When using methanol based fuel, the ignition timing usually requires MORE advance than a conventional petrol powered engine, you could try starting at 10 Deg Before TDC and see how you go. Methanol is a slower burning fuel than petrol. And needs more advance than usual to get good performance (And with the anti knock properties, can stand more advance) But this has quite a lot to do with compression ratio, etc etc. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan Gorham" To: Sent: Monday, May 20, 2002 8:55 PM Subject: [EE]: Update 2 - Spark ignition for model engines Hello again I have slight progress to report! After my query on Friday about spark gap I was ready to do some test running at the weekend. I set the gap initally to 0.015" or 0.381mm. Peter Peres recommended a gap between 0.3 and 0.6 mm and Bill Colville told me that he used between 0.010" and 0.015". I compromised! With this setting I was getting a fat, healthy spark, so I was hopeful of seeing some action. I ran the engine on glow again to warm it up and to broadly check that the mixture was set. Then the spark gear was refitted and I began flicking. The engine was firing every flick but would not continue. Also, about every fifth flick it seemed to backfire and blow air out of the carburrettor. Now bear in mind that I had the ignition timing at 5 degrees after TDC; I thought that I might as well try retarding it a bit more to try and stop the backfire. I went to 10 degrees after TDC and found that the engine would not fire every flick. Moving to 15 degrees after TDC the engine didn't fire at all. This is where I left it. I think that I could try leaning the mixture a little and having another attempt at 5 degrees after TDC. I'm running on straight methanol/castor fuel at this stage FYI. Anyone any ideas on what could be better? I feel that I'm pretty close to success here and that just a small tweak is needed! PS: Roman, as you can see I did get the sparking going. As yet there's no carbon build up. I just had to set the gap correctly and went to an extra cell in the ignition battery! Thanks Alan Embedded Systems Engineer Microtima Ltd Ouseburn Mews 3-7 Stepney Bank Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2PW Tel: 0191 2304411 Fax: 0191 2304422 -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.