I have control
29th Aug 2001, 21:38
Maybe this has done the rounds already but in case not::::
>>>>ENGINE MAINTENANCE ALERT (Housai 285 and M-14P) !!!
Immediately, please inspect the Upper Drain Plug in your Carburetors! When viewed from the left side of the engine, this plug is seated upright position and located right behind the top of Diaphragm housing – This plug must be tight AND safety wired !! If it is not safetied and it backs out (as happened to me this past week) you may get to write authoritatively about the CJ-6A as a glider… When this plug backs out, the engine stops dead in its tracks – the Wobble Pump and Primer become only nice looking gimmicks in your cockpit.
Engine data: 1996 Factory new M-14P engine (Aerostar), 230 hours Total time. Generally, engine performs very well – no notable maintenance issues.
…My first flight of the day was with my Instructor going up for my BFR. The second, was planned as a three ship formation with my good friends (Walt Orth) flying Lead in his T-6, Lloyd Epperly (CJ-6A) as #3 and myself as #2. Normal startup and taxi to the run-up area.
A little confusion with Lead and tower caused a short delay which was extended further by three Cessnas calling for take off clearances ahead of us. This delay proved a blessing for me – read on. When finally we were cleared for take off, Lead begins to taxi to the active to be followed by me – as I started to advance the throttle, engine suddenly quit COLD!! Hmmm, this is odd… a quick prime and re-start – engine started immediately only to die out within seconds again. A quick call to Lead and tower informing of the problem. Another try using the Primer after start allowed the engine to run for another two seconds before quitting again. A slow tow back to the hangar where I started looking for the cause. All fuel lines firewall forward, the gas collator and the cigarette filter at the Carb removed for inspection – all normal. Next step was removal of the engine driven Fuel Pump for inspection, also normal. Some suggested the Carb Diaphragm may have ruptured which could create similar symptoms – a quick call to the ever reliable Doug Sapp and the Diaphragm is on the way over night! On the following day (after ‘sleeping over it’ ;), I opted to re-install everything back and try to duplicate the problem. Before start-up, I thought it would be a good idea to inspect all of the carburetor screws for safety wiring. As you know, the carburetor is full of safety wires everywhere, terminating with an official seal. Well, my Carb was safetied with the seals everywhere but that little bolt (plug). Somehow this plug safetying was missed at assembly (I believe the carburetors are not manufactured by Aerostar but elsewhere but am not sure). It took this little plug 230 hours to slowly back out to the point where it was completely unthreaded and simply resting in its hole (!!). The hole is ‘countersunk’ some to allow for the ‘O’ ring to seat.
Re-tightening the plug and restarting the engine allowed for a very normal engine run throughout it power range. Just to be sure I did positively find the culprit, I removed the plug again and tried starting again – exactly same problem re-appeared. As the engine was starting, I tried the Wobble Pump with absolutely no impact on the engine…
Since Jim Goolsby and I got our engines together (one serial number apart), I quickly called to alert him. While I am still on the phone, he proceeded directly to his hangar to look for that plug – YES, you guessed it! It WAS NOT safetied! Worse yet, it was lose and on its merry way out!! Jim’s plug must have been tightened better than mine as his engine accumulated better than 600 hours by now. I am wondering how many more hours he could have flown before facing similar or worse situation….
A check of a couple Housai engines yielded one safetied and another NOT! I believe the Housai 285 will react similar to the M-14P when this plug says goodbye. Inspection of three more M-14P engines found all safetied properly.
My BFR instructor called me later and said “Boy, this was close!” - No S--T !
If not for the Lead pilot taking his time with the radios, I (or someone else..) may have had a different story to tell…
Check your Six (and your carburetor upper drain plug),
Sam Sax
(305) 526-7322 (work)
(305) 385-1549 (home)
(305) 277-8632 (pager)
>>>>ENGINE MAINTENANCE ALERT (Housai 285 and M-14P) !!!
Immediately, please inspect the Upper Drain Plug in your Carburetors! When viewed from the left side of the engine, this plug is seated upright position and located right behind the top of Diaphragm housing – This plug must be tight AND safety wired !! If it is not safetied and it backs out (as happened to me this past week) you may get to write authoritatively about the CJ-6A as a glider… When this plug backs out, the engine stops dead in its tracks – the Wobble Pump and Primer become only nice looking gimmicks in your cockpit.
Engine data: 1996 Factory new M-14P engine (Aerostar), 230 hours Total time. Generally, engine performs very well – no notable maintenance issues.
…My first flight of the day was with my Instructor going up for my BFR. The second, was planned as a three ship formation with my good friends (Walt Orth) flying Lead in his T-6, Lloyd Epperly (CJ-6A) as #3 and myself as #2. Normal startup and taxi to the run-up area.
A little confusion with Lead and tower caused a short delay which was extended further by three Cessnas calling for take off clearances ahead of us. This delay proved a blessing for me – read on. When finally we were cleared for take off, Lead begins to taxi to the active to be followed by me – as I started to advance the throttle, engine suddenly quit COLD!! Hmmm, this is odd… a quick prime and re-start – engine started immediately only to die out within seconds again. A quick call to Lead and tower informing of the problem. Another try using the Primer after start allowed the engine to run for another two seconds before quitting again. A slow tow back to the hangar where I started looking for the cause. All fuel lines firewall forward, the gas collator and the cigarette filter at the Carb removed for inspection – all normal. Next step was removal of the engine driven Fuel Pump for inspection, also normal. Some suggested the Carb Diaphragm may have ruptured which could create similar symptoms – a quick call to the ever reliable Doug Sapp and the Diaphragm is on the way over night! On the following day (after ‘sleeping over it’ ;), I opted to re-install everything back and try to duplicate the problem. Before start-up, I thought it would be a good idea to inspect all of the carburetor screws for safety wiring. As you know, the carburetor is full of safety wires everywhere, terminating with an official seal. Well, my Carb was safetied with the seals everywhere but that little bolt (plug). Somehow this plug safetying was missed at assembly (I believe the carburetors are not manufactured by Aerostar but elsewhere but am not sure). It took this little plug 230 hours to slowly back out to the point where it was completely unthreaded and simply resting in its hole (!!). The hole is ‘countersunk’ some to allow for the ‘O’ ring to seat.
Re-tightening the plug and restarting the engine allowed for a very normal engine run throughout it power range. Just to be sure I did positively find the culprit, I removed the plug again and tried starting again – exactly same problem re-appeared. As the engine was starting, I tried the Wobble Pump with absolutely no impact on the engine…
Since Jim Goolsby and I got our engines together (one serial number apart), I quickly called to alert him. While I am still on the phone, he proceeded directly to his hangar to look for that plug – YES, you guessed it! It WAS NOT safetied! Worse yet, it was lose and on its merry way out!! Jim’s plug must have been tightened better than mine as his engine accumulated better than 600 hours by now. I am wondering how many more hours he could have flown before facing similar or worse situation….
A check of a couple Housai engines yielded one safetied and another NOT! I believe the Housai 285 will react similar to the M-14P when this plug says goodbye. Inspection of three more M-14P engines found all safetied properly.
My BFR instructor called me later and said “Boy, this was close!” - No S--T !
If not for the Lead pilot taking his time with the radios, I (or someone else..) may have had a different story to tell…
Check your Six (and your carburetor upper drain plug),
Sam Sax
(305) 526-7322 (work)
(305) 385-1549 (home)
(305) 277-8632 (pager)