X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from QMTA01.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.62.16] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.5) with ESMTP id 3014251 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:45:32 -0400 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=76.96.62.16; envelope-from=cbarber@texasattorney.net Received: from OMTA14.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.62.60]) by QMTA01.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net with comcast id mq3T1Z00T1HzFnQ5103x00; Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:44:55 +0000 Received: from ChristopherNB ([98.200.107.125]) by OMTA14.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net with comcast id mrks1Z00R2iMkLq3arkuyC; Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:44:54 +0000 X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.0 c=1 a=G0x9qzt9etEHeNksf7QA:9 a=NWiyEsu06dB3nSLSA94A:7 a=AnpP9CfctkgPpwpWjQuVL7Vx97sA:4 a=gi0PWCVxevcA:10 a=n0w6Ka25QuulFACEz-kA:9 a=xwBROUbrr9-QnapYarcA:7 a=HLfMjjV8hiFDEJeBpSj7ABwqMxAA:4 a=AfD3MYMu9mQA:10 Message-ID: <9252643A6EF04287B10E05CD8B7FBB63@ChristopherNB> From: "Christopher Barber" To: "FlyRotary aircraft" Subject: Saga info and questions Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2008 22:44:52 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0C24_01C8DFB9.E75C0350" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Windows Mail 6.0.6000.16480 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.0.6000.16545 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0C24_01C8DFB9.E75C0350 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I was out at the hangar again this afternoon. The engine is starting = "all but" really easy. What I mean is it is starting within a couple of = blades but I still have some issues. I think one (or perhaps both) of = my batteries is not being charged by its respective alternator = (Aeroelectric Z-14 drawing). I am getting the volt reading on the EM2 = flashing most of the time. I do not yet know why it sometimes does and = sometimes does not. One more thing to track down. I should be able to = start the troubleshooting in the next couple of days. I gotta educate = myself on proper diagnostic skills in this area. Again, until I = actually come across the issue it is only philosophical and I have to = get up to speed. I know I have some other electrical issues. The other day when I shut = the primaries down at a higher RPM the engine stayed running on the = secondary's (or so I suppose), However, when I did so today the engine = started to die. I am also have my master and aux battery c/b still = popping (but I have not had time to really look at this yet). The engine = runs but I gotta find the reason. Based on Ed's comment the other day I went ahead and cut into my new = coil harness and provided independent power for the leading coils and a = separate line for the trailing coils. I had wanted to do this before, = but had not done so until Ed's words screamed in my head. Now either = set of coils keep the engine alive. I get a very slight rpm drop when = on either set of coils and this is what I think should have been = expected. Thanks Ed. I am getting some missing but I think this is getting better as I get = the mixtures tuned more properly. I have been able to get idle as low = as about 1200 rpm, even though it is pretty rough. This engine has a = medium street port and it seems I remember reading that at this port = level low end idle may suffer. Maybe it is only a more extreme port but = at 1200 it is moderately rough. I have to be careful as to basing too = much on engine sound since as I move around the plane the sound changes. = I think part of this is a popping I get at certain angles due to = exhaust against the prop. I think this because as I move my head from = one position to another the tone changes. So, if I just hold my head = (and tongue) just right, it sounds much better. I will need to learn to = rely on the ME, I suppose The engine seems to like to idle better as I bring the rpm up to 1400, = 1500, 1550 and 1600 rpm it. I read in the achieves in the last few days, = IIRC, that Tracy and Ed Idle at 1600. At 1600 rpm the plane will stay = put without braking or chocks. If I bring it up to 2000 rpm it really = starts to move. Oh, did I mention I have taxied around a bit? . I do not seem to be getting Auto tune to function correctly. I enter = the auto tune mode and I get a lot of tall bars jumping around, but I do = not really notice any difference in the way the engine is running. I am = guessin'/hopin' I need to do more manual tuning first. I am not = confidant in my knowledge on how to read the tracking mode or auto tune = mode yet. It does make better sense as I "play" with it more (with the = manuals in one hand and knobs/throttle in the other ). I am not sure = of how to actually tell it is in the actual auto tune mode as the graphs = seem to change, but maybe they would have anyway. The difference = between genius and ignorance?????? Genius has its limits . I am = becoming more comfortable with the EM and ECU even though I wish Tracy = would include the coolant and oil temperature in tracking/auto tune mode = so I would know when I am hitting my limits. I had a brief issue when = my temps shot up to about 240 for several seconds when I went WOT and = then came out of auto tune mode. Finally for tonight anyway, when I did go to WOT, I got to about 5500 = rpm and my RPM reading on the EM2 went blank. I throttled back a bit = and the rpm readings went all over the place. I throttled back a bit = more and the readings returned to normal. This happened with my old = engine as well but the engine went belly up before I found the problem. = I guess I will have to check wires again, but I have literally checked = the wires (and replaced a few) at least 20 times. I cannot stay at = these rpm's very long at all as it is very hot and humid in Houston in = July. It is usually somewhere between 90 and 97 in the afternoon when I = am out at the hangar. SO I AM ASSUMING THAT my temps are not all that = bad considering the high heat on a stationary bird.......PLEASE correct = me where I am wrong. What should I be seeing. I wish there was a truly = one stop source for all this basic stuff, temp, expected rpm under = certain conditions. I seem to have seen it all at one time, but still = find myself hunting for it online and/or in Tracy's material. I still feel like progress is being made and most of this is pains of = success. Yeah, that's it ;-) Thanks again. All the best, Chris ------=_NextPart_000_0C24_01C8DFB9.E75C0350 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I was out at the hangar again this = afternoon. =20 The engine is starting "all but" really easy.  What I mean is it is = starting within a couple of blades but I still have some issues.  I = think=20 one (or perhaps both) of my batteries is not being charged by its = respective=20 alternator (Aeroelectric Z-14 drawing).  I am getting the volt = reading on=20 the EM2 flashing most of the time.  I do not yet know why it = sometimes does=20 and sometimes does not.  One more thing to track down.  I = should be=20 able to start the troubleshooting in the next couple of days.  I = gotta=20 educate myself on proper diagnostic skills in this area.  = Again, until=20 I actually come across the issue it is only philosophical and = I have=20 to get up to speed.
 
