X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from cdptpa-omtalb.mail.rr.com ([75.180.132.123] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.3.9) with ESMTP id 4472141 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Sun, 19 Sep 2010 00:26:26 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=75.180.132.123; envelope-from=eanderson@carolina.rr.com Return-Path: X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.1 cv=OP830dBxJYy8113wbOTqEIUeLUY+k0eWfJxojYLepTE= c=1 sm=0 a=4dIVwts90zUA:10 a=rPkcCx1H5rrOSfN0dPC7kw==:17 a=T4MJr__qVSMs8Z1U3rsA:9 a=lB3jH2TlQj_2oJmeDq8A:7 a=GEGBq6IEAOnPgTKQAmrESKohyXkA:4 a=wPNLvfGTeEIA:10 a=pGLkceISAAAA:8 a=Ia-xEzejAAAA:8 a=LdlGNn-ZMqTAt3Y3sCsA:9 a=h_jeZ5rF8wYxsCZeaF0A:7 a=oOpYkYKSSZCumdsqkpicYX2T2s8A:4 a=MSl-tDqOz04A:10 a=EzXvWhQp4_cA:10 a=rPkcCx1H5rrOSfN0dPC7kw==:117 X-Cloudmark-Score: 0 X-Originating-IP: 174.110.167.5 Received: from [174.110.167.5] ([174.110.167.5:51995] helo=EdPC) by cdptpa-oedge02.mail.rr.com (envelope-from ) (ecelerity 2.2.2.39 r()) with ESMTP id 15/8D-07275-9C0959C4; Sun, 19 Sep 2010 04:25:45 +0000 Message-ID: <73304DCCE1F14994BD533C580591AD43@EdPC> From: "Ed Anderson" To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" References: In-Reply-To: Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Watch that psru oil seal Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2010 00:25:25 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_001F_01CB5791.27985440" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Importance: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Windows Live Mail 14.0.8117.416 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V14.0.8117.416 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_001F_01CB5791.27985440 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable You don't know how relieved I am that you're not after the plaque, Mark = {:>) Seriously, good timely decision - so very important when things are not = right. First thing when something untoward happens is (as Mark did) turn = toward a suitable landing spot - that way you are headed toward safety = WHILE you are doing your diagnostic trouble shooting. Waiting to turn = until you have CONFIRMED you have a problem may well be just that much = time/distance lost that you needed to reach safety. With only 15 psi = remaining, Mark clearly did not have a lot of margin left. Even 10 = seconds can make a difference. If it turns out not to be a problem then = - you've burnt a couple gallons of fuel unnecessarily. Good decision making and good flying, Mark. Ed From: Mark Steitle=20 Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2010 10:40 PM To: Rotary motors in aircraft=20 Subject: [FlyRotary] Watch that psru oil seal First, let me make it perfectly clear that I'm not going for the Ed = Anderson "Deadstick" plaque. Ed has earned it and as far as I'm = concerned he can just as well keep it. A little background: I'm running a N/A p-ported 20B powered Lancair ES. = I recently changed back to the old style CAS from the Renesis style CAS = due to inability to get the engine to run smoothly. This turns out to = have been a good decision because the engine is running much better with = the old style CAS. With the switch completed, I was ready for some = ground running and some fast taxi runs. This was accomplished on = Friday, 9/17. It ran very good, 100% improvement over the other = (Renesis) CAS, reaching 6800 rpm during the fast taxi. After doing a = fast taxi, it felt good and everything was in the green, so I decided to = take a lap around the pattern. It accelerated and climbed like you = would expect from a p-port 3-rotor. As I was turning downwind, I = thought I saw a faint bit of smoke in the cabin. I tried to detect if = it was electrical in nature or oil. I thought it smelled more like oil. = I throttled back and watched the EM-2 for a sign of what could be = wrong. About 3/4 ways down the downwind leg the oil pressure had = dropped and was reading 53 psi. (The oil pressure normally runs around = 80psi.) I throttled back, announced my intentions, and headed for the = numbers. I was the only a/c in the pattern at the time. I had to slip = it a bit, but got on the ground without delay and taxied off the runway = and parked. The oil pressure had dropped to 14 psi bythe time I got it = shut down. The whole episode maybe lasted 2 minutes. =20 Upon climbing out I could see that there was oil blown out of the side = cowl seams all down both sides of the fuse (I'm fortunate it didn't coat = the windscreen). Oil was dripping out the nose gear fairing and was = forming a puddle on the asphalt. I tried to imagine what could possibly = have failed... oil line, oil cooler, oil filter, etc. I towed it back = to the hangar and pulled the upper cowl. A quick look and it was = evident that the rear psru seal was the cause. It had come out of = position and had rubbed on the damper hub until it abraded through the = rubber. This allowed oil to flow out around the input shaft at the rear = of the gearbox and be sprayed all over the inner cowl. Yes, I'm very = lucky there was no fire!=20 I would like to point out that while I'm running an RD-2C gearbox, I'm = using a custom adapter plate which relocates the starter to the plugs = side of the engine. The seal is strictly a press fit into a = counter-bore in the 1/2" aluminum plate with no mechanical locking = device. =20 I have since removed the gearbox and plan to install a new seal with two = flathead screws which will be positioned so as to mechanically retain = the seal in the counterbore, preventing a recurrence. =20 I post this only to make others aware of a potential failure mode that = they may otherwise not recognized as such. Mark ------=_NextPart_000_001F_01CB5791.27985440 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
You don't know how relieved I am that you're not = after the=20 plaque, Mark {:>)
 
