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Motor Installation

 

 

  Mount the motor using high grade 1/4" or 6mm dia. bolts with washers and locking nuts on the rear 

of the firewall.  Make sure your firewall is structurally sound.  The crankshaft centerline is in the exact 
center of the rear mounting plate bolt pattern.  

  The throttle arm is pre-tapped for a 2-56 ball link.  Make sure the carburetor's idle set screw is 

removed or set so that the carb can be fully closed by the servo at low trim.  Use a high quality servo 
for the throttle.  A poor quality servo or linkage will not provide accurate and repeatable throttle 
settings.  Don't use metal to metal linkages. 

  You can un-hook, but 

don't remove

, the throttle return spring if the motor is not going to be bench 

run. The spring helps to limit shaft wear due to vibration. 

  Do not try to rotate the carburetor 180 deg. on the mounting block or remove the butterfly shaft 

assembly.   

  The carburetor should have at least 1 1/2" (38mm) of clearance between the intake and the bottom 

of the cowl. If there is less than 1 1/2", make an opening in the cowl below the carb at least as large 
as the carb intake diameter. 

  Since the carburetor must often be adjusted differently with the cowl on as compared to off, we 

recommend small access holes be made in the cowl for adjusting the needle valves with a long, 
narrow, screw driver.  Sometimes the needles can be reached through the cowl's openings for the 
exhaust system.   

  A  32 oz. (or larger) fuel tank is recommended. The tank must be vented. The carb has a strong 

pump, so the tank can be mounted almost anywhere. The fuel line and tank stopper must be gas 
compatible. Do not use any silicone sealers on the fuel system. Gas can break it down and carry it 
into the carb. 

  The inner diameter of the fuel tubing should be the same or larger than the carburetor's fuel inlet 

fitting's inner diameter. 1/8” I.D. is recommended. Make sure all fuel line connections are secure. 
Small nylon zip ties work well to keep the fuel line on the metal fittings.  Make sure the fuel line is 
secure and not touching the exhaust or cylinder fins.  An inline fuel filter can be used. We 
recommend filtering the gas entering the fuel tank from your field container. 

  Cooling is critical to motor performance and longevity.  Allow as much cooling air as possible in 

through the front inlets of the cowl.  Allow an outlet opening approximately 2 1/2 times larger than 
the intake at the bottom rear of the cowl for the hot air to escape.  Air must flow through the cylinder 
fins, not just inside the cowl, to properly cool the motor.  Don't let the air take the easy way out! Make 
it go through the fins.  Round cowls with large frontal openings need ducting to direct the air through 
the cylinder fins.  

  Air ducts can be made from thin plywood, balsa, fiberglass, or aluminum sheet to guide and force air 

from the front inlets to and through the cylinder fins.  

  Depending on the location of the exhaust system, and cowl airflow, the carburetor may need some 

air cooling also. A hot carb can be erratic in flight or make the motor hard to restart.  Sometimes 
placing heat shielding material between the exhaust and carburetor can help. 

  Keep components like the ignition system, fuel tank, fuel lines, receivers, etc, shielded from heat 

generated by canister and tuned pipe exhaust systems.  Hot fuel tanks and fuel lines can cause 
frustrating tuning issues, and over heated electronic components can have intermittent problems or 
total failures.     

 
 
 
 
 
 
   

                                                           

                                                                  

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Summary of Contents for DA120

Page 1: ...T TM M D DA A1 12 20 0 Owners Manual 2 13 ...

Page 2: ...Make sure the aircraft is properly secured when starting or operating the motor Inspect motor mount bolts and firewall integrity before operating the motor Anyone in the immediate area of the motor should use eye protection during operation of the motor Keep spectators at least 30 feet away when operating the motor Turn off the motor before making any adjustments Always use the proper size propell...

Page 3: ...y silicone sealers on the fuel system Gas can break it down and carry it into the carb The inner diameter of the fuel tubing should be the same or larger than the carburetor s fuel inlet fitting s inner diameter 1 8 I D is recommended Make sure all fuel line connections are secure Small nylon zip ties work well to keep the fuel line on the metal fittings Make sure the fuel line is secure and not t...

Page 4: ... the red pick up sensor to the ignition module make sure that the polarity of the wires entering the connectors is correct Brown to brown orange to orange Unlike some ignitions the Desert Aircraft ignition is designed to spark only when the prop is flipped at a high speed If the prop is not turned over at starting speed the ignition will not produce a spark This helps to prevent the motor from fir...

Page 5: ...r loading the engine creates excessive heat Peak rpm should be over 6 000 during the break in process Adjust the needles as needed and give the engine a few easy flights The needles may need adjustment as the engine settles in and when other things change such as different props exhaust weather and altitude The engine should run well from the beginning and improve as flight hours accumulate Recomm...

Page 6: ...needle can have a slight effect on the other Example leaning the low needle can slightly lean the high range Adjust the High RPM needle to peak rpm A tachometer is a great help but remember that the RPM may drop a little bit after every start due to residual heat build up Don t lean the mixture any more than necessary If the rpm steadily drops at full throttle or fades on long vertical maneuvers t...

Page 7: ... starts backwards Make sure prop is flipped forcefully through the compression stroke Without enough force the prop may bounce off compression and run backwards IF ANY PROBLEM PERSISTS PLEASE CONTACT DESERT AIRCRAFT FIRST We designed and manufactured your engine and have built serviced and analyzed thousands more We cover your engine s warranty not someone at the field or a stranger on the Interne...

Page 8: ...r This motor can stop at any time for a variety of reasons Do not fly your plane in a way that damage or harm will result if the motor stops running If you cannot safely fly your plane if the engine stops for any reason do not fly the plane Desert Aircraft will not be responsible for damage caused in engine out situations DA120 WARRANTY Your DA120 motor and ignition system are covered with a 3 yea...

Page 9: ... REASON FOR RETURN Crash Yes___ No____ Other_________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ __________________________...

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