overheating... again

[akflyer 1427]

I flew up to a buddies lodge and spent a week there doing maintenance work for them. When we we went to leave, after the normal warm up (temp came up to 160 and stayed there, I taxied out from the dock and tried to take off. about 10 seconds into the take off run the temp shot up to 180, back to 160, back to 180 then 200 back to 160 then it started spewing antifreeze out the overflow. I shut down and taxied back to the dock. It all happened in a matter of seconds and it seemed the thermostat was hanging up the way it acted. I pulled the thermostat, refilled the antifreeze and took off solo and flew around the lake for a bit, everything seemed normal and the temp stayed at 140 in cruise, 160 in climb... PERFECT! I came back around and landed and picked the fiance up and away we went. About 11 miles out from the lodge with the temp at a solid 155- 160 it started spewing antifreeze out the cowling and then the temp shot up again. I set down on a tiny little lake as a larger one was just out of gliding distance. I refilled the water and then moved over to a bigger lake and called in my brother to come get us. While we were there, I screwed up and started thinking....

After a 3 hr wait the calvary showed up in a borrowed float plane with some tools and more anti freeze. We kicked it around and decided that the best plan (yeah right) was to take all the gear out of my plane, and put into his (except for my survival bag) and he loaded up the fiance and was going to be my wing man and get the plane back to the lodge where I could safely tie it down and leave it for a few weeks while I went back to work.... I took off and circled the lake a few times and all seemed well again so I pointed the nose for the lodge. Now would be a good time to say that the radio in the borrowed plane would receive but not transmit... So anyway, I am cruising along eyes glued to the gauges when at the only 2 mile stretch between us and the lodge where there was not a big river of big lake to land on she decided to blow the antifreeze out again. Option 1 was a mud puddle at the edge of the tree line and option 2 was open tundra. I took option one...The puddle is about 300' long with pecker poles at one end and a solid tree line at the other.. I slipped in between the pecker poles and stuffed if on the water hard and stomped the rudder to kick me around and get stopped just before I slid up the bank on the other side of the puddle.

A long story short, I got a helicopter ride out and the plane is sitting on the tundra (I ran it up on the bank and got it out of the water). I had nothing long enough to tie it down with, so my lil baby is now sitting out in the open waiting on freeze up and snow so I can get in on skis, swap the engine and hopefully bring her home in a couple months.. Fingers are crossed that we dont get a big 120 mph wind come through like we did last week because if it does, she will be a wadded up ball of shit.

Good news is that no one was hurt and the fiance still loves to fly with me

My guess now is a blown head gasket or cracked cylinder is building pressure in the cooling system.

[Av8r3400 1179]

(Seriously, glad you're okay, though...)

[EDMO 1078]

Glad the ending to that flight is only a sad one, and not a BAD one. Daughter told me they just had 100 mph winds in Anchorage.

That is supposed to be the wind they have on the mountainside east, but not normally downtown. Usually never gets over 50.

We will all be waiting for the outcome of this, and wish you some better luck.

ED in MO

[akflyer 1427]

Glad the ending to that flight is only a sad one, and not a BAD one. Daughter told me they just had 100 mph winds in Anchorage.

That is supposed to be the wind they have on the mountainside east, but not normally downtown. Usually never gets over 50.

We will all be waiting for the outcome of this, and wish you some better luck.

ED in MO

It is between Alexander Lake and the yetna.. can get some big winds ripping through there this time of year...

[flattie45 17]

Sorry to hear that, Leni. Glad to know that everybody is alright. I just returned to work. When I get back home in two weeks I can do a fly-over to check on it's condition. Not much that one can do from the air, but it's always nice to know the status.

-Nate

[EDMO 1078]

It is between Alexander Lake and the yetna.. can get some big winds ripping through there this time of year...

Down here in the flatlands (NOT in Kansas) a 30 mph wind keeps planes in hanger - When I was doing Commercial rating, airport rented a 150 to me in 45 KNOT winds to go look for some horses loose in a forest fire - manager said I was one of very few he would do that for. Maybe he had flown in Alaska winds? Now, we are getting off of the subject of your overheating - a mystery that has to be solved - as soon as you can get your bird back.

ED in MO

[saskavid 47]

Glad to hear you are ok Leni.I'd start with the head gaskets as well.

Mikesk

[EDMO 1078]

Arent you now glad you dont have to tote a 200 pound Sooby on skis and change it? Think that would be another chopper call.

But then again, with a Soob, you might not have that problem??

Wishing you calm winds and early winter and lots of luck.

