Tim O SxS update

[barnstorm2]

Chris requested:"Tim could you explain on a different thread? I also did not know you needed a new oil pump."

So here it is:

At Mentone a slight oil leak developed that would not appear when the gyro was run on the ground.

After using advise from Helicopter Ed I determined that the oil leak was coming from the back of the oil pump.

At this time I also discovered metal flakes in the oil return from the redrive.

I had read on one of the soob car forums that you should replace your oil pump as your engine gets older so I decided to put a new one on while I was replacing the seals.

I sent the redrive back to Larry for rebuild. Larry did a great job and the customer service was top-notch.

A friend with soob experience was in town for the weekend and helped me replace the oil pump. We found that the o-ring was hard and disformed. Amazing it was holding back any oil at all.

A few weeks later the newly rebuilt redrive arrived which I installed. Filled the engine with oil. Then fired up the engine and let it run for 5-10 min at idle so the new redrive gears could have a chance to get happy. After a long taxi I flew the pattern. After I came back the engine sounded louder than usual.

The next day I started up the gyro, engine sounded fine. I few around the pattern for a half dozen patterns or so then once on the ground the engine was definatly not sounding the same.

The next time at the hangar I started the engine up and even cold I could hear that one side of the engine had 'louder valves' then the other side.

I video taped a few seconds of the sound, here:

http://prachapter34.com/video_of_ej.htm


I posted the situation to the AirSoob Fourm and nothing is yet clear. Right now I am hoping that it is only a HLA that has gone bad or has an air bubble. If not then who knows.


This one thing after another with the engine and redrive ( I had solved a cooling problem a month before ) has put me in a deep gyro depression. I really feel dragged down.

Thank goodness for my single place. Taking a spin around the block in the 447 really helps the spirits.

[CLS447]

Tim, I'm sorry to hear this. But what is an HLA?

[MikeBoyette]

Hydraulic Liffter Assembly?

[barnstorm2]

Hydraulic Lift Adjuster.

[cgmg]

You have my sympathies regarding your engine problem. Spent most of the summer either without our engine during the rebuild, or fighting the problems the guy created for us. It plain old sucks not having everything running the way you want it to.

Sitting at home now, just realized it's been two months since I've flown. Got my refund on the engine work, but have to wait to buy a new engine until I know whether the cutbacks at work will affect me.

I do envy you having something else to fly while the big machine is down. Hope you get it all straightened out soon. Hang in there, it will get better.

[GyroRon]

Not to rub salt in a open sore, but this kind of " luck " is why I favor either true " 40 year old tech " aviation engines, or a nice Rotax two stroke. Everyone of the subaru conversions I have owned had one issue after the next of some type. I simply don't and could never totally trust these engines. Only thing that it has going for it IMHO is the cheap price for parts. But I guess you get what you pay for....

[barnstorm2]

Mark, Thank you for your sympathies, you have mine in return.

Ron, we must have different soob friends, mine have all had good luck except one had cooling problems with a 2.5 that were solved with a mod to the thermostat. However, MY engine falls right in line with your experience. One thing after another.

My upside-down rotax starts easy, runs fine and I have about 80-90 flying hours on it plus about another 20ish in crow-hops and taxi practice. However, I am going to have to pay a chunk at rebuild time and for my 2-place I don't have the cash for a 100+ hp rotax. Do they have a 2-stroke that puts out 100+? I know I was looking at a 618 but I don’t remember the details.

I would LOVE a lycoming. My instructor's lycoming is a great engine and a joy to fly. Other then the way it eats gas it seems to be a great engine. Again though, I suspect the investment in one of these babies even un-certified is going to be as much as the rest of my gyro.

Generally, the soobs seem to get great reviews, and I can buy a whole new engine for the cost of rebuild. My problems seem to the exception to the rule. If everyone had the problems I have I don't see how there would be so many gyros and Experimental out there using them.

All this said, I fall into the category of your friends with soobs... one thing after another...

Here is my most recent post to the airsoob forum:

---------------------

Ok, went to the hangar tonight.

Here is what I found.

