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		TimRVator(at)comcast.net Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 4:59 pm    Post subject: Engine marathon:  Case crack, bad cam, high CHT, stumbling | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
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				Case crack: During my RV-10 2014 Condition Inspection I found a small 
 crack in the crank case under the #2 cylinder on my RV-10's IO-540. I 
 had rebuilt the engine 500 hours earlier. I knew it was a high time case 
 (6500 hours) with overhauled but high time cylinders, so I had paid 
 extra attention to looking for cracks. Unfortunately, I found one 
 (confirmed by dye penetrant). So, of course, the engine had to come of 
 the airplane and be completely disassembled for crank case replacement.
 
 Ruined cam: Upon splitting the case, I found significant pitting on 
 several of the tappet bodies. The cam shaft had to be replaced, as did 
 several tappet bodies. I got a lot of engine assembly assistance from a 
 well regarded local repair station (Tom Schweitz at Aero Engines in 
 Winchester, VA – he's a super guy to work with). Tom told me that the 
 cam & tappet damage was caused by rust forming on the cam shaft wear 
 surface. I fly the RV-10 about 120 hours per year, which was apparently 
 not adequate to prevent rust on the cam shaft wear surface. Following 
 Tom's recommendation, I now use a Tempest engine dehumidifier to try to 
 prevent a recurrence.
 
 CHTs too high (defective electronic ignition): Aero Engines provided me 
 a very good price on a low time (1500 TTSN) narrow deck crank case. 
 Since I had the engine torn down anyway, I elected to replace my 
 existing cylinders (high time, but servicable) with new Lycoming 
 cylinders. So I was expecting higher than normal CHTs on my first 
 flights. I found, however, that CHTs remained high even after oil 
 consumption had stabilized (beyond 10 hours). CHTs would climb above 430 
 on take off unless I reduced power at about 1000'. CHTs were nearly 430 
 in low level full throttle flight with mixture full rich. Baffling 
 checks and all the other proven RV-10 cooling tips from Tim Olsen's 
 wonderful web site didn't seem to help much. Eventually I began to 
 suspect advanced timing (thanks, Mike Busch). I found that when I 
 switched off the Lightspeed electronic ignition all my CHTs in climb and 
 full power operation were normal. My mag timing was fine. Using an 
 automotive strobe timing light, I discovered that the Lightspeed 
 electronic ignition (EI) was stuck at 43 degrees BTDC (!!), and did not 
 change timing based on manifold pressure. This is a very risky situation 
 – advanced timing reduces detonation margin. A borescope inspection 
 revealed no signs of detonation damage. A recent Mike Busch webinar 
 describes a brand new engine being destroyed by advanced timing, so I 
 feel I dodged a bullet.
 
 I paid Lightspeed to repair the defective EI computer (bad connection on 
 a timing capacitor, according to Klaus) and to update the hardware to 
 the latest revision. After reinstalling the EI computer, all CHTs are 
 now normal.
 
 Power stumble (air leak): At this point, I was hyper attuned to any 
 engine performance abnormality. I noticed an occasional slight power 
 reduction for a second or two at a time, when operating at lower power 
 settings. Based on discussion with a Lycoming tech rep during OSH, I 
 went on a hunt for any air leaking into the fuel lines. The Lycoming rep 
 suggested the fuel flow transducer (red cube) as a frequent source of 
 trouble (including cavitation bubbles). I torqued all fuel fittings 
 firewall forward. Inside the cabin, I removed the red cube, and 
 discovered evidence of a fuel seep at the fitting on the forward side of 
 the cube. After considerable fiddling, I was able to achieve another 
 turn on the fuel fitting without exceeding the red cube's torque spec. 
 After reinstalling the red cube, the occasional power stumble in flight 
 has not recurred.
 
 Several airplane experts have been very helpful to me in this process. 
 Dick Koehler (IA, tech counselor, EAA “Hints for Homebuilders” webinar 
 presenter) was an invaluable source of advice. Tom Schweitz at 
 Winchester Aero Engines was fabulous to work with. He saved me a bunch 
 of money on parts, and provided invaluable help getting the project 
 finished.
 
