Hey, Ed....so sorry to hear about your engine misfortune (as well as the washing machine).  Do you have an air cleaner?  Is there any possiblity your prop could have blown loose rock/pebbles or FOD into your intake?  Obviously you will find out soon...just speculating and curious about any filter or screen you may have on your intake system. Good luck with the engine rebuild....we will miss your flying reports for a while, but hopefully just for a short while.  Paul Conner
 

----- Original Message -----
From: Ed Anderson
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 6:57 PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Latest on the Motor Trouble

Latest status on the engine problem:
 
Unfortunately a breakdown in one of the households most important appliances ( in the wife's view), i.e. - the washing machine precluded me getting the engine unbuttoned today.  Got as far as getting the flywheel nut off when got side tracked.
 
However, here are some interesting tidbits.  Al told me he could not find an NGK B9EQV - odd I thought- since I purchased some.  Well when I opened up the tool box there as plain as day was B9EGV - the CORRECT PLUG - I am beginning to feel like I am in the twilight zone.  All four -all are the B9EGV!
 
So the right plug - so how come the problem or was it all an figment of my troubled mind? 
 
No figment about the problem, I could better examine the apex seals through the exhaust with a bright light.  I found one apex seal shattered into three pieces, one stuck down as if springs are broken and one which appears to move normally in its slot, but has nicks.  Well as we all know when two of the apex seals are gone on a rotor they might as well all three be gone.
 
Now here is where it gets a bit more spooky - I took one of the B9EGV plugs and screw them into an 86 NA rotor housing (thanks for the suggestion, George - down under) I have laying around.  I then measured from the inside of the housing to the ground electrode of the plug - hold onto your hats - it measured 7.5 mm!  I could be off by a mm but certainly places the electrode no where close to the chamber (relative speaking). 
 
So either the 91 turbo housings (will find out tomorrow) have shorter sparkplug holes OR the plugs had nothing to do with the problem.  Possibly some other FOD item - but I use no nuts or screws any place in the induction system that would cause them to fall off into the runners. 
I've already reported that the next most likely candidate - pieces of the plastic plenum were a negative as all pieces are still in place.
 
I really hate to end the day without getting the bottom of this problem, but just too beat to tackle it.  Sitting here in front of the computer with a cool brew - which is something I don't ever recall doing before (not the drinking, and not the computer - but both together!)
 
I am taking photos as I disassemble the engine.  It took me 15 minutes once I had the engine on the work stand to get Tracy's gearbox, damper plate, flex plate and flywheel nut off.  Next comes the flex plate, my broken-bolt shield and then the 17 tension bolts (guess I better remember to put heat shrink on them). 
 
Anyhow, thanks to all of you who had suggestions, comments or condolences conveyed to me.  Appreciate them all and I will keep you informed as the disassembly progresses.
 
 
Ed
Ed Anderson
Rv-6A N494BW Rotary Powered
Matthews, NC
eanderson@carolina.rr.com

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