X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com X-SpamCatcher-Score: 1 [X] Return-Path: Received: from ms-smtp-01.southeast.rr.com ([24.25.9.100] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.1.4) with ESMTP id 1710262 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Sat, 23 Dec 2006 23:31:43 -0500 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=24.25.9.100; envelope-from=eanderson@carolina.rr.com Received: from edward2 (cpe-024-074-100-190.carolina.res.rr.com [24.74.100.190]) by ms-smtp-01.southeast.rr.com (8.13.6/8.13.6) with SMTP id kBO4UtG0009391 for ; Sat, 23 Dec 2006 23:30:55 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <001e01c72714$522a46c0$2402a8c0@edward2> From: "Ed Anderson" To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" References: Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Dead Rotor at 3000ft Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 23:31:02 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_001B_01C726EA.6907F380" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.3028 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01C726EA.6907F380 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Joe, Sorry to hear about your problem but glad to hear you brought her = back safely. Does certainly appear you have a bad apex seal. You might = want to check your ignition timing. I once mistakenly (of course - who = would to it intentionally {:>)) sat my static timing to 45 deg rather = than 35. I noticed while flying that If I opened up the throttle wide = open the note of the exhaust changed to a staccato popping. Well did = not fortunately lose an apex seal but I found the center electrode = ceramic cone was missing for two of the 4 plugs and cracked on the other = two. Just lucky they didn't take out the apex seal. So you might check = that timing just to be certain. "Merry Christmas"? Ed ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Joe Hull=20 To: Rotary motors in aircraft=20 Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2006 11:15 PM Subject: [FlyRotary] Dead Rotor at 3000ft The weather today in the Seattle area was marginal for flying - but a = nice hole opened around my home airport (KAWO) and I was there tinkering = with the plane anyway (re-torqueing the prop)- so up I went. I did 4 = touch and goes just for a wee bit of practice and then departed the = pattern toward a bigger hole that would be legal to climb through VFR. I = flew about 30 miles northwest of the airport out to the edge of the = Puget Sound and enjoyed just being in the air. Power setting was about = 4400RPM and I was loping along at a lazy 135kts. I turned around and = headed back for Arlington and decided to ramp up the power to ramming = speed - errr I mean cruising speed. In a few minutes I was cruising = along at 170kts at about 5500RPM. Then all of a sudden BAM - the engine = stumbled and RPM's dropped to 2300RPM. I immediately throttled back and = switched tanks while turning toward the airport. Altitude was 3200FT = (about 3000AGL) and I was maybe 7 miles from the airport. The engine was = running real rough and wouldn't give me more than 2300RPM. Even with = that little bit of power I ended up entering the 45 to the pattern at = about 800 above pattern altitude. It was pretty slow at the airport so I = easily made a normal landing and was able to taxi back to the hanger = under power.=20 =20 At the hangar I double checked everything I could from the cockpit - = fuel pressure good at 36PSI, oil pressure good at 55PSI at 2300 RPM, = MicroTech ECM showed "OK" for the size major areas it monitors. So, I = shut it down and pulled the cowl. I pulled the prop through a number of = times and it seemed that there was a couple places where I should have = been hearing a "pop" in the exhaust but didn't. I also notice that there = is a nice ding in the prop that is about an inch long - that wasn't = there when I left (remember I'm a pusher). =20 I got the engine compression gage and proceeded to take the spark plug = out of the front rotor - top - BR9EQ-14. Hmmm - I don't remember there = being a casing around the electrode - and why is that casing sliding? = Apparently the casing around the electrode broke somewhere inside the = sparkplug and into two halves long ways down the electrode. Each half = slides freely up and down the electrode and even sticks out a little = from the end. =20 I put the compression gage on and it looks like I get 30-30-70 when I = turn the engine over. I tried this several times and there is definitely = a couple of places where it only goes to 30. So I double check the = location of that ding in the prop - hmmm it's exactly even with the = bottom of the exhaust - right about where an apex seal would come out. =20 I put two new BR9EQ-14's in both rotors and did a quick run - 2300RPM = rough is the best I could get. =20 Some time this week I'll go up and yank the exhaust so I can see the = apex seals - my guess is I'm missing at least one. Bummer.=20 =20 Joe Hull (getting tired of little surprises in the air). Redmond/Seattle WA, Cozy-Mazda Rotary 71hrs =20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- -- Homepage: http://www.flyrotary.com/ Archive and UnSub: http://mail.lancaironline.net/lists/flyrotary/ ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01C726EA.6907F380 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Joe, Sorry to hear about your problem but glad = to hear you=20 brought her back safely.  Does certainly appear you have a bad apex = seal.  You might want to check your ignition timing.  I once=20 mistakenly (of course - who would to it intentionally {:>)) sat my = static=20 timing to 45 deg rather than 35.  I noticed while flying that If I = opened=20 up the throttle wide open the note of the exhaust changed to a staccato=20 popping.  Well did not fortunately lose an apex seal but I found = the center=20 electrode ceramic cone was missing for two of the 4 plugs and cracked on = the=20 other two.  Just lucky they didn't take out the apex seal.  So = you=20 might check that timing just to be certain.
 