 -- 
 Tim Lewis -- HEF (Manassas, VA)
 A&P
 RV-6A N47TD -- 1104 hrs - sold
 RV-10 N31TD -- 500 hrs
 
  |  | - The Matronics RV10-List Email Forum - |  |   |  Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
 
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		Tim Olson
 
 
  Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2882
 
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				 Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:01 pm    Post subject: Engine marathon:  Case crack, bad cam, high CHT, stumbling | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				Wow Tim, you really had the adventure lately!  Thanks for posting.
 Great tips for things people can look for.
 I'm hoping I don't get rust on my cams, considering I'm not down
 to about 100 hours per year or maybe even less.  What oil are you
 using, and are you using camguard?  I'm still using exxon elite
 for now, but bought 4 cases of Phillips X/C at OSH.  Camguard from
 everything I've read, is actually a worthwhile rust preventative,
 so I'm going to stick with using it.  Lots of good info from Aviation
 consumer on it.  Also, i think I just read within the last week or
 two that Continental is going to be testing camguard.  It sounds like
 they find it intriguing as well.  Maybe they'll make it one of their
 recommendations officially some day.
 
 Anyway, just some questions for you.
 Tim
 On 9/12/2014 7:59 PM, Tim Lewis wrote:
  	  | Quote: | 	 		   
 
  Case crack: During my RV-10 2014 Condition Inspection I found a small
  crack in the crank case under the #2 cylinder on my RV-10's IO-540. I
  had rebuilt the engine 500 hours earlier. I knew it was a high time case
  (6500 hours) with overhauled but high time cylinders, so I had paid
  extra attention to looking for cracks. Unfortunately, I found one
  (confirmed by dye penetrant). So, of course, the engine had to come of
  the airplane and be completely disassembled for crank case replacement.
 
  Ruined cam: Upon splitting the case, I found significant pitting on
  several of the tappet bodies. The cam shaft had to be replaced, as did
  several tappet bodies. I got a lot of engine assembly assistance from a
  well regarded local repair station (Tom Schweitz at Aero Engines in
  Winchester, VA – he's a super guy to work with). Tom told me that the
  cam & tappet damage was caused by rust forming on the cam shaft wear
  surface. I fly the RV-10 about 120 hours per year, which was apparently
  not adequate to prevent rust on the cam shaft wear surface. Following
  Tom's recommendation, I now use a Tempest engine dehumidifier to try to
  prevent a recurrence.
 
  CHTs too high (defective electronic ignition): Aero Engines provided me
  a very good price on a low time (1500 TTSN) narrow deck crank case.
  Since I had the engine torn down anyway, I elected to replace my
  existing cylinders (high time, but servicable) with new Lycoming
  cylinders. So I was expecting higher than normal CHTs on my first
  flights. I found, however, that CHTs remained high even after oil
  consumption had stabilized (beyond 10 hours). CHTs would climb above 430
  on take off unless I reduced power at about 1000'. CHTs were nearly 430
  in low level full throttle flight with mixture full rich. Baffling
  checks and all the other proven RV-10 cooling tips from Tim Olsen's
  wonderful web site didn't seem to help much. Eventually I began to
  suspect advanced timing (thanks, Mike Busch). I found that when I
  switched off the Lightspeed electronic ignition all my CHTs in climb and
  full power operation were normal. My mag timing was fine. Using an
  automotive strobe timing light, I discovered that the Lightspeed
  electronic ignition (EI) was stuck at 43 degrees BTDC (!!), and did not
  change timing based on manifold pressure. This is a very risky situation
  – advanced timing reduces detonation margin. A borescope inspection
  revealed no signs of detonation damage. A recent Mike Busch webinar
  describes a brand new engine being destroyed by advanced timing, so I
  feel I dodged a bullet.
 
  I paid Lightspeed to repair the defective EI computer (bad connection on
  a timing capacitor, according to Klaus) and to update the hardware to
  the latest revision. After reinstalling the EI computer, all CHTs are
  now normal.
 
