N962GT
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2020
- Messages
- 134
- Location
- orig Northville, Mich
- Aircraft
- YG4 Air Command Tandem
- Total Flight Time
- 800 hrs
SO I flew 1:38 averaging 71 MPH (GPS) up to Wadesboro a couple of weekends back, hung out for a couple of hours, jumped in the gyro and taxiied down to the ramp to top up the front tank with 4-5 gallons of 100LL. Strapped in, took off and flew 1:23 back to CUB averaging 79 MPH (GPS). Made it back 1 minute before sunset. Parked the gyro, went home.
Yesterday I went out to the airport, cleaned off the bugs, did a decent pre-flight, still had 5-1/2 gal of gas in the rear tank so I hopped in and hit the starter. (My front tank feeds the rear tank, from there it goes through the gascolator and on into the carbs).
Now understand that every single time since I installed this engine in 2019 it has started on the first kick, even the very first time after sitting for years before the transplant was completed. This time, nada, zip, zilch. No matter what I did it would not catch. Pulled the intake cover off, turned the key on so the fuel pump was running and watched fuel pour out of two of the carbs. Two floats were stuck open.
Pulled the plugs and only one was wet. Drained the fuel with a jiggler, got gas all over my one hand. As it evaporated a very sticky residue was left behind all over my hand. Gas would not cut it. Go Joe had a hard time stripping it off, but eventually got my hands clean. Drained the gascolator, nothing much in there to write home about.
Put in a fresh load of gas, and eventually got the thing to start, clear, and run so I could fly. Which I did, staying in the pattern for an hour to try to clear the pipes. Seemed to run fine. Then, as the sun set, I did one last TO and the engine lost 1000 RPMs as I climbed out. The AFR showed too lean, into the 15's. Oh, well. I have two more carb racks, and a new set of jets to install anyways as I begin tuning for more HP with the new O2 AFR set up.
But what the hell was that crap in my fuel? And how did it get there?
Yesterday I went out to the airport, cleaned off the bugs, did a decent pre-flight, still had 5-1/2 gal of gas in the rear tank so I hopped in and hit the starter. (My front tank feeds the rear tank, from there it goes through the gascolator and on into the carbs).
Now understand that every single time since I installed this engine in 2019 it has started on the first kick, even the very first time after sitting for years before the transplant was completed. This time, nada, zip, zilch. No matter what I did it would not catch. Pulled the intake cover off, turned the key on so the fuel pump was running and watched fuel pour out of two of the carbs. Two floats were stuck open.
Pulled the plugs and only one was wet. Drained the fuel with a jiggler, got gas all over my one hand. As it evaporated a very sticky residue was left behind all over my hand. Gas would not cut it. Go Joe had a hard time stripping it off, but eventually got my hands clean. Drained the gascolator, nothing much in there to write home about.
Put in a fresh load of gas, and eventually got the thing to start, clear, and run so I could fly. Which I did, staying in the pattern for an hour to try to clear the pipes. Seemed to run fine. Then, as the sun set, I did one last TO and the engine lost 1000 RPMs as I climbed out. The AFR showed too lean, into the 15's. Oh, well. I have two more carb racks, and a new set of jets to install anyways as I begin tuning for more HP with the new O2 AFR set up.
But what the hell was that crap in my fuel? And how did it get there?
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