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It actually started. We turned it off and it
started again. WAHOOOOO. But a mear wahoooo doesn't quite express
the amazing feeling and sense of accomplisment of first engine start of the 2nd
gen, turbo housing 13b.
David and I rebuilt it about 1.5 years ago.
Dave did most the teardown, cleaning, measureing tolerance etc and we both
rebuilt it following along Bruce T's video and the Haynes shop manual.
Dave final install on the CC engine mount and Tracy's PSRU. I ran the
wires, hoses...and the rest. A true joint effort.
We tried last night to no avail. Turns out
when I wired the injector switches based on a great diagram from the Flyrotary
list, the illustration stated "top" and I installed that end up with the swithes
being up when on. However, when I was checking my wires this pm I noticed
that power was coming through the switch when the switch was down.....doh!
So, I turned them over and rechecked the rest of my wires and
grounds.
In a damn optomistic gesture while in a pessimistic
mood, my hangar mate, Richard Sessions (who is restoring a VariEZ) and my S/O,
Jana and I pushed the tale of the Velocity out the hangar door (of course it
started sprinkling <g>) (Dave was still at work). We took basic
security procedures, ie showing Jana how to use the fire estingusher. I
turned on the switches (including the now correclty mounted injector switches),
turned on the primary fuel pump, hit the starter button and DAMN, it
fired.........SCARED THE HELL out of us.......you should have seen my two Cairn
Terriers (Winston and Madison) head for the hills (well, Houston has no hills,
but y'all get the idea). We kinda looked at each other in a mixed shock
and amazement and checke that we didn't blow anything off. We actually
mixed fuel, air, compression and spark and got combustion.....who'ed of thunk
it?
We waited for the portable battery charger/starter
to bring the battery back up and tried again. Switches up, Pumps on, press the
starter button......damn, it sputtered and started (after some
cranking). It started to rev really fast, or seeminly so, so I brought the
throttle to closed, which didn't stop it, so I cut the fuel pump and it stopped.
Go figure.
Well, we did this a few more times, never running
it too long since we do not yet have sensors on it yet. Also, Dave got off work
and came by to join the fun. Just the fact it actually ran was
great. Now that Tracy should be getting back into town, we should be able
to order the correct sensors to replace the ones that were missplaced along the
way.
Not quite sure what to work on now. Obviously
we will want to smooth it out and get it to start easily. It is currently
running better on B than A. I may have inavertanly changed someting on A
while messing with it during start sessions (may need to reset A...donno
yet). I think I will now try to start to clean up the wiring so as to make
it easier to manipulate the stuff in the cabin. Righ now the panel is
laying where the front seats should be. So this may be a good starting
point while waiting for sensors that will let me know I am not ruining my new
engine.
Y'all's support and words of wisdom, along with
Tracy Crooks great products it what helped make this a reality. Thanks for
being there. NOW THE REAL WORK (read that as fun)
BEGINS.
Dave will be posting a much more technical account
soon....heck, I bet we both rushed home so we could annouce it to the
world.
Thanks.
All the best,
Chris
Velocity N17010
w/ a Rotary 13b...that actually
runs.
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