Belch the system.
I like that!
I have a turbo 13b with a chin radiator.
I alway lose some coolant ground running, and today was no exception.
I've been busy at the airport getting the airframe together, and today I put fuel in the tanks for the first time. No Leaks!
So I checked the engine oil and coolant, and ran it the hardest yet. Tracy's power indicator read 51% at about 4800 RPM??
SO that's about 2200 Propeller RPM, and the Catto prop is the same as for a Lycoming 180 HP except it's rotation..
So my static thrust, on the first try at the airport is approx equal to a Lycoming O-360.
I need to read the manual a lot more. For some reason, it fell off at 50% power, dropping back to 45%. Adding throttle made a new noise but no additional power, so I gave up on that immediately.
Water temp was about 158 F but oil temp had climbed to 206F (Oops!) so I ran the RPM down biefly and shut down.
My son acted as fire watch. He saw some leakage, and fearing that it was fuel, shut me down. The coolant cap leaks. It's one of those weld in race caps from Summit or Jegs. I have a lever cap on it. The coolant expanded into the catch can, but also drooled out and down the fire wall.
I guess I'm pretty excited, but back to coolant.
When I add coolant, I pick up the tail wheel and hold it over my head. The air bubbles move thru the cooland system, hoses, radiator ends etc. When I set the tail wheel back down and check the fill cap, I usually get to add some more coolant!
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Barber <cbarber@texasattorney.net>
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Sun, Feb 26, 2012 4:47 pm
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Thermostats.
Thanks Dave. Yes the larger radiators I purchased (between the size of Dave
Leanards and John Slades, also turbos) is double pass. I tested the thermostat
today and it open as designed. I did drill a couple of holes in it tho. I also
tried to belch my system. I ran for awhile with the radiator cap off and also
loosened the AN fitting for the hose that comes from the coolant port on the top
rear side plate to hopefully get the air out. I even lifted the nose a shook the
plane attempting to force air out. Ok. Lifting the nose may have been useful
only in my mind.
Well, seems like I have some improvement. I idled for quite a while (didn't
check the clock as intended) at around 1700 rpm, prop fine pitched (45 - 105
IVO), 68 inch prop. Temps stabilized at about 193 coolant, 180 oil. When I
increased power a bit temps rose, but they would slowly come down when powered
back. Oh, for Houston it was chilly at 60 ish degrees.
Sent from my iPhone 4
On Feb 26, 2012, at 1:51 PM, "Dave" <david.staten@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 2/26/2012 11:29 AM, Chris Barber wrote:
>> I have been searching the archives but to scant successes regarding
thermostats use or lack of use for cooling.
>>
>> I have been having issue with cooling lately. I use to be able to idle on the
ramp for over an hour in the middle of a Houston summer with adequate cooling.
However, lately temps are rising faster and higher.
>>
>> Yesterday, while troubleshooting this issue I noted that after about a ten
minute taxi that the mounting location of my coolant temp probes was reading
about 220 degrees measured with a handheld thermo gage, close to what was being
indicated on the panel However, the top of the radiator was cool to the touch.
The handheld thermo gage read 45 degrees. Ok. Seems to be a
flow/thermostat/pump issue. I will be Looking into this ASAP.
>>
>> This got me to think about thermostat usage. I have one. I know some do not
use them.
>>
>> It is my understanding that if you remove the thermostat you have to close
some passage off. What passage is this and why does this need to be done. Also,
what is the accepted method.
>>
>> While researching I also saw discussion on restrictive plates. While I am not
considering a restrictive plate, the thread discussed drilling holes in the
thermostat itself. Lynn mentioned do it caught my interest.
>>
>> It seems this is something I use to know but now forget where I saw it. I
just finished reviewing my partial scan of Tracy's conversion manual to no avail
and my archive search is giving me hundreds of returns.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone 4
>> --
>> Homepage: http://www.flyrotary.com/
>> Archive and UnSub: http://mail.lancaironline.net:81/lists/flyrotary/List.html
>>
>
> The first engine we built had no thermostat, and had "that" port plugged. The
thermostat is essentially a Y valve... When cold, it is closed, and water is
diverted through a bypass hole back to the engine. When warm it opens, diverting
water from the bypass channel and sending it through the radiator. Of course
this is a gradual change from one position to the other, as a result of thermal
expansion.
>
> If you believe your instrumentation is correct now, and was correct then, with
regards to temperatures and your idle ability, then what has changed?
>
> Has the thermostat failed or become plugged? Has airflow over the radiator
changed? Is this the same radiator you saw the long low temp idles with? (I
bought that dual pass cross over radiator for a specific reason - to put a
cooling fan on one small part of the rad, allowing forced airflow to cool ALL of
the coolant as it passed through one of the pass channels - if you replaced the
radiator was it a dual-pass as well?) Using the dual pass rad with a fan only
over 1/4 of the rad surface would provide a large surface for ram air cooling at
speed while still permitting very effective fan-forced cooling on the ground and
at idle.
>
> Dave Staten
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Homepage: http://www.flyrotary.com/
> Archive and UnSub: http://mail.lancaironline.net:81/lists/flyrotary/List.html
--
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