"Merry Christmas"?
 
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Joe Hull=20
Sent: Saturday, December 23, = 2006 11:15=20 PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Dead Rotor = at=20 3000ft

The weather today in the = Seattle=20 area was marginal for flying =96 but a nice hole opened around my home = airport=20 (KAWO) and I was there tinkering with the plane anyway (re-torqueing = the=20 prop)=96 so up I went. I did 4 touch and goes just for a wee bit of = practice and=20 then departed the pattern toward a bigger hole that would be legal to = climb=20 through VFR. I flew about 30 miles northwest of the airport out to the = edge of=20 the Puget Sound and enjoyed just = being in the=20 air. Power setting was about 4400RPM and I was loping along at a lazy=20 135kts.  I turned around and headed back for Arlington = and decided to=20 ramp up the power to ramming speed =96 errr I mean cruising speed. In = a few=20 minutes I was cruising along at 170kts at about 5500RPM. Then all of a = sudden=20 BAM =96 the engine stumbled and RPM=92s dropped to 2300RPM.  I = immediately=20 throttled back and switched tanks while turning toward the airport. = Altitude=20 was 3200FT (about 3000AGL) and I was maybe 7 miles from the airport. = The=20 engine was running real rough and wouldn=92t give me more than = 2300RPM. Even=20 with that little bit of power I ended up entering the 45 to the = pattern at=20 about 800 above pattern altitude. It was pretty slow at the airport so = I=20 easily made a normal landing and was able to taxi back to the hanger = under=20 power.

 

At the hangar I double = checked=20 everything I could from the cockpit =96 fuel pressure good at 36PSI, = oil=20 pressure good at 55PSI at 2300 RPM, MicroTech ECM showed =93OK=94 for = the size=20 major areas it monitors. So, I shut it down and pulled the cowl. I = pulled the=20 prop through a number of times and it seemed that there was a couple = places=20 where I should have been hearing a =93pop=94 in the exhaust but = didn=92t. I also=20 notice that there is a nice ding in the prop that is about an inch = long =96 that=20 wasn=92t there when I left (remember I=92m a = pusher).

 

I got the engine = compression gage=20 and proceeded to take the spark plug out of the front rotor =96 top = =96 BR9EQ-14.=20 Hmmm =96 I don=92t remember there being a casing around the electrode = =96 and why is=20 that casing sliding?  Apparently the casing around the electrode = broke=20 somewhere inside the sparkplug and into two halves long ways down the=20 electrode. Each half slides freely up and down the electrode and even = sticks=20 out a little from the end.

 

I put the compression = gage on and=20 it looks like I get 30-30-70 when I turn the engine over. I tried this = several=20 times and there is definitely a couple of places where it only goes to = 30. So=20 I double check the location of that ding in the prop =96 hmmm it=92s = exactly even=20 with the bottom of the exhaust =96 right about where an apex seal = would come=20 out.

 

I put two new = BR9EQ-14=92s in both=20 rotors and did a quick run =96 2300RPM rough is the best I could=20 get.

 

Some time this week = I=92ll go up and=20 yank the exhaust so I can see the apex seals =96 my guess is I=92m = missing at=20 least one. Bummer.

 

Joe Hull (getting tired = of little=20 surprises in the air).

Redmond/Seattle WA, = Cozy-Mazda=20 Rotary 71hrs

 

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