Ernest, it's time to invest in a good fire extinguisher, hosing down a maybe oil fire really gets interesting.  JohnD
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ernest Christley" <echristley@att.net>
To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2012 11:16 PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: At least I didn't....

And then it happens again.

Today I put on the  rudder, since it is tied into the nosegear steering, and the new muffler I built.  This is the first time that I've run with the cowl on for any significant amount of time.  It was taking a while to warm up to 160, even though it was around 80 degrees outside.

Finally, I shut down and was motified to see smoke rising from the engine compartment.  Jumped out and grabbed the hose.  No fire, but the exhaust had burned the cowling where it passes close.

Maybe I can get the newest repairman to help me out 8*)


The muffler works really well, BTW.

hoursaway1@comcast.net wrote:

Ernest,, the guy you should be pissed at is the one who came up with the phrase,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,SHIT HAPPENS,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,. David.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ernest Christley" <echristley@att.net>
To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Friday, May 4, 2012 7:54:10 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] At least I didn't....

Cause an interplanetary probe to crash or an airliner to run out of fuel.

You know, one of those stupid mistake caused by incorrect conversions.
My conversion trip-up was converting "front rotor" from the car to the
airplane (and ignoring the "F" and "R" that I stamped into the rotor
housings).

I had fuel. I had air. I had spark. It was just that the spark was
going to the wrong rotor. And I used a timing light to verify that I
was getting the spark. Except I took the timing from the wrong rotor.
I even searched this group and verified that I had the EDIS-4 coils
wired correctly. Connectors 1 and 4 go to the front rotor. Given that
the front rotor is the one in the front on the airplane, not the car.

Doh!!

Once I switched the plug wires around and cleared the engine (turned it
a bit with the fuel pumps and injectors off), the engine kicked off in
two blades. Someone has GOT to develop a cure for stupid, or I'm doomed.

Word to the wise. You've verified fuel, air, and spark, and
compression. The engine's spinning with the starter at around 250rpm,
but it just won't kick off. Every few turns, though, it is like
something blocks the engine from turning and it stall for a split
second. Check your spark plug wiring.

Good news:
- FIRST TAXI !!! It was only about 3ft, but it is the first time in
this ten year project that I've had something to move under its own power!!

- The manifold modification is a success. I had the secondary injectors
spraying backwards, away from the runner, under the theory that it would
help the fuel vaporize better. Wrong. It just puddled in the
manifold. A little more fiberglass work, and both sets are spraying
with the airflow now. I cut power to the fuel pump and the engine
immediately cuts out. It used to slowly choke down as it was sucking
some of the puddled fuel out of the manifold.

- I don't seem to have damaged anything with the backwards plug wires.

- I've got to rework my tune. Yes, this is a good thing. The
aggressive prop is loading the engine, combined with the fuel actually
getting burned AS it is injected and not after it has pooled a while,
have combined to throw off the current tune. Fortunately, this isn't
very hard with a running engine.

-FIRST TAXI !! I'm juiced. You guys that are flying better watch your
six. I'm a comin'.

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