----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 9:29
PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Musings, Curiosities
and Frustrations RE: My rotary install
I received my EC2/EM back from Tracy a week or so
again and got it all installed (luckily my EC2 is in an easy access location
on the cabin side firewall of my Velocity). After messin' with stuff and
holding my tongue just right I have gotten my engine to fire up and run.
Thank heavens, but now I have some questions for the collective regarding its
running and some issues I am unsure about.
First, it seems if the stars are all aligned just
right and Taurus is in sync with Venus, I have gotten the
engine to start my last three trips to the hangar, however, I have not been
able to get it to RE-start following the initial start-up. It comes
close and it will cough and spew and fire but not quite start. So, it seems
hard to start initially, even though it has started when cold but then does
not want to start once run for several minutes. Thoughts?
Second, on the EM, I will advance the throttle
and watch the RPM rise, but as I get to around 4500 rpm the rpm's start
jumping around up to like 6500 then drops to 2000, then maybe to 4000 rpm
every couple of seconds (I do not have NOP displayed though)....this is ONLY
on the EM the engine is churning steadily at a high RPM, but I have no idea of
what the rpm's really are. In the lower rpm's the monitor seems to be more
consistent....but actually it will jump around a bit too, but still has a more
realistically even display at what I believe the rpm's actually are.
Thoughts?
Third, a bit more of a philosophical
question. If we are using heat exchangers that are maybe about the same
size as used in a car why do we seem to have cooling problems when the cars
don't. Is it that when cars are stationary in traffic the rpm's remain pretty
low and if they were revving at high rpm's they too would heat up faster?
(also some seriously refined engineering from the auto
manufacturers). I have not tweaked my cooling yet, but I have a pretty
big radiator but I seem to be getting over 200 degree's F after only several
minutes of running. It does take longer if it is running around 1000 rpm
or below. I was just curious as to why it does not seem to transfer from
cars to our use more directly. Would this be likely a non issue if I had
150 or so mph ram air being forced through the rad and oil cooler? But again,
like I have said, my system has not been tweaked since I just got my computers
back and just got it running again (also, being in Houston likely does not
help any...even though it was a very pleasant 85 with low humidity
today. Would colder weather make much of a difference?) How long
should I expect to run the engine while stationary during engine testing and
refinement before needing to shut down? Tracy mentioned in the manual that
during "Auto Tune" mode, which may take about 10 minutes or so that if the
engine gets too hot, to shut down and start where you left off after the
engine cools. Is this about right, 10 minutes, or so, and the engine may
start to approach red line. If so, I may be about right already.
Thoughts?
Finally, for now anyway, the rear seal on my "B"
redrive failed. and I was having oil spread out from the rear of the
redrive I replaced the seal (9009 IIRC) per Tracy's phone instructions
and checked to make sure the passages where clear, but low and behold, it is
leaking again. Sorry, not much to go on. I
will disassemble again and check when I get a chance
though. Thoughts?
As always thanks for the insight. I know I
can get too close to the issue and having a fresh perspective from y'all can
be very helpful and give me a chance to step away and go "of course" once it
is pointed out to me.
Thanks.
All the best,
Chris Barber
Houston