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Message-ID: <1c23473f0509041953507461dd@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2005 19:53:13 -0700
From: David Leonard <wdleonard@gmail.com>
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Another great flying day = another day of troubleshooting
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After a great trip to Santa Paula I finally solved my "compressor surge"=20
issue. Turns out that it was SAG (Spark plug induced Attention Getter) all=
=20
along. Sigh.. Despite the fact that the plugs were only a handful of hours=
=20
old, and they worked fine at MAPs in the N.A. range. I was convinced that m=
y=20
power drop issue was surge because it seemed directly related to pressure=
=20
ratio...
 I finally change out the spark plug and wala... no issue. Now i sort of=20
wish I didn't cut off the waste-gate flapper.... oh well.
 But life with an auto conversion seems never without an issue or two.
 Went out to the plane yesterday ready for a flight but found a puddle of=
=20
coolant underneath... sigh...
 turns out that my lower radiator cap went bad. Easy enough. Return the nex=
t=20
day and install a new one. Give everything a good once over and discover a=
=20
broken alternator tension arm!!! Holy S*(^ !! Broken clean through but not=
=20
displaced very far (hard to notice). From the looks of it, the thing has=20
been broken for at least 20 flight hours! Hmmm.
 So I went home and made a new one - same design until I can come up with=
=20
better materials and/or design. Looking at the old one there was the end of=
=20
a hacksaw cut right where break occurred. I should have been more careful=
=20
grinding it out.=20
 So that is fixed for the time being and I went flying with a friend in an=
=20
RV-8 with a 180h.p. and c/s prop. Except for initial acceleration on ground=
=20
roll, I could out perform him in climb and cruise even with my f.p. prop.=
=20
:-) COOL!!!!
 But then I found my next problem....
 Return fuel flow started drooping. Where I normally see 30+ gph returned t=
o=20
the tank, I was seeing about 20gph. We landed for lunch and I searched for=
=20
signs of a fuel leak - none. Fuel flow seem normal on the ground, as did=20
fuel usage for the flight. hmmm.=20
 On the way home the problem recurred, and flow continued to dwindle. at=20
4gph I turned on the aux pump and solved the problem. Sure was nice to have=
=20
2 of them.
 I always pictured these pumps failing all of a sudden, but this one just=
=20
sort of faded. Has anyone had experience with this? I will check the wiring=
=20
and fuel filter... and report back. Only 150 hrs on this pump.... I hope th=
e=20
next one last longer....

--=20
Dave Leonard (just ordered a replacement pump from Tracy - but he is going=
=20
away... sigh)
Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VY
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/rotaryroster/index.html
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/vp4skydoc/index.html

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<div>After a great trip to Santa Paula I finally solved my &quot;compressor=
 surge&quot; issue.&nbsp; Turns out that it was SAG (Spark plug induced Att=
ention Getter) all along.&nbsp; Sigh..&nbsp;&nbsp; Despite the fact that th=
e plugs were only a handful of hours old, and they worked fine at MAPs in t=
he=20
N.A. range.&nbsp; I was convinced that my power drop issue was surge becaus=
e it seemed directly related to pressure ratio...</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>I finally change out the spark plug and wala... no issue.&nbsp; Now i =
sort of wish I didn't cut off the waste-gate flapper....&nbsp; oh well.</di=
v>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>But life with an auto conversion seems never without an issue or two.<=
/div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Went out to the plane yesterday ready for a flight but found a puddle =
of coolant underneath...&nbsp;&nbsp;sigh...</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>turns out that my lower radiator cap went bad.&nbsp; Easy enough.&nbsp=
; Return the next day and install a new one.&nbsp; Give everything a good o=
nce over and discover a broken alternator tension arm!!!&nbsp;&nbsp; Holy S=
*(^ !!&nbsp; Broken clean through but not displaced very far (hard to notic=
e).&nbsp; From the looks of it, the thing has been broken for at least 20 f=
light hours!&nbsp;&nbsp; Hmmm.
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>So I went home and made a new one - same design until I can come up wi=
th better materials and/or design.&nbsp; Looking at the old one there was t=
he end of a hacksaw cut right where break occurred.&nbsp; I should have bee=
n more careful grinding it out.&nbsp;=20
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>So that is fixed for the time being and I went flying with a friend in=
 an RV-8 with a 180h.p. and c/s prop.&nbsp; Except for initial acceleration=
 on ground roll, I could out perform him in climb and cruise even with my f=
.p
. prop.&nbsp;&nbsp; :-)&nbsp; COOL!!!!</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>But then I found my next problem....</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Return fuel flow started drooping.&nbsp; Where I normally see 30+ gph =
returned to the tank, I was seeing about 20gph.&nbsp; We landed for lunch a=
nd I searched for signs of a fuel leak - none.&nbsp; Fuel flow seem normal =
on the ground, as did fuel usage for the flight.&nbsp; hmmm.&nbsp;=20
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>On the way home the problem recurred, and flow continued to dwindle.&n=
bsp; at 4gph I turned on the aux pump and solved the problem.&nbsp; Sure wa=
s nice to have 2 of them.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>I always pictured these pumps failing all of a sudden, but this one ju=
st sort of faded.&nbsp; Has anyone had experience with this?&nbsp; I will c=
heck the wiring and fuel filter... and report back.&nbsp; Only 150 hrs on t=
his pump.... I hope the next one last longer....
<br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>Dave Leonard (just ordered a replacement pump =
from Tracy - but he is going away...&nbsp; sigh)<br>Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VY<=
br><a href=3D"http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/rotaryroster/index.html">http://=
members.aol.com/_ht_a/rotaryroster/index.html
</a><br><a href=3D"http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/vp4skydoc/index.html">http:=
//members.aol.com/_ht_a/vp4skydoc/index.html</a> </div>

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