Correct starting & shut off procedure of a blower motor

[arush]

Once again, I come to this forum for wisdom.
I am really close to starting my first Hilborn 4 port, alcohol injected blower motor and would like to know the proper sequence (step by step) to starting and shutting it off.
The motor is 100% fresh and has only been ran for a few minutes with a carb/intake to break in the cam.

Is this even remotely close ?

Starting procedure -  (this could be totally wrong)
(1) Mag switch "OFF".
(2) Open up fuel pump & turn motor over to check for oil pressure.
(3) Stop turning motor over.
(4) Open throttle and squirt some gas down into the ports.
(5) Close throttle, turn motor over for a few seconds and then turn "ON" the mag.

Shut Down procedure - (this could also be wrong)
(1) While motor is idling, shut off fuel pump.
(2) After motor stops running, turn "OFF" the mag.

As always, All feed back is greatly appreciated.

[coupemerc]

I recommend doing things differently than you listed. Check for oil pressure in the pits with the spark plugs out of it. Leave the mag off and the fuel shut off and crank the motor. That way you will not kill your batteries.
There are variations but here is what I do

To start  it...
Mag off, fuel on.
Open butterflies and squirt Alcohol into/past butterflies
shut butterflies
crank motor for about 2 seconds and turn on the mag.
As motor starts keep squirting alky into the injector until it runs on it's own. You can use gas if it is colder out. If you are priming with alky you can squirt in a lot of volume. The volume that you are putting in is small compared to what the nozzles will deliver.
Watch for oil pressure and any leaks. Keep track of the head temperature and idle speed

To shut it off...
Close fuel
engine rpm will come up and just as it starts to come back down, kill the mag.

If you are starting it for the very first time. I would leave the fuel off and just see if it fires smoothly on the primer first. That way you can tell if there are any ignition or timing issues.

Good luck!

[arush]

Appreciate your feedback Coupemerc.
Your recommendations make sense.
I am sure others may have a slight variation to this routine.
Just trying to get myself educated to this new set up.
Thanks.

[crider]

I used to fire the funnycar basically the same way coupemerc described, only difference is we squirted with gasoline

[coupemerc]

Note that I edited my original post! Before you crank the motor to start it, fuel needs to be ON. Also, if you have aluminum blower studs do not over tighten them or they will crack. Also leave the blower belt a little loose when the engine is cold. Set the final blower belt tension when the engine is fully warmed up. Good luck

[dreracecar]

Just before  starting, should put a long ratchet in the top pulley a back the motor down to clear the cylinders just in case. Brings up another point, if you are using a block starter and not a blower starter, you should at least have the blower starter mount and drive dog installed. When the block starter fails, there is a chance to borrow the remote blower starter and fire the motor

[arush]

Appreciate your response Crider.
Bruce....Good point on the backing the motor down and installing the drive dog.

[Draw 3D]

I disagree with some of the posts,  I don't fire my motor without oil pressure buildup and I don't turn on the mag if the motor isn't spinning, good way to backfire the motor and hurt the blower.

[rooman]

I disagree with some of the posts,  I don't fire my motor without oil pressure buildup and I don't turn on the mag if the motor isn't spinning, good way to backfire the motor and hurt the blower.

? As far as I can see everyone suggested just that--spin it with the mag off to get pressure and then spin it and flip the switch.

 Personally, I never bother with the mag switch on shut down, just shut the fuel off and once it stops, ground the mag. In the NT/F car the motor usually quit on its own when I got off the right pedal and cut the air supply off. Once the chutes were out I would shut the fuel off and quite often I did not ground the mag until I made the turnout.

Roo

[Draw 3D]

I disagree with some of the posts,  I don't fire my motor without oil pressure buildup and I don't turn on the mag if the motor isn't spinning, good way to backfire the motor and hurt the blower.

  ? As far as I can see everyone suggested just that--spin it with the mag off to get pressure and then spin it and flip the switch.

Here:

I recommend doing things differently than you listed. Check for oil pressure in the pits with the spark plugs out of it. Leave the mag off and the fuel shut off and crank the motor. That way you will not kill your batteries.

[arush]

Appreciate the feedback Draw 3D and Roo.

Roo, I net you at Bowling Green last year and hope to see you there this year.
I realize that you are very busy while you are there but I hope you could find a few minutes to check out my Digger.
Thanks.

[rooman]

Draw3D,
            all that coupemerc is suggesting is to get the oil through the motor before attempting to start it. We use exactly that procedure with Mark Vaught's 7.0 car. Roll the car out of the trailer and get it up on the jacks, pull the plugs and spin the  motor until we see oil pressure. Put the warm up plugs in and fire the motor--with the galleries etc primed there is sufficient oil pressure by the time the engine lights off the squirt bottle and then begins running on the pump. We then switch to the race plugs and fire the same way on the line. Once the engine has been spun to get oil pressure the first time each day there is no need to spin it for more than a couple of seconds to get pressure and it takes that long to light anyway.

Roo

[dreracecar]

Warm up plugs??? Ahhhh to be wealthy

[rooman]

Warm up plugs??? Ahhhh to be wealthy

Smartarse!!!   

[Ponti]

Loving this thread, will be helpful for me once mines finished.

  Just one question.  What's the difference between warm up plugs and race plugs?