16 x 8

            Mejzlik 15 x 10

            Dynathrust 16 x 8

            Dynathrust 15 x 10

If selecting other brands or sizes, the recommended full throttle RPM on the ground should be between 6500 and 7500 rpm.

 

Engine Starting Sequence:

ALWAYS wear a well-padded leather glove for hand starting this or any engine.

1) Turn the transmitter on, followed by the airborne radio system - NOT the ignition.

2) Move the throttle stick to full throttle.

3) Choke the carburetor opening with your finger and hand turn the propeller through two complete revolutions.

4) Move the throttle stick to low throttle and turn the ignition system on.

5) Flip the propeller through the compression stroke briskly until the engine starts.         

6) Always let the engine warm up to operating temperature.

Setting the Carburetor:

Initial settings are 2 1/4turns out on both the High and Low needle valves.

After engine has warmed up:

If the engine stutters when going from idle to fuel speed, it is lean on the Low-end needle. Turn out the Low-end needle valve until a smooth transition is achieved. The High-end setting is best found by starting at a rich setting (engine is rich when running rough at full throttle - a lean setting will either quit or lose rpm). Lean the High-end needle valve until the popping or roughness stops. For initial flights during break-in, a slightly rich setting is much better than a lean setting. A rich setting will usually just run slightly rough, but a lean setting will almost always cause the engine to quit.

 

TROUBLE SHOOTING

1) Engine won't start:

*Make sure fuel is getting to the carburetor.

*Check the fuel lines for holes or leaks.

*Make sure the ignition battery is fully charged.

*Make sure the engine is not flooded. Remove spark plug and dry it. Rotate the propeller through several revolutions to remove the excess fuel.

*Make sure the engine has spark. Test the spark plug by removing it and hold it firmly to the engine head (thus grounding it) and turn the propeller to see the spark. NOTE: the plug MUST be grounded or it WILL blow the ignition pickup sensor.

*If the engine has been running well up to this point, do not adjust the needle valve settings. Gas engines normally do not change tuning. Check for dirt or debris in the carburetor.

 

2) Engine Runs Fine on The Ground But Quits or Runs Rough in the Air:

* If the engine quits in the air shortly after takeoff, it could be air affecting the atmospheric vent on the carburetor. This is the hole on the sheet metal plate, located on the back of the carburetor. There is a rubber diaphragm beneath this plate that activates the needle valve allowing gas through the carburetor. With the vent location on the back of the carburetor, lack of air to the vent hole is unlikely, but possible in some cowl configurations. For this reason, the cure may different on each airplane. Some cures have been to solder a hollow brass tube directing it away from the air-stream, or putting a piece of fuel tubing onto the soldered tube and routing it back in the cowling or possibly even into the fuselage. We have even seen air starvation to the vent hole cured by soldering the brass tube over the vent hole and routing its opposite end out to and flush with the carburetor air intake. NOTE: If you solder anything to the steel plate you MUST first remove the plate from the carburetor to avoid burning the rubber diaphragm.

 

Wiring:

1) Attach the Green and Orange wires from the black ignition module to the Green and Orange wires from the coil.

2) Attach the Green ground wire (with the metal eyelet attached) to engine mounting bolt for the ground.

3) Connect spark plug wire from the coil to engines spark plug.

4) Connect the Red, Black, White wire with the 4 pin female connector from the black ignition module to the Red, Black, White 4 pin male connector on the engine.

5) Connect a standard R/C system On/Off switch assembly (not included) to the female Futaba style connector on the black ignition module. Note that this is a generic Futaba, JR, Hitec, Airtronics "Z" connector.

6) Connect a 4.8-volt Ni-cad battery to your On/Off switch harness. Make sure the switch is in the OFF position. 

 

*Specifications:

-Displacement: 1.3 cubic inches (21cc)

-Weight (w/o battery pack and switch):  43.2 oz.

-Length (prop washer to back plate): 5.0 in.

-Propeller Bolt:  8mm (1.25 pitch) x 40mm long

-Spark plug: Champion RDJ8J with 0.25" gap

-Factory Carburetor Setting:  2 1/4 turns out - both High and Low needles

 

(*Specifications may change without notice)

 

SERVICE & REPAIR	TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
FIRST PLACE ENGINES	SIG MANUFACTURING CO., INC.
209 Conneaut Lake Road	401-7 South Front St.
Greenville, PA 16125	Montezuma, IA 50171-0520
Telephone:  (724) 588-9559	Telephone:  (641)623-5154
Fax:               (724) 588-9550	Fax:               (641)623-3922
e-mail:          kurt@fpengines.com	e-mail:             mail@sigmfg.com