ED in MO

Edited 13 Sep 2012 by Ed In Missouri

[akflyer 1427]

I am now neck and neck on lycoming versus rotax failures any engine can fail, I just wish ole Murphy would have taken the day off and let it happen at a slightly different location, but that is not how things work in aviation it seems.

[horsepower 24]

Leni,Sorry to hear about your ordeal but glad your ok.You probably already thought of this but a radiator cap failure can also have the same symptoms as a head gasket.Maybe blowing off pressure before its designed for.Probably a head gasket but you might take a new cap with you when you go back in to get it. Good Luck Randy

[SuberAvid 617]

Wow Leni, glad you got it down safely. In my experience that kind of excitement is just not fun. I will try to find it and keep an eye on it whenever I can get out there over the next couple of months. Let me know if I can help when you are ready to do the changeover of motor and skis. Will you be able to get a good takeoff run where you are at or do we need to do some tree cutting? I hear we are in for another blow this weekend. The last one wasn't too bad out in the valley but really hit Anchorage. Hopefully this one will not be bad up the Yentna valley.

Randy

[akflyer 1427]

Wow Leni, glad you got it down safely. In my experience that kind of excitement is just not fun. I will try to find it and keep an eye on it whenever I can get out there over the next couple of months. Let me know if I can help when you are ready to do the changeover of motor and skis. Will you be able to get a good takeoff run where you are at or do we need to do some tree cutting? I hear we are in for another blow this weekend. The last one wasn't too bad out in the valley but really hit Anchorage. Hopefully this one will not be bad up the Yentna valley.

Randy

I will email you the coordinates when I get them from my brother. I can take off on the floats when we get some snow. May have to take out a couple lil trees to make a safe take off for me and who ever flys me in to get it.

[dholly 718]

Wow, you all sure know how to party! My gal would be headed for the exits after that.

In all seriousness, you got a whole lot of timber up there and I'm sure glad you didn't have to put down in the trees somewhere.

I'm sure whatever time your plane has to sit there will be twisting your gut so I hope your fix and flight out goes smoothly.

Fingers crossed x2 for Randy's radiator cap comment, here's hoping it's that easy!

On a lighter note, I heard a real Yukon Man can swap out an engine in 1 hour flat with only a Leatherman and tube of Chapstick. If your phone doesn't freeze up, take a few pics of the wilderness wrenching session for your friends here. Helicopter rescues are pretty crazy stuff for us in the lower states and we be pulling for ya!

[EDMO 1078]

To me, the most terrifying part of this saga is the helicopter flight!!!

Helicopters cant fly - They are just so dang ugly and noisy and vibrate so much the earth repels them!

Hope I never have to get into another one.......

ED in MO

[SuberAvid 617]

I will email you the coordinates when I get them from my brother. I can take off on the floats when we get some snow. May have to take out a couple lil trees to make a safe take off for me and who ever flys me in to get it.

Sounds good, I will try to check it regularly as much as the weather will permit. Send me the info on a message on this forum since my home email is not working at teh moment. I am going deer hunting in MT from 30 Oct - 17 Nov but doubt we will get enough snow by then. After that, let me know if you need a ride or just want another set of hands; even if it is just to take pictures for Doug

[akflyer 1427]

The radiator cap thought is a good one! And could very well be the issue! I dont seem to have antifreeze coming out the exhaust. No steam, no sweet taste etc (yes, I did stick my finger in the tail pipe and lick it). Damn, that just sounds really wrong!!!! I will grab another cap and a test cap and a bicycle pump before I head out there and will know in just a few minutes if it is the cap, or head gasket / cracked cylinder.

[akflyer 1427]

My brother did an overflight today and the bird is sitting pretty just where I left it. She survived the wind storms just fine! Another bit of good news. There is a lake about 2 miles away with a runway next to it and a 4 wheeler trail from that lake to the pond that I am on so it should be a pretty easy hike in to make repairs and hopefully get it out of there in a couple weeks! Neither of us saw the trail as it was grown over, but with the changing seasons and the leaves falling off it opened up and he saw it today.

[dholly 718]

More options always sounds good! Although, I hope it doesn't work to your disadvantage... you know, make it easier for someone else to come in and clean you out? I know several of the fly-in fish camps I've been to in northern Ontario and Quebec have been broken into a lot. It's not a take only what you need in an emergency to survive and leave a thank you note kind of thing. Usually boat motors and booze get jacked and only minimal damage to gain entry. Just a too-hard-to-pass-up crime of opportunity with no one around I guess. I hope folks in the AK bush have better morals and leave your stuff alone till you can get back in there.

