----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2008 10:44
PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Saga info and
questions
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? <yea>.
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
<g>). 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 <g>. 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