  Power stumble (air leak): At this point, I was hyper attuned to any
  engine performance abnormality. I noticed an occasional slight power
  reduction for a second or two at a time, when operating at lower power
  settings. Based on discussion with a Lycoming tech rep during OSH, I
  went on a hunt for any air leaking into the fuel lines. The Lycoming rep
  suggested the fuel flow transducer (red cube) as a frequent source of
  trouble (including cavitation bubbles). I torqued all fuel fittings
  firewall forward. Inside the cabin, I removed the red cube, and
  discovered evidence of a fuel seep at the fitting on the forward side of
  the cube. After considerable fiddling, I was able to achieve another
  turn on the fuel fitting without exceeding the red cube's torque spec.
  After reinstalling the red cube, the occasional power stumble in flight
  has not recurred.
 
  Several airplane experts have been very helpful to me in this process.
  Dick Koehler (IA, tech counselor, EAA “Hints for Homebuilders” webinar
  presenter) was an invaluable source of advice. Tom Schweitz at
  Winchester Aero Engines was fabulous to work with. He saved me a bunch
  of money on parts, and provided invaluable help getting the project
  finished.
 
 
 | 	 
 
 
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		jmjones2000(at)mindspring Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:17 pm    Post subject: Engine marathon:  Case crack, bad cam, high CHT, stumbling | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				Plus one more for ASL Camguard!
 
 Justin
 
  
 
 On Sep 12, 2014, at 18:00, Tim Olson <Tim(at)MyRV10.com> wrote:
 
  	  | Quote: | 	 		   
  
  Wow Tim, you really had the adventure lately!  Thanks for posting.
  Great tips for things people can look for.
  I'm hoping I don't get rust on my cams, considering I'm not down
  to about 100 hours per year or maybe even less.  What oil are you
  using, and are you using camguard?  I'm still using exxon elite
  for now, but bought 4 cases of Phillips X/C at OSH.  Camguard from
  everything I've read, is actually a worthwhile rust preventative,
  so I'm going to stick with using it.  Lots of good info from Aviation
  consumer on it.  Also, i think I just read within the last week or
  two that Continental is going to be testing camguard.  It sounds like
  they find it intriguing as well.  Maybe they'll make it one of their
  recommendations officially some day.
  
