<insert favorite string of expletives here>
Ok, to start this rant/post out, as annoyed as I am, I need to be
grateful. I flew the other day, Friday, and everything was
great. I was just flying over the airport after some modifications to
test systems (replaced the front cover o-ring AGAIN...this time with a
small cylinder pressed into the hole with the O-ring around
it to prevent it from slipping out...along with the silicone ring around the
O-ring). I was up about ten minutes and all my gages were well in the
green and the engine seemed to be running solidly. I turned on down wind at
about 1500 feet, looked down at my gages again and noticed my water and oil
temps were both red with coolant temps at 260 degrees. Damn.
Called for clearance to land as I reduced power. Pegged my best landing
and taxied back to the hangar without incident resulting in injury.
I only had time to remove the cowl and note that the cowl was wet but
had to leave for the day. I returned the next day and started it up with
only a little difficulty and noted the radiator was not getting
warm...thus concluded no flow. I ordered a new water pump
from Mazdatrix with expedited
shipping and installed it. I figured the water pump was likely twenty
years old and a new one would hurt. Just as I was buttoning it up and
reinstalling the pulley on the new water pump I was moving
the stainless water hose out of the way for the
wrench and FINALLY saw the REAL problem. The stainless steel water
hose had shifted and rubbed up on the e-shaft pulley and
gouged two small holes allowing my coolant to blow into the atmosphere
of greater Houston.
Sigh. Ok, repaired the hose today. Filled the system with new
coolant (still has some in the radiator with is under the engine). Ok,
for those of you in the know, you know it was hard to start (yes, I have been
here before). Finally, with much difficulty and a jump box
the engine started...and ran well...but, after taking a few
minutes to warm up, it jumped to about 200 degrees. I shut down and as
expected by now, steam came out of the tail pipe and I could hear the water
boiling in the chambers. Sigh again. I pushed the plane into the
hangar and pulled a plug, pulled the prop through and steam shot out of the
plug hole.
Ok, this sucks, but at least my engine did not seize and
it kept running for a normal landing AND, I do know how to rebuild these
things (even if apparently do not know how to properly tie
back a water hose as not to rub on a fast moving e-shaft
pulley). So, the tear down is inevitable.
Hopefully the damage is limited to the O-rings.....gee I hope I didn't warp
the plates, I just cant afford that right now (so they most certainly are
warped....).
Just wanted to share.
Chris Barber
Houston
2.2 hours in Phase One testing