1. Pulled off valve covers and pressed on rockers. All tight.(?!?)

2. Ran engine twice for about 15 min each (with no prop on she warms
up so I shut it down after 15-20min). Used screwdriver method to
confirm the Right (faceing belt) front cylinder is tapping. Also,
when I take the cap off of the oil filler tube she sings right to
you.

3. Pulled off valve covers again and now TA-DA one of the HLA's the
very first one (intake, closest to timing belt) is collapsed. Why it
was stiff on the first check I have no clue.(!)

I guess I will put in new HLA's on this side of the engine. Any tips
you have please post them. I have only worked on push-rod top ends
before.

[barnstorm2]

Replaced the HLA today.

She runs great now. I still have some details I want to iron out but she is in the air again.

[CLS447]

Alright Tim !! Now stop breaking things already !

[barnstorm2]

No Doubt!

"dammit Jim, I'm a pilot not an A&P!"

[CLS447]

Prepare to beam aboard.

[barnstorm2]

Mark, any news on your new engine?

I don't know what vintage your old engine is but Rotax has a 'tradeup' program going now that seems really good.

[Doug Riley]

Rotax's biggest current-production 2-stroke is the 582. At 65 hp, it's quite marginal for a 2-place gyro. The 73 hp. 618 is out of production. You can still buy them used. Keep in mind that 618 cylinders can only be bored out to the first oversize; after that, they must be replaced. Some people have found the 618 cranky and difficult. Two areas of trouble for some are (1) very low-hour onset of leakage in the PTO end seals, causing leaning and high EGT on that cylinder only and (2) sticking of the RAVE valves, which costs about 10 hp.

When I had one, I experienced the first problem to some degree, but not the second. I think when you run the engine as hard as you must to fly a 2-place (6K cruise), the valves stay clean enough to resist sticking.

73 hp. is still marginal for a 2-place gyro. You need more like 100 hp at the minimum. After considering the choice between Hirth F30 and Rotax 912S, I spent a few extra dollars and bought the Rotax. At the time the difference was only about $1000, so the 912S seemed a good (relative) value. It's up to 13K now, however. I must say that it's been absolutely trouble-free since I finished the installation a year ago. As the engine has broken in, the RPM has increased to the point where I'll have to pitch up the prop. Other than that, an oil change and periodic adjustment of the carbs, I haven't touched it and it has run like an electric motor. Turn the key, warm it up and go.

[barnstorm2]

Ok, Few her an hour today. Ventured away from the airport for the first time since Mentone. I had the honor of flying in the pattern with a stearman biplane, she was nice and slow in the pattern like me.

Engine seems ok. Though she is spotting a little oil. Not much just a few moist spots here and there. Just enough to keep me from figgering out where it is coming from.

I took some video but it turned out to crappy to be worth posting. I wanted to have reference of my instruments for comparision to other gyros.

[cgmg]

Tim,

Thanks for asking, but still waiting on cutbacks to finish at work. Hopefully by Friday it should all be over.

I'm well aware of the trade-in program, and our engine would have qualified. But I sent our engine in for the rebuild two weeks before the news came out.

I have no engine to trade now, as the idiot who rebuilt it now has it. Rather than have an engine I was scared to fly, or take the liability of selling it myself, he got the engine, and I got all our money back. Financially, that deal was the best, for us, of a bad situation. If I had only waited two weeks, rather than bust my butt getting the engine off, packed, and shipped out, we would both be flying a brand new, DCDI 503. We would have jumped at the deal Rotax is offerring.

If I get cut at work, no new engine until I find another job. Even then, we'll most likely end up buying an older engine to save money. I have a couple of older engines still in the crate available to me. They are both point ignition engines, but I have a lot of confidence in the points systems.

Trust me, eventually you will see pictures of our machine back in the air with a reliable, working engine! Just don't ask me when right now.

[StanFoster]

Mark: I am just as eager to see you two back in the air where you belong. It will happen soon. :)

Stan

[barnstorm2]

Ok, I have put together a video with both cockpit and flyby views and even some bonus Steerman Biplane footage. It takes about 9 min to download with broadband. It is about 3min worth of footage.

Most of the shaking is from the camera not the gyro. If anyone wants a closeup of the dash so you can see what the dials were reading in the video just let me know and I will post it.

Link: http://www.prachapter34.com/ac_2p_builders.htm


Video link is half way down the page.