  Anyway, just some questions for you.
  Tim
  
  
  On 9/12/2014 7:59 PM, Tim Lewis wrote:
 > 
 > 
 > Case crack: During my RV-10 2014 Condition Inspection I found a small
 > crack in the crank case under the #2 cylinder on my RV-10's IO-540. I
 > had rebuilt the engine 500 hours earlier. I knew it was a high time case
 > (6500 hours) with overhauled but high time cylinders, so I had paid
 > extra attention to looking for cracks. Unfortunately, I found one
 > (confirmed by dye penetrant). So, of course, the engine had to come of
 > the airplane and be completely disassembled for crank case replacement.
 > 
 > Ruined cam: Upon splitting the case, I found significant pitting on
 > several of the tappet bodies. The cam shaft had to be replaced, as did
 > several tappet bodies. I got a lot of engine assembly assistance from a
 > well regarded local repair station (Tom Schweitz at Aero Engines in
 > Winchester, VA – he's a super guy to work with). Tom told me that the
 > cam & tappet damage was caused by rust forming on the cam shaft wear
 > surface. I fly the RV-10 about 120 hours per year, which was apparently
 > not adequate to prevent rust on the cam shaft wear surface. Following
 > Tom's recommendation, I now use a Tempest engine dehumidifier to try to
 > prevent a recurrence.
 > 
 > CHTs too high (defective electronic ignition): Aero Engines provided me
 > a very good price on a low time (1500 TTSN) narrow deck crank case.
 > Since I had the engine torn down anyway, I elected to replace my
 > existing cylinders (high time, but servicable) with new Lycoming
 > cylinders. So I was expecting higher than normal CHTs on my first
 > flights. I found, however, that CHTs remained high even after oil
 > consumption had stabilized (beyond 10 hours). CHTs would climb above 430
 > on take off unless I reduced power at about 1000'. CHTs were nearly 430
 > in low level full throttle flight with mixture full rich. Baffling
 > checks and all the other proven RV-10 cooling tips from Tim Olsen's
 > wonderful web site didn't seem to help much. Eventually I began to
 > suspect advanced timing (thanks, Mike Busch). I found that when I
 > switched off the Lightspeed electronic ignition all my CHTs in climb and
 > full power operation were normal. My mag timing was fine. Using an
 > automotive strobe timing light, I discovered that the Lightspeed
 > electronic ignition (EI) was stuck at 43 degrees BTDC (!!), and did not
 > change timing based on manifold pressure. This is a very risky situation
 > – advanced timing reduces detonation margin. A borescope inspection
 > revealed no signs of detonation damage. A recent Mike Busch webinar
 > describes a brand new engine being destroyed by advanced timing, so I
 > feel I dodged a bullet.
 > 
 > I paid Lightspeed to repair the defective EI computer (bad connection on
 > a timing capacitor, according to Klaus) and to update the hardware to
 > the latest revision. After reinstalling the EI computer, all CHTs are
 > now normal.
 > 
 > Power stumble (air leak): At this point, I was hyper attuned to any
 > engine performance abnormality. I noticed an occasional slight power
 > reduction for a second or two at a time, when operating at lower power
 > settings. Based on discussion with a Lycoming tech rep during OSH, I
 > went on a hunt for any air leaking into the fuel lines. The Lycoming rep
 > suggested the fuel flow transducer (red cube) as a frequent source of
 > trouble (including cavitation bubbles). I torqued all fuel fittings
 > firewall forward. Inside the cabin, I removed the red cube, and
 > discovered evidence of a fuel seep at the fitting on the forward side of
 > the cube. After considerable fiddling, I was able to achieve another
 > turn on the fuel fitting without exceeding the red cube's torque spec.
 > After reinstalling the red cube, the occasional power stumble in flight
 > has not recurred.
 > 
 > Several airplane experts have been very helpful to me in this process.
 > Dick Koehler (IA, tech counselor, EAA “Hints for Homebuilders” webinar
 > presenter) was an invaluable source of advice. Tom Schweitz at
 > Winchester Aero Engines was fabulous to work with. He saved me a bunch
 > of money on parts, and provided invaluable help getting the project
 > finished.
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 | 	 
 
 
  |  | - The Matronics RV10-List Email Forum - |  |   |  Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
 
  http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV10-List |  
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		TimRVator(at)comcast.net Guest
 
 
 
 
 
  | 
		
			
				 Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:38 pm    Post subject: Engine marathon:  Case crack, bad cam, high CHT, stumbling | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				I used Phillips XC 20W50 and Camguard for the whole 500 hours, except 
 for break in.  Oil analysis (every 50 hours) revealed nothing 
 concerning.  Oil filter inspection sometimes revealed a few very small 
 amounts of tiny ferrous "hairs."  Based on that data, I was quite 
 surprised when we split my case and I saw the cratered face of a couple 
 of my tappets.
 
 According to Tom at Aero Engines (a well regarded shop in this area), 
 they almost never see this with flight school airplanes (which fly 
 daily), but it is not uncommon with owner-flown aircraft.  Tom showed me 
 a pitted set from a recent Continental overhaul, to demonstrate that 
 Lycomings aren't the only ones that have this happen.
 
 -- 
 Tim Lewis -- HEF (Manassas, VA)
 A&P
 RV-6A N47TD -- 1104 hrs - sold
 RV-10 N31TD -- 500 hrs
 
 Tim Olson said the following on 9/12/2014 10:00 PM:
  	  | Quote: | 	 		   
 
  Wow Tim, you really had the adventure lately!  Thanks for posting.
  Great tips for things people can look for.
  I'm hoping I don't get rust on my cams, considering I'm not down
  to about 100 hours per year or maybe even less.  What oil are you
  using, and are you using camguard?  I'm still using exxon elite
  for now, but bought 4 cases of Phillips X/C at OSH.  Camguard from
  everything I've read, is actually a worthwhile rust preventative,
  so I'm going to stick with using it.  Lots of good info from Aviation
  consumer on it.  Also, i think I just read within the last week or
  two that Continental is going to be testing camguard.  It sounds like
  they find it intriguing as well.  Maybe they'll make it one of their
  recommendations officially some day.
 
