Break in high temps

14 posts in this topic

Posted

I started my 582 for the first time today. After warming it up and checking everything out I started the break in regiment. All went good until I got to the 30 second 6500 rpm run then the temps shot up very quickly. I was forced to shut it down. I have to admit I should have looked up the exceptable temperature for this engine before starting. It went over 200 before i noticed it. This is a Grey Head 582 with a thermostat installed. OAT was 90 here today and my plane has the front mounted side radiators. Cowl was off. VDO car gauge. EGT's got high only at full power runs. They ran around 1000 degrees during the 4000 to 5000 runs.

 Would like to hear what you have for advice. And what I should do from here. 

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Posted

When I was doing the initial run-up on my grey head, with the cowling off, I experienced the same thing. Putting the cowl on solved the problem. I guess the air wasn't being forced through the radiators.

Jackak

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Posted

Thank you Jackak. I'm not sure my gauge set up is reading correctly either.

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Posted

With it being 90 above, I'm not surprised you were overheating.  Don't remember what prop you are running, but a warp has very little prop blade close to the hub, (none in fact close enough)  so it doesn't push the air into the engine/radiators while on the ground as say a wooden prop would.  Try putting your water temp gauge sender in a can of water, heat it till it boils, and see what the gauge reads.  Factor in for elevation if you aren't close to sea level.  Higher elevation, lower boiling temp.   If your jetting is what Rotax calls for, for your elevation, you should be fairly close for tuning.  If anything go a bit richer for the first flights.  Lots of times the EGT on the ground isn't the same as in the air.  And always, believe the plugs more then the gauge.  JImChuk

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Posted

I'm running a GSC three blade. I ran it again with the same results. I kept a closer eye on the temps. When I shut it down it was pushing water slowly into the reservoir. The gauge is a VDO gauge with markings at 120, 180, 210, 280, 300. The engine was warm.  Im waiting for cooler evening temps to run again. 

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Posted

2017-09-02 19.18.10.jpg

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Posted

2017-09-02 19.18.42.jpg

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Posted

Looks like some corrosion on the connection on the sender.   Are you making a good connection?  That might change the reading some.  Can't argue with the boiling water test though.  What if the gauge reads low???  One less bit of worry removed from your mind once you start flying it, if you know you can trust it or at least know what it's really saying.  If  my memory is right, the GSC is a bit like the Warp near the hub.   JImChuk

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Posted (edited)

I have had sleds do that after a coolant refill.  It ended up bieng an air pocket somewhere in the cooling system that slowed flow.  I had to bleed the high points in the system.

And I like jim's idea... get the guage calibrated with the sender.  

Also consider trying with the thermostat out.

Edited by MN Kitfox 2

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Posted

Update: I clearned the sender and ran it again once the OAT cooled off. Much better results. I will still be checking the gauge to sender. The engine ran good and I was able to maintain temps with rpm changes. It's still running near 180. I'd like to see it a little lower. Who is running a thermostat in the GH? Who is not? What temps are you seeing? This thermostat could be a winter options for me.  Now to check gauge, cowl it, and see how it operate. I will run it one more time in the morning while it's cool outside just to see the difference between the there OAT's. More to report :)

 

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Posted

That's what I ended up doing with my 532: tstat out in summer, in for the winter.  It had a somewhat marginal cooling system that you had to keep an eye on.

Not sure everyone would agree on doing it that way since it would run a broader temp range (150-180), but in the summer it helped me know when the system was nearing capacity.  When it crept up I  knew it needed some airflow soon.  With the tstat in it would hold steady but you wouldn't get much warning when it reached cooling capacity and spiked up quickly. 

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Posted

Probably the biggest worry about no thermostat is from a cold seizure.  Say you are coming in to land.  Not much power is being used, lots of air flow through the radiators.  Water temp drops quite a bit.  For what ever reason you have to do a go around.  Full power, lots of heat, and rapidly rising water temps.  Pistons expand faster than the cooled off cylinders and pistons start to make contact with the cylinder walls.  Silence ensues.  Sweet beads form.  Seat cushions disappear.  Ect, ect.   Cold seizure is probably much more likely in cooler temps, but I would use the thermostat in the summer if temps stayed in line.  JImChuk

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Posted

I ended up using this stuff and it actually did what it said it would. I haven't had much time with it but so far so good . I'm in Florida so I don't have to worry to much about having antifreeze in my system like you northern guys . The stuff can be mixed with just water or added in to your antifreeze. I went with straight mixing with water and a hint of antifreeze. Now when I did all this I didn't have the big expansion tank I made . With the tank and this mixture my temps should be good . 

20170903_125136.jpg

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Posted

Update: I tested the sensor and gauge and found it to be very inconsistent. I set up a camping stove and grounded the sensor with a double ended alligator clipped jumper wire to the engine. Its sweet spot was 175 to 185 but in three tests could not get solid readings compared to candy thermometer. I referenced the builders manual and actually found where they said these gauges could be up to 30 degrees off. Off with the VDO and ordered a new Westach. 

 

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