[EDMO 1078]

More options always sounds good! Although, I hope it doesn't work to your disadvantage... you know, make it easier for someone else to come in and clean you out? I know several of the fly-in fish camps I've been to in northern Ontario and Quebec have been broken into a lot. It's not a take only what you need in an emergency to survive and leave a thank you note kind of thing. Usually boat motors and booze get jacked and only minimal damage to gain entry. Just a too-hard-to-pass-up crime of opportunity with no one around I guess. I hope folks in the AK bush have better morals and leave your stuff alone till you can get back in there.

Like any other place in the world: SOME DO - SOME DONT !!!!!

ED in MO

[akflyer 1427]

More options always sounds good! Although, I hope it doesn't work to your disadvantage... you know, make it easier for someone else to come in and clean you out? I know several of the fly-in fish camps I've been to in northern Ontario and Quebec have been broken into a lot. It's not a take only what you need in an emergency to survive and leave a thank you note kind of thing. Usually boat motors and booze get jacked and only minimal damage to gain entry. Just a too-hard-to-pass-up crime of opportunity with no one around I guess. I hope folks in the AK bush have better morals and leave your stuff alone till you can get back in there.

The trail that goes by the pond I am on does not really go anwhere other that to the other cabin on the other larger lake. It is still a fly in only access. The guys I know up here that have planes will look out for each other. There are of course the few guys that will strip a bird in a heartbeat, but most times, they dont get the blessing of having the cops pick them up....

It is looking good for getting the bird back soon!

[EDMO 1078]

The trail that goes by the pond I am on does not really go anwhere other that to the other cabin on the other larger lake. It is still a fly in only access. The guys I know up here that have planes will look out for each other. There are of course the few guys that will strip a bird in a heartbeat, but most times, they dont get the blessing of having the cops pick them up....

It is looking good for getting the bird back soon!

Saw a little bit on flooding in Talketna and also Seward, but not enough to get an idea of how bad it might be in your area, if at all. October snows should be coming soon. Take your broom.

ED in MO

[SuberAvid 617]

Leni,

I found your plane tonight and everything still looks good. It is tucked into a little cove on the south side of thelake like it is waiting for you to get back from moose hunting. It was pretty late when I got there so I didn't notice the runway and trail you found.

It was getting pretty dark by 9:00 when I got back to Wolf Lake; kind of glad they installed the runway lights now and glad I got the IVO back on. (I had to send the motor back and get a new one since it quit again.) Cruising at 95 is so nice when it is getting dark. I notice that the plane flies at a much more tail high/nose down attitude when trimmed out at 90 to 95; kind of like it gets up on step. A big difference when I had the Warp Drive back on it for a while with the 80 mph cruise; flying around with a 20 mph headwind you realize how big a difference it is.

Let me know when you plan to do the retrieval and if I can help.

Randy

[akflyer 1427]

Thanks Randy, that is GREAT news. I am hoping for a retrival effort October 8th or some time that week. I am going up to the lodge to tie the knot on the 4th (heading to the lodge on the 4th, the knot tying will be the 6th). After that I will see what it will take to get in there and get her fixed n out of there!

I too notice that there is a big difference in the flight attitude between 80 and 90-100 at 80 I am running full up trim, at 90-95 I am at full down trim and pushing just a hair on the stick. I am thinking about building larger balanced tail feathers like the squared off cub tails. I think it will help with the float flying.

On another note, do you know anything about the HH for sale on craigslist? Seems like a darn good price for all that is included on a brand new plane that has not yet been completed.

[horsepower 24]

Thanks Randy, that is GREAT news. I am hoping for a retrival effort October 8th or some time that week. I am going up to the lodge to tie the knot on the 4th (heading to the lodge on the 4th, the knot tying will be the 6th). After that I will see what it will take to get in there and get her fixed n out of there!

I too notice that there is a big difference in the flight attitude between 80 and 90-100 at 80 I am running full up trim, at 90-95 I am at full down trim and pushing just a hair on the stick. I am thinking about building larger balanced tail feathers like the squared off cub tails. I think it will help with the float flying.

On another note, do you know anything about the HH for sale on craigslist? Seems like a darn good price for all that is included on a brand new plane that has not yet been completed.

Congratulation on the Knot tying,sounds like you got yourself a keeper.Good Luck on getting your bird retrieved. Randy

[Av8r3400 1179]

You know what they say:

"If you can crash a plane with her and she doesn't leave... "