  Anyway, just some questions for you.
  Tim
  On 9/12/2014 7:59 PM, Tim Lewis wrote:
 > 
 >
 > Case crack: During my RV-10 2014 Condition Inspection I found a small
 > crack in the crank case under the #2 cylinder on my RV-10's IO-540. I
 > had rebuilt the engine 500 hours earlier. I knew it was a high time case
 > (6500 hours) with overhauled but high time cylinders, so I had paid
 > extra attention to looking for cracks. Unfortunately, I found one
 > (confirmed by dye penetrant). So, of course, the engine had to come of
 > the airplane and be completely disassembled for crank case replacement.
 >
 > Ruined cam: Upon splitting the case, I found significant pitting on
 > several of the tappet bodies. The cam shaft had to be replaced, as did
 > several tappet bodies. I got a lot of engine assembly assistance from a
 > well regarded local repair station (Tom Schweitz at Aero Engines in
 > Winchester, VA – he's a super guy to work with). Tom told me that the
 > cam & tappet damage was caused by rust forming on the cam shaft wear
 > surface. I fly the RV-10 about 120 hours per year, which was apparently
 > not adequate to prevent rust on the cam shaft wear surface. Following
 > Tom's recommendation, I now use a Tempest engine dehumidifier to try to
 > prevent a recurrence.
 >
 > CHTs too high (defective electronic ignition): Aero Engines provided me
 > a very good price on a low time (1500 TTSN) narrow deck crank case.
 > Since I had the engine torn down anyway, I elected to replace my
 > existing cylinders (high time, but servicable) with new Lycoming
 > cylinders. So I was expecting higher than normal CHTs on my first
 > flights. I found, however, that CHTs remained high even after oil
 > consumption had stabilized (beyond 10 hours). CHTs would climb above 430
 > on take off unless I reduced power at about 1000'. CHTs were nearly 430
 > in low level full throttle flight with mixture full rich. Baffling
 > checks and all the other proven RV-10 cooling tips from Tim Olsen's
 > wonderful web site didn't seem to help much. Eventually I began to
 > suspect advanced timing (thanks, Mike Busch). I found that when I
 > switched off the Lightspeed electronic ignition all my CHTs in climb and
 > full power operation were normal. My mag timing was fine. Using an
 > automotive strobe timing light, I discovered that the Lightspeed
 > electronic ignition (EI) was stuck at 43 degrees BTDC (!!), and did not
 > change timing based on manifold pressure. This is a very risky situation
 > – advanced timing reduces detonation margin. A borescope inspection
 > revealed no signs of detonation damage. A recent Mike Busch webinar
 > describes a brand new engine being destroyed by advanced timing, so I
 > feel I dodged a bullet.
 >
 > I paid Lightspeed to repair the defective EI computer (bad connection on
 > a timing capacitor, according to Klaus) and to update the hardware to
 > the latest revision. After reinstalling the EI computer, all CHTs are
 > now normal.
 >
 > Power stumble (air leak): At this point, I was hyper attuned to any
 > engine performance abnormality. I noticed an occasional slight power
 > reduction for a second or two at a time, when operating at lower power
 > settings. Based on discussion with a Lycoming tech rep during OSH, I
 > went on a hunt for any air leaking into the fuel lines. The Lycoming rep
 > suggested the fuel flow transducer (red cube) as a frequent source of
 > trouble (including cavitation bubbles). I torqued all fuel fittings
 > firewall forward. Inside the cabin, I removed the red cube, and
 > discovered evidence of a fuel seep at the fitting on the forward side of
 > the cube. After considerable fiddling, I was able to achieve another
 > turn on the fuel fitting without exceeding the red cube's torque spec.
 > After reinstalling the red cube, the occasional power stumble in flight
 > has not recurred.
 >
 > Several airplane experts have been very helpful to me in this process.
 > Dick Koehler (IA, tech counselor, EAA “Hints for Homebuilders” webinar
 > presenter) was an invaluable source of advice. Tom Schweitz at
 > Winchester Aero Engines was fabulous to work with. He saved me a bunch
 > of money on parts, and provided invaluable help getting the project
 > finished.
 >
 
 
 | 	 
 
 
  |  | - The Matronics RV10-List Email Forum - |  |   |  Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
 
  http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV10-List |  
  |  
 
 
 
