I am hoping not to jinx myself, however, I got my electronics back from Tracy a few days ago. I had sent them in following my latest engine build.  If ya'll remember, my lasted engine build failed. due to the failed O-ring wall in a brand new intermediate plate.  While waiting, I have been cleaning up my install.

Well, yesterday I reinstalled the electronics and was able to fire her up.  Ok, here is the part that is significant to me....After running her for several minutes, with good coolant temps (but considerable higher oil temps....no worries yet, it is a new radiator and oil coolers (2) install and needs better ducting to the oil coolers) I shut her down AND then started her right back up. 

Not a big deal to most, but the consistent problems I have had with my engine was that after I had run them for a short while they would not restart for hours.  In both the previous builds I found coolant in the rotor chambers....the second build problem from the aforementioned  center plate failing (still not sure about the first build problem, other than me overheating it, running w/o load etc all in a wonderful education though mistake learning curve <g>). Coolant would seep in....or, in the case of the last build, gush in.  While the engine would start initially, it got harder and harder.  When this pattern repeated is when I discovered the broken center plate.

I know it may not seem too significant to most, but to me, to be able to shut her down then just start her right back up gives me a quiet joy I can't explain.  Also, I went back to the hangar tonight after work, pushed out the Velocity turned on the switches, cracked the throttle about 1/3 (no priming needed....I may have been flooding her a bit before) and she fired right up again. Shut down, and the same thing again, she started right up.  Such joy at such a little event.  It was about 2:00 am by this time (I get off duty at 11:00pm), so I retired for the night......good thing the airport hangars are far from all homes.  Of course even my rotary roar is no match for the jets (military, civilian and NASA) constantly taking off from EFD when it comes to noise, even at 2:00am.

NOW, perhaps, I can get to some actual progress in tuning the EC2/EM2 and trouble shooting.  Wahoo.  I am guessing I will have many of the concerns of those before me.  Right now, it is missing a bit and some surging, but I feel I can (hopefully) get to the meat of tuning if I can get clean starts and keep the temps down while doing so.  The much larger radiator/fan is helping.  The oil cooler is larger than before but I think the fan for the radiator is stealing some airflow from the oil cooler.  An issue I see a couple of potential solutions for.  In any case, all the temps stay cooler longer than my last incarnation

Also, I am having some injector problems, but I think it should be just a simple wiring problem.....possibly a good old fashion short.  The primaries and secondary's both have power from different sources, if I have power to either of them separately, they chatter away.  however, if I turn on the power to both at the same time, they both stop. It also has wanted to stop completely when I got over about 4000 rpm (even if I do not want to take it much higher than that yet due to it still breaking in, I do know the engine should not just quit.....gee, ya think ;-). Hmmmm, time to trace wires and connections.  I do not think it has anything to do with the EC/EM.  Just one more thing to figure out.

Thanks for allowing me to share my latest chapter in the continuing Saga.  I hope to see a lot of y'all on Saturday.

All the best,

Chris Barber
Houston