DA 60 Acting Funny

[Notorious B.E.N.]

I have a DA 60 on a Pro Flow can running a 24x10 Mejzlik. The plane is a 3DHS Slick and I was having problems with the motor bogging in knife edge and during rolling harriers. My fix was to put a nipple on the carb and run it back to a pill bottle for static air. At the end of last season, my motor was running great and I finally got it there on our last day to fly before winter set in.

Now that winter is over and we've actually had some days where the wind wasn't blowing 90+ mph, the motor is bogging in knife edge and high alpha maneuvers again. I initially thought maybe my mixture was off and so I started adjusting the needles again but that doesn't seem to be helping that much. So now I'm thinking I need to change out the diaphragm and other stuff in the carb.

Is there anything else I should be considering?

Fuel is Phillips 66 super unleaded (probably with ethanol, but going to start going to an independent station that offers without ethanol in Amarillo) and Redline mixed 40:1.

 

[3Dchief]

I don't think you need to change anything in the carb, just take it apart and give it a really good cleaning. The ethanol will cause all kinds of goop and gumming inside the carb, especially sitting over the winter. It doesn't cause problems for cars because they go through fuel so fast and the fuel passages are so large, but in a small engine carb, it can be very harmful. I always run the carb dry after my last flight of the day to avoid problems.

Take it apart, use lots of carb cleaner and make sure all the passages are cleaned out really well. Mix up some fresh fuel, preferably without ethanol, and try it again.

 

[Notorious B.E.N.]

Cool. I'll probably get the carb rebuild kit since it's less than $10 and mix in some Seafoam next time I mix up some gas.