 
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		jmjones2000(at)mindspring Guest
 
 
 
 
 
  | 
		
			
				 Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:47 pm    Post subject: Engine marathon:  Case crack, bad cam, high CHT, stumbling | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				Maybe it's time for a heated hangar. Engine overhauls get expensive!!
  
 
 On Sep 12, 2014, at 18:37, Tim Lewis <TimRVator(at)comcast.net> wrote:
 
  	  | Quote: | 	 		   
  
  I used Phillips XC 20W50 and Camguard for the whole 500 hours, except for break in.  Oil analysis (every 50 hours) revealed nothing concerning.  Oil filter inspection sometimes revealed a few very small amounts of tiny ferrous "hairs."  Based on that data, I was quite surprised when we split my case and I saw the cratered face of a couple of my tappets.
  
  According to Tom at Aero Engines (a well regarded shop in this area), they almost never see this with flight school airplanes (which fly daily), but it is not uncommon with owner-flown aircraft.  Tom showed me a pitted set from a recent Continental overhaul, to demonstrate that Lycomings aren't the only ones that have this happen.
  
  -- 
  Tim Lewis -- HEF (Manassas, VA)
  A&P
  RV-6A N47TD -- 1104 hrs - sold
  RV-10 N31TD -- 500 hrs
  
  Tim Olson said the following on 9/12/2014 10:00 PM:
 > 
 > 
 > Wow Tim, you really had the adventure lately!  Thanks for posting.
 > Great tips for things people can look for.
 > I'm hoping I don't get rust on my cams, considering I'm not down
 > to about 100 hours per year or maybe even less.  What oil are you
 > using, and are you using camguard?  I'm still using exxon elite
 > for now, but bought 4 cases of Phillips X/C at OSH.  Camguard from
 > everything I've read, is actually a worthwhile rust preventative,
 > so I'm going to stick with using it.  Lots of good info from Aviation
 > consumer on it.  Also, i think I just read within the last week or
 > two that Continental is going to be testing camguard.  It sounds like
 > they find it intriguing as well.  Maybe they'll make it one of their
 > recommendations officially some day.
 > 
 > Anyway, just some questions for you.
 > Tim
 > 
 > 
 > On 9/12/2014 7:59 PM, Tim Lewis wrote:
 >> 
 >> 
 >> Case crack: During my RV-10 2014 Condition Inspection I found a small
 >> crack in the crank case under the #2 cylinder on my RV-10's IO-540. I
 >> had rebuilt the engine 500 hours earlier. I knew it was a high time case
 >> (6500 hours) with overhauled but high time cylinders, so I had paid
 >> extra attention to looking for cracks. Unfortunately, I found one
 >> (confirmed by dye penetrant). So, of course, the engine had to come of
 >> the airplane and be completely disassembled for crank case replacement.
 >> 
 >> Ruined cam: Upon splitting the case, I found significant pitting on
 >> several of the tappet bodies. The cam shaft had to be replaced, as did
 >> several tappet bodies. I got a lot of engine assembly assistance from a
 >> well regarded local repair station (Tom Schweitz at Aero Engines in
 >> Winchester, VA – he's a super guy to work with). Tom told me that the
 >> cam & tappet damage was caused by rust forming on the cam shaft wear
 >> surface. I fly the RV-10 about 120 hours per year, which was apparently
 >> not adequate to prevent rust on the cam shaft wear surface. Following
 >> Tom's recommendation, I now use a Tempest engine dehumidifier to try to
 >> prevent a recurrence.
 >> 
 >> CHTs too high (defective electronic ignition): Aero Engines provided me
 >> a very good price on a low time (1500 TTSN) narrow deck crank case.
 >> Since I had the engine torn down anyway, I elected to replace my
 >> existing cylinders (high time, but servicable) with new Lycoming
 >> cylinders. So I was expecting higher than normal CHTs on my first
 >> flights. I found, however, that CHTs remained high even after oil
 >> consumption had stabilized (beyond 10 hours). CHTs would climb above 430
 >> on take off unless I reduced power at about 1000'. CHTs were nearly 430
 >> in low level full throttle flight with mixture full rich. Baffling
 >> checks and all the other proven RV-10 cooling tips from Tim Olsen's