I know I have some other electrical = issues. =20 The other day when I shut the primaries down at a higher RPM the engine = stayed=20 running on the secondary's (or so I suppose), However, when I did so = today the=20 engine started to die. I am also have my master and aux battery c/b = still=20 popping (but I have not had time to really look at this yet). The = engine=20 runs but I gotta find the reason.
 
Based on Ed's comment the other day I = went ahead=20 and cut into my new coil harness and provided independent power for the = leading=20 coils and a separate line for the trailing coils.  I had wanted to = do this=20 before, but had not done so until Ed's words screamed in my head.  = Now=20 either set of coils keep the engine alive.  I get a very slight rpm = drop=20 when on either set of coils and this is what I think should have been=20 expected.  Thanks Ed.
 
I am getting some missing but I think = this is=20 getting better as I get the mixtures tuned more properly.  I have = been able=20 to get idle as low as about 1200 rpm, even though it is pretty = rough.  This=20 engine has a medium street port and it seems I remember reading that at = this=20 port level low end idle may suffer.  Maybe it is only a more = extreme port=20 but at 1200 it is moderately rough.  I have to be careful as to = basing too=20 much on engine sound since as I move around the plane the sound = changes.  I=20 think part of this is a popping I get at certain angles due to exhaust = against=20 the prop.  I think this because as I move my head from one position = to=20 another the tone changes.  So, if I just hold my head (and tongue) = just=20 right, it sounds much better.  I will need to learn to rely on the = ME, I=20 suppose
 
The engine seems to like to idle better = as I bring=20 the rpm up to 1400, 1500, 1550 and 1600 rpm it. I read in the achieves = in the=20 last few days, IIRC, that Tracy and Ed Idle at 1600.  At 1600 rpm = the plane=20 will stay put without braking or chocks.  If I bring it up to 2000 = rpm it=20 really starts to move.  Oh, did I mention I have taxied around a = bit?=20 <yea>.
 
I do not seem to be getting Auto tune = to function=20 correctly.  I enter the auto tune mode and I get a lot of tall bars = jumping=20 around, but I do not really notice any difference in the way the engine = is=20 running. I am guessin'/hopin' I need to do more manual tuning = first.  I am=20 not confidant in my knowledge on how to read the tracking mode or auto = tune mode=20 yet.  It does make better sense as I "play" with it more (with the = manuals=20 in one hand and knobs/throttle in the other <g>).  I am not = sure of=20 how to actually tell it is in the actual auto tune mode as the graphs = seem to=20 change, but maybe they would have anyway.  The difference between = genius=20 and ignorance?????? Genius has its limits <g>.  I am becoming = more=20 comfortable with the EM and ECU even though I wish Tracy would include = the=20 coolant and oil temperature in tracking/auto tune mode so I would know = when I am=20 hitting my limits.  I had a brief issue when my temps shot up to = about 240=20 for several seconds when I went WOT and then came out of auto tune=20 mode.
 
Finally for tonight anyway, when I did = go to WOT, I=20 got to about 5500 rpm and my RPM reading on the EM2 went blank.  I=20 throttled back a bit and the rpm readings went all over the place.  = I=20 throttled back a bit more and the readings returned to normal. This = happened=20 with my old engine as well but the engine went belly up before I found = the=20 problem.  I guess I will have to check wires again, but I have = literally=20 checked the wires (and replaced a few) at least 20 times.  I cannot = stay at=20 these rpm's very long at all as it is very hot and humid in Houston in=20 July.  It is usually somewhere between 90 and 97 in the afternoon = when I am=20 out at the hangar.  SO I AM ASSUMING THAT my temps are not all that = bad=20 considering the high heat on a stationary bird.......PLEASE correct me = where I=20 am wrong.  What should I be seeing.  I wish there was a truly = one stop=20 source for all this basic stuff, temp, expected rpm under certain=20 conditions.  I seem to have seen it all at one time, but still find = myself=20 hunting for it online and/or in Tracy's material.
 
I still feel like progress is being = made and most=20 of this is pains of success. Yeah, that's it ;-)
 
Thanks again.
 
All the best,
 
Chris
------=_NextPart_000_0C24_01C8DFB9.E75C0350--