Seriously, good timely decision - so very = important when=20 things are not right.
 
  First thing when something untoward = happens is (as=20 Mark did)  turn toward  a suitable landing spot - that way you = are=20 headed toward safety WHILE you are doing your diagnostic trouble = shooting. =20 Waiting to turn until you have CONFIRMED you have a problem may well be = just=20 that much  time/distance lost that you needed to reach = safety.  With=20 only 15 psi remaining, Mark clearly did not have a lot of margin = left. =20 Even 10  seconds can make a difference.  If it turns out = not to=20 be a problem then - you've burnt a couple gallons of fuel=20 unnecessarily.
 
Good decision making and good flying, = Mark.
 
Ed

From: Mark Steitle
Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2010 10:40 PM
To: Rotary motors in = aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Watch that psru oil = seal

First, let me make it perfectly clear that I'm not going for = the Ed=20 Anderson "Deadstick" plaque.  Ed has earned it and as far as I'm=20 concerned he can just as well keep it.
 
A little background:  I'm running a N/A p-ported 20B = powered=20 Lancair ES.  I recently changed back to the old style CAS from = the Renesis style CAS due to inability to get the engine=20 to run smoothly.  This turns out to have been a good decision=20 because the engine is running much better with the old style = CAS. =20 With the switch completed, I was ready for some ground running and some = fast=20 taxi runs.  This was accomplished on Friday, 9/17.  It ran = very good,=20 100% improvement over the other (Renesis) CAS, reaching 6800 rpm during = the fast=20 taxi.  After doing a fast taxi, it felt good and = everything=20 was in the green, so I decided to take a lap around the pattern. =20 It accelerated and climbed like you would expect from a p-port = 3-rotor.  As I was turning downwind, I thought I saw a faint = bit of=20 smoke in the cabin.  I tried to detect if it was electrical in = nature=20 or oil.  I thought it smelled more like oil.  I throttled back = and=20 watched the EM-2 for a sign of what could be wrong.  About 3/4 = ways down the downwind leg the oil pressure had dropped and = was=20 reading 53 psi.  (The oil pressure normally runs around = 80psi.) =20 I throttled back, announced my intentions, and headed for the=20 numbers.  I was the only a/c in the pattern at the time.  = I had to slip it a bit, but got on the ground without delay = and taxied=20 off the runway and parked.  The oil pressure had dropped to 14 = psi bythe time I got it shut down.  The whole = episode=20 maybe lasted 2 minutes.  
 
Upon climbing out I could see that there was oil blown out of = the side=20 cowl seams all down both sides of the fuse (I'm fortunate it didn't coat = the=20 windscreen).  Oil was dripping out the nose gear fairing = and was=20 forming a puddle on the asphalt.  I tried to imagine what could = possibly=20 have failed... oil line, oil cooler, oil filter, etc.  I towed it = back to=20 the hangar and pulled the upper cowl.  A quick look = and it was=20 evident that the rear psru seal was the cause.  It had come = out=20 of position and had rubbed on the damper hub until = it abraded=20 through the rubber.  This allowed oil to flow out around the input = shaft at=20 the rear of the gearbox and be sprayed all over the inner cowl.  = Yes, I'm=20 very lucky there was no fire! 
 
I would like to point out that while I'm running an RD-2C = gearbox, I'm=20 using a custom adapter plate which relocates the starter to = the plugs=20 side of the engine.  The seal is strictly a press fit into a = counter-bore=20 in the 1/2" aluminum plate with no mechanical locking=20 device.  
 
I have since removed the gearbox and plan to install a new = seal with=20 two flathead screws which will be positioned so as=20 to mechanically retain the seal in the counterbore, = preventing a=20 recurrence.  
 
I post this only to make others aware of a = potential=20 failure mode that they may otherwise not recognized as=20 such.
 
Mark           =20
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