<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