Finn Lassen wrote:

Today I was finally able to do a short flight after adding/changing oil
lines.

It turned out to be a training flight in engine out landing.

When I pulled back on the throttles about half way downwind, the engine
died. Since I was at pattern altitude, good airspeed and in a close
pattern, I concentrated on flying instead of on restarting the engine.
The landing was uneventful. The engine started easily on the ground.

Now, any idea on why the engine would die when pulling back on
throttles? Someone suggested carb ice, but why now, after more than 160
hours in similar weather?

Finn

You will never know about carb ice until you put a carb temperature
gauge in there. On the other hand I really doubt you had carb ice in Tampa
Florida in September at 800 feet.

Paul Lamar

??????????   I can think of no better place for carb ice.   High humidity,
moderate temps, low power setting.  Makes ice in my C182, but then
I have a carb temp guage.

Bill Freeman
Long EZ builder & pilot
BSME, MSME
EAA Technical Counselor

When was the last time you were in Tampa Fl Bill? :-) The avg day time temps
down there at this time of the year are 95 F.

Paul Lamar

Very aware of it.  Lived in Fla for 15 years.   Had carb ice at 95F before,
too.  Didn't know what it was, but I've had it from 60 to almost 100F in
C150s and C182, those Continentals are real ice makers.  I tefloned
the throttle plate in my Lone EZ and rarely use carb heat and have never
had carb ice.  Of course, Lyc's have much less carb ice, but they are not
immune.

Bill
Long EZ builder & pilot
BSME, MSME
EAA Technical Counselor

Finn, did you make any  changes to your intake system recently?

Paul Lamar

No, and that's what's bothering me. Only change (except adding thrust bearing in
gearbox)  is the prop was finished, and I doubt that anything was done near the root
of it.

I intend to take carbs apart, as well as inspect manifold and my RB-welded
endhousing porting.

This may not be relevant, but here is a sound clip I recorded when running the
engine without prop (while tracing oil leaks). I didn't touch the throttles. I'm not
enough of a gear head to understand the sound change. Doesn't it sound like a change
from a two-stroke to a four-stroke sound?

Finn

Sounds like a loose ignition wire.

Paul Lamar
 
The AirCraft Rotary Engine NewsLetter.              Powered by Linux.
ACRE NL web site.
http://home.earthlink.net/~rotaryeng/            http://www.linux.org