 >> wonderful web site didn't seem to help much. Eventually I began to
 >> suspect advanced timing (thanks, Mike Busch). I found that when I
 >> switched off the Lightspeed electronic ignition all my CHTs in climb and
 >> full power operation were normal. My mag timing was fine. Using an
 >> automotive strobe timing light, I discovered that the Lightspeed
 >> electronic ignition (EI) was stuck at 43 degrees BTDC (!!), and did not
 >> change timing based on manifold pressure. This is a very risky situation
 >> – advanced timing reduces detonation margin. A borescope inspection
 >> revealed no signs of detonation damage. A recent Mike Busch webinar
 >> describes a brand new engine being destroyed by advanced timing, so I
 >> feel I dodged a bullet.
 >> 
 >> I paid Lightspeed to repair the defective EI computer (bad connection on
 >> a timing capacitor, according to Klaus) and to update the hardware to
 >> the latest revision. After reinstalling the EI computer, all CHTs are
 >> now normal.
 >> 
 >> Power stumble (air leak): At this point, I was hyper attuned to any
 >> engine performance abnormality. I noticed an occasional slight power
 >> reduction for a second or two at a time, when operating at lower power
 >> settings. Based on discussion with a Lycoming tech rep during OSH, I
 >> went on a hunt for any air leaking into the fuel lines. The Lycoming rep
 >> suggested the fuel flow transducer (red cube) as a frequent source of
 >> trouble (including cavitation bubbles). I torqued all fuel fittings
 >> firewall forward. Inside the cabin, I removed the red cube, and
 >> discovered evidence of a fuel seep at the fitting on the forward side of
 >> the cube. After considerable fiddling, I was able to achieve another
 >> turn on the fuel fitting without exceeding the red cube's torque spec.
 >> After reinstalling the red cube, the occasional power stumble in flight
 >> has not recurred.
 >> 
 >> Several airplane experts have been very helpful to me in this process.
 >> Dick Koehler (IA, tech counselor, EAA “Hints for Homebuilders” webinar
 >> presenter) was an invaluable source of advice. Tom Schweitz at
 >> Winchester Aero Engines was fabulous to work with. He saved me a bunch
 >> of money on parts, and provided invaluable help getting the project
 >> finished.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
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		Mike Whisky
 
  
  Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 336 Location: Switzerland
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				 Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:34 am    Post subject: Re: Engine marathon:  Case crack, bad cam, high CHT, stumbli | 
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				Does any engineer or metallurgist now why parts like cam shafts are not made of an none corrosive steel alloy? Just reviewing to understand why not the root cause has been tackled in the past by the engine manufacturers. I guess that problems like this won't appear  in automotive engines. 
 
 Just my 20cc
 Mike
 
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  _________________ RV-10 builder (flying)
 
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		glastar(at)gmx.net Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 12:00 pm    Post subject: Engine marathon:  Case crack, bad cam, high CHT, stumbling | 
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				On 13.09.2014 02:59, Tim Lewis wrote:
 
  	  | Quote: | 	 		   Ruined cam: Upon splitting the case, I found significant pitting on 
  several of the tappet bodies. The cam shaft had to be replaced, as did 
  several tappet bodies. I got a lot of engine assembly assistance from 
  a well regarded local repair station (Tom Schweitz at Aero Engines in 
  Winchester, VA – he's a super guy to work with). Tom told me that the 
  cam & tappet damage was caused by rust forming on the cam shaft wear 
  surface. I fly the RV-10 about 120 hours per year, which was 
  apparently not adequate to prevent rust on the cam shaft wear surface. 
  Following Tom's recommendation, I now use a Tempest engine 
  dehumidifier to try to prevent a recurrence.
 
