----- Original Message -----

From: Mark Steitle

To: Rotary motors in aircraft

Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2007 6:05 AM

Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: One for the smart guys

Ed,
Do you really think I would admit to doing something like that?  I can see where maybe bad plug wires could do it, or cross-firing, or a bad coil or two.   Anyway,  that wasn't the problem either.

Well, I guess I'm going to have to tell you what it was before you go nuts (probably too late already). 

OK, here you go (drum roll)....

When I converted over to the Renesis CAS, I used the old style front cover which doesn't have a bracket for the CAS, so I had to fabricate a bracket.  So, what do you make a bracket out of that is a single point failure item?  You make it out of 4130 of course!  WRONG!!!!  Apparently, since 4130 is a ferrous metal, it disrupted the signal from the CAS at high rpm causing misfiring.  I fabricated a new bracket from aluminum, and the misfiring went away and the engine runs great.  You have to admit that this is a very unusual situation to try to diagnose.  So, if anyone is planning on converting to the Renesis CAS, make the bracket out of aluminum, not 4130. 

OK, so now you know.  Go get some sleep before you hurt yourself. 

Mark

P.S.  Kelly - The gap does significantly affect the signal.  Before discovering the problem, I tried various air gaps.  I even got it to where the engine wouldn't start.  This gap is hard to control during the fabrication of the CAS bracket.  The final gap is about .020" and it works great at that setting.
 

On 9/15/07, Ed Anderson <eanderson@carolina.rr.com> wrote:

OK, the only remaining thing I can think of - is you did not have the plug wires firmly inserted into their sockets requiring the spark to jump two (or more gaps) before getting to the spark plug.  At higher rpm the lessening dwell time for the coils did not permit them to build up adequate voltage to jump the gaps every firing pulse.

 

There!  Going to bed {:>)

 

Ed

----- Original Message -----

From: Mark Steitle

To: Rotary motors in aircraft

Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2007 8:23 PM

Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: One for the smart guys

Dennis,

Nope, part of the conversion was to install the stock Renesis timing gear.  The problem has been fixed and the Renesis gear is still there.  Just in case you're wondering, the timing gear wasn't installed backwards nor was it clocked incorrectly.  

Mark

On 9/15/07, Dennis Haverlah <clouduster@austin.rr.com> wrote:

Mark,
 Was the frequency of the teeth going by the wheel too high for the CAS?

Dennis H.

Mark Steitle wrote:

Bob,

While good things to check, neither of these were the cause of my problem.  At Tracy's suggestion, I changed the air gap on the CAS to no avail. 

Mark

On 9/15/07, bmears9413@aol.com <bmears9413@aol.com> wrote:

I haven't cheated and looked at the manual.....since your gonna tell us anyway...eventually...but problems I've had before in race cars...plug wires running parallel to each other, and too large of air gap in the pickup in the distributor.   Close???

Bob Mears
Supermarine Spitfire


-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Steitle <msteitle@gmail.com>
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Sat, 15 Sep 2007 7:53 am
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: One for the smart guys

Ed,

You are getting closer when you stated that it must be erratic ignition.  (I wish I had someone to give me hints).  Yes, the ignition timing was too far advanced, but retarding the timing didn't correct the problem.  The coils are LS1 units, 6 ea, so any individual coil isn't firing any more often than on a 2-rotor.  So, what's causing the erratic ingition?  That's the question.

 

Mark

 

On 9/15/07, Ed Anderson <eanderson@carolina.rr.com > wrote:

Hey, No Fair! Mark.   Most of us do not have a Renesis shop manual.  But, lets see the old CS had three wires, the new one has two wires - I get it - there is a wire missing {:>).

 

  So it sounds like the problem was  indeed ignition - well, its almost always either fuel or spark causing a problem.  So if fuel is more or less ruled out it defaults to ignition.  It probably wouldn't be a rev limiter as they simply cut out above a certain rpm.  So either your ignition timing somehow was off at higher rpm (too much advance?)  or else your ignition was erratic in its firing (such as exceeding the capability of the coils to recharge between firings - unlikely in this case).

 

But, without a shop manual to give me more insight, I must say I'm out of ideas.

 

Ed

 

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Mark Steitle

To: Rotary motors in aircraft

Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 10:52 PM

Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: One for the smart guys

 

Now Rusty!!!  That's too obvious.  ;-)

 

OK, another hint... I got a hint of what might be causing my problem from the ignition section of the Renesis shop manual. 

 

Mark

 

On 9/14/07, Russell Duffy <rusty@radrotary.com > wrote:

OK, I'll give you a hint... it was related to my decision to change over from the original CAS to the Renesis CAS.  I got that bright idea from last year's rotary get together at Tracy's.    

 

I've got it.  YOU were the problem :-) 

 

Rusty

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