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Author Topic:   Ficht lesson learned?

jcdawg83 posted 06-11-2013 02:14 PM ET (US)
My trusty '99 Evinrude Ficht 90 refused to start last weekend, so after looking at all the obvious things at the ramp I took it to the mechanic. Turns out, I needed new spark plugs. Mechanic told me that Ficht engines are notorious for burning up plugs quicker than other engines. According to him, at idle and low speed, the plugs fire on every stroke not only the ignition stroke so this causes the plugs to burn up quicker. After the plugs were changed, the engine starts and runs like a champ.
Has anyone ever heard of this before? I'm not doubting the word of a long time Evinrude mechanic, but that sounds strange to me.
The good news was that he did a complete check on the engine and the compression is great, the fuel pumps and ignition are great and everything else is in perfect condition.
jimh posted 06-11-2013 04:46 PM ET (US)
Yes, I have heard of this before. That is because all two-stroke-cycle spark ignition engines fire their spark plugs on every stroke. That is how a two-stroke-cycle engine runs.
contender posted 06-11-2013 08:15 PM ET (US)
I have also found that AC plugs seem to work the best in OMC
Peter posted 06-13-2013 07:41 AM ET (US)
The Ficht fires the spark plug multiple times per stroke in the stratfied operating mode which occurs at low engine speeds. In strafied operating mode the atomized fuel is injected near the spark plug. In this mode that atomized fuel is a blob surrounded by air in the cylinder (contrast to homogenious mode where the entire cylinder has atomized fuel). To make sure that the fuel blob floating in air near the spark plug is ignited in a timely fashion, a long spark duration is required and that long duration is accomplished by firing the spark plug multiple times rapidly. This causes extra wear on the spark plug electrode.
In the homogenious mode, the spark plug is fired once per stroke just like a conventional 2-stroke.
The more you run a Ficht at low engine speeds (stratified operating mode), the more often you will have to regap and then replace the spark plugs. The iridium based plugs last longer and you should check with the dealer to see whether your motor can use them.
jimh posted 06-13-2013 08:03 AM ET (US)
If the dealer knows his stuff, he probably knows about the multiple spark plug firing per cycle in the startified mode, and perhaps that was he was trying to explain to his customer. He might have explained it and the customer misunderstood.
The use of spark plugs with these exotic metal electrode tips has reduced the rate of erosion of the spark gap. On my old conventional two-cycle engine with conventional plugs, I had to re-set the gap often. I learned to recognize the engine behavior that came on when the spark plug gap eroded and needed to be re-set. With my modern outboard engine and iridium-tipped spark plugs, I ran three years and 250-hours, and when I checked the spark plug gap on those plugs there was really not measurable erosion.

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Author	Topic: Ficht lesson learned?
jcdawg83	posted 06-11-2013 02:14 PM ET (US) My trusty '99 Evinrude Ficht 90 refused to start last weekend, so after looking at all the obvious things at the ramp I took it to the mechanic. Turns out, I needed new spark plugs. Mechanic told me that Ficht engines are notorious for burning up plugs quicker than other engines. According to him, at idle and low speed, the plugs fire on every stroke not only the ignition stroke so this causes the plugs to burn up quicker. After the plugs were changed, the engine starts and runs like a champ. Has anyone ever heard of this before? I'm not doubting the word of a long time Evinrude mechanic, but that sounds strange to me. The good news was that he did a complete check on the engine and the compression is great, the fuel pumps and ignition are great and everything else is in perfect condition.
jimh	posted 06-11-2013 04:46 PM ET (US) Yes, I have heard of this before. That is because all two-stroke-cycle spark ignition engines fire their spark plugs on every stroke. That is how a two-stroke-cycle engine runs.
contender	posted 06-11-2013 08:15 PM ET (US) I have also found that AC plugs seem to work the best in OMC
Peter	posted 06-13-2013 07:41 AM ET (US) The Ficht fires the spark plug multiple times per stroke in the stratfied operating mode which occurs at low engine speeds. In strafied operating mode the atomized fuel is injected near the spark plug. In this mode that atomized fuel is a blob surrounded by air in the cylinder (contrast to homogenious mode where the entire cylinder has atomized fuel). To make sure that the fuel blob floating in air near the spark plug is ignited in a timely fashion, a long spark duration is required and that long duration is accomplished by firing the spark plug multiple times rapidly. This causes extra wear on the spark plug electrode. In the homogenious mode, the spark plug is fired once per stroke just like a conventional 2-stroke. The more you run a Ficht at low engine speeds (stratified operating mode), the more often you will have to regap and then replace the spark plugs. The iridium based plugs last longer and you should check with the dealer to see whether your motor can use them.
jimh	posted 06-13-2013 08:03 AM ET (US) If the dealer knows his stuff, he probably knows about the multiple spark plug firing per cycle in the startified mode, and perhaps that was he was trying to explain to his customer. He might have explained it and the customer misunderstood. The use of spark plugs with these exotic metal electrode tips has reduced the rate of erosion of the spark gap. On my old conventional two-cycle engine with conventional plugs, I had to re-set the gap often. I learned to recognize the engine behavior that came on when the spark plug gap eroded and needed to be re-set. With my modern outboard engine and iridium-tipped spark plugs, I ran three years and 250-hours, and when I checked the spark plug gap on those plugs there was really not measurable erosion.