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 Tim, I know how painful this is, I had an O-320 with exactly that issue, 
 I can tell you, if you see in the filter this fine shiny metal flakes be 
 aware to expect cam shaft troubles. I had as well oil analysis done all 
 the time, it showed a bit higher metal values but nowhere in an area 
 regarded as dangerous. I was as well far away from the Coming SL 
 describing how much metal you can have. At the end Lycoming steered me 
 to their SB 480
 
 http://www.lycoming.com/Portals/0/techpublications/servicebulletins/SB%20480E%20%2804-13-2005%29/Oil%20and%20Filter%20Change%20and%20Screen%20Cleaning;%20Oil%20Filter-Screen%20Content%20Inspection.pdf
 
 which more or less tells you latest all 4 month you have to change oil 
 and filter ....
 
 Cheers Werner
 
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		jmjones2000(at)mindspring Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 12:58 pm    Post subject: Engine marathon:  Case crack, bad cam, high CHT, stumbling | 
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				Has anyone considered the Ney Nozzels?  I have heard of one guy that had oil pressure issues after he had them put in, but I'm not sure if it was ever attributed to the nozzles or another defective part. If memory serves me correctly, he may have found a missing oil galley plug on a subsequent shut down.   
 
 The nozzles will help while the engine is running, but most if the corrosion comes from the aircraft sitting out in the elements. Condensation builds on the camshaft after a warm engine is shut down. This is where ASL Camguard claims to help. It is not suppose to shear off of the camshaft after shutdown, leaving a coat of oil covering the cam and stopping corrosion.  
 
 The other thing that will wear a camshaft down quickly is allowing the lycoming to idle below 1,000 rpm. I am not advocating to set the idle higher than the manufacturer recommends, but our lycoming engines rely on splash oil to lubricate the camshaft. There is simply not enough splash oil below 1000 rpm to sufficiently lubricate the cam. I try to limit my time below 1000 rpm.
 
 The dehydrating plugs couldn't hurt to slide in after shutdown. 
 
 Hope this helps
 
 Justin
  
 
 On Sep 13, 2014, at 11:48, Werner Schneider <glastar(at)gmx.net> wrote:
 
  	  | Quote: | 	 		   
  
  
  On 13.09.2014 02:59, Tim Lewis wrote:
 > 
  
 > Ruined cam: Upon splitting the case, I found significant pitting on several of the tappet bodies. The cam shaft had to be replaced, as did several tappet bodies. I got a lot of engine assembly assistance from a well regarded local repair station (Tom Schweitz at Aero Engines in Winchester, VA – he's a super guy to work with). Tom told me that the cam & tappet damage was caused by rust forming on the cam shaft wear surface. I fly the RV-10 about 120 hours per year, which was apparently not adequate to prevent rust on the cam shaft wear surface. Following Tom's recommendation, I now use a Tempest engine dehumidifier to try to prevent a recurrence.
  
  Tim, I know how painful this is, I had an O-320 with exactly that issue, I can tell you, if you see in the filter this fine shiny metal flakes be aware to expect cam shaft troubles. I had as well oil analysis done all the time, it showed a bit higher metal values but nowhere in an area regarded as dangerous. I was as well far away from the Coming SL describing how much metal you can have. At the end Lycoming steered me to their SB 480
  
  http://www.lycoming.com/Portals/0/techpublications/servicebulletins/SB%20480E%20%2804-13-2005%29/Oil%20and%20Filter%20Change%20and%20Screen%20Cleaning;%20Oil%20Filter-Screen%20Content%20Inspection.pdf
  
  which more or less tells you latest all 4 month you have to change oil and filter ....
  
  Cheers Werner
  
  
  
  
  
 
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