To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Cc: DARUS47959@aol.com
Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 17:02:48 -0500
Subject: Zehrbach ceramic engine parts
Message-ID: <20000525.170249.-437139.0.rlperry@juno.com>
From: Richard L Perry <rlperry@juno.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0

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To the Lancair List:  Several months ago I wrote to the list that I was
extremely pleased with ny Lyc.IO-360 engine that I had Darus 
Zehrbach treat with all of his ceramic coatings.  You may recall last
year about this time My Glasair 1 retract and I landed with the wheels
up.  The aircraft had about 1200hrs. and since it had to be torn down
anyway, I decided to have it Majored.  I knew about the ceramic
coatings since I had planned on one of LPE-Zehrbach V8's for my
Lancair 4P.   I had my overhauler, Poplar Grove Airamotive (Belvidere
IL.) send the Cylinders along with the bearings, Pistons, valves etc.
to Zehrbach for the ceramic and dry Lub coatings.

Last fall at my first writing , I had only 5 or 6 hrs. on the new
overhaul.
I now have enough time on the engine to report the performance has
even gotten better as the engine has broken in.

I want to tell about my trip from Chicago to Sun & fun.  I have never
had a ground speed this high, 272kts. at 17,500 ft.  Granted I had a
hell of a tail wind  (40 to 45kts.).  I thought no one would be leave me
so I took a picture of the instrument panel. (see this at 
www.staraviation.com)  The ceramic coatings on top of the piston
and in the combustion chamber tend to keep a good deal of heat  from
being absorbed by the engine, now it doesn't take as many BTU's to
produce the same horse power.  This is the reason for almost
18-20 % fuel savings.  I always fly at 25 x 25 (the engine is turbo
normalized).  Now with less heat to deal with, some cooling drag
is eliminated.  I have blocked the bottom third of the oil cooler off
and replaced two 4 x 6'' lovers on the bottom of the cowl with 4 x 6"
al. panels.  I have several pages of recorded data that I would be
happy to E-mail to any one interested.  Note: from this set of numbers
that all my temps are lower, fuel flow is just over 10gph compared
with 12gph before the overhaul.

Date   Alt  Oat  MP RPM  oil tp   FF   IAS    TAS  Turbo  CHT
3/11   5.5  -6    25  2500  180  10.2  185k  190k   no    390F
  "     10.5  -8    25  2500   187  10.4  176k  202k  yes   400F
  "     15.5 -10   25  2500   187  10.5  170k  209k  yes   405F
  "     17.5 -13   25  2500   190   10.5  168k 215k  yes   409F

My engine is equipped with 4 prob EGT and 4 probe Cyl. temp.  Mixtures
were leaned to 50 degrees rich of peak.
I am writing this as a friend of Zehrbach, and I am not receiving any
compensation.          Dick Perry      rlperry@juno.com
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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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