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First flight 541KF

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roncarolnikko(at)hotmail.
Guest

Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2006 8:12 pm Post subject: First flight 541KF

Having recently completing my tailwheel training I left the field today in 

N541KF. The VW powered MK IV Speedster is an absolute joy to fly.  Slips 

through the air without all of the parasitic drag of my STOL Avid.  Flys 

hands off and does not squirrel around when the power settings are changed.  

This was a concern with the thrust centerline/ angle using the redrive. The 

controls feel smooth and solid begging for more input than I plan to do for 

a while.  Balance feels perfect as I can stall the tailwheel down before the 

mains if I want.

  That is the good part....  The prop is overpitched and climbed 500' per 

minute at best.  Cruise was around 90 without being able to reach redline 

rpm.   Worse than that was this nasty little habit of misfiring after about 

1/2 hour hard running.  I was doing a left then right mainwheel touch and go 

to see what the alignment felt like on asphault.  The landing went well with 

no tendancy to swerve from either main wheel and a nice transition to 

tailwheel.  With 3000' of runway 31 asphault left I chose to go around 

again.  At about 300' agl the motor misfired a few times and I radioed 

landing runway 22.  I could not contact a small helo playing long on that 

runway so I amended my landing to runway 16.  This was a 230 course 

reversal.  With a tailwind and a pos motor I made the turn. It went well and 

I could have landed anywhere there if needed.  Fortunately I made the runway 

so our overactive firefighters did'nt come over and hose me.

  After gapping down the plugs at a friends hanger it ran flawlessly.   Ten 

miles to the north, near my grass strip, I began some steep turns and stalls 

to get at least some performance testing in.   After 1/2 hour running I made 

for the pattern.  On my turn to base the same misfire.   Yes practice slips 

and s turns and come in hot! I had my carb heat on and I don't think it was 

ice. I believe it may be that my magneto is overheating and needs baffles 

and a scat hose.  After cooling down it once again runs perfect.    I'll 

check fuel flow as well. Any ideas???   Ron NB Ore  Cleaning the shorts



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morid(at)northland.lib.mi
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:07 am Post subject: First flight 541KF

Good story Ron, thanks.  Obviously, only four things need to happen for the

engine to run properly.  Fuel, air, spark, and both to meet at the correct

time.  The first thing I'd check would be the fuel flow.  Ensure it is

within the fuel flow requirements.  Check free flow and also the flow with

pump on.  Do you have a backup pump?  You obviously have spark or the engine

wouldn't run.  However, when things heat up something is obviously breaking

down.  While checking fuel flow I would replace the plugs because it's the

cheapest and easiest to do then go out and try again while taking note of

all ambient conditions.  Cleaning and gapping will not help a plug with a

small crack in the insulator.  Do you have EGT gauges?  Do they read any

different during this time.  Does the engine miss under load or at all

times, even when you're taxiing back?  What is the OAT during this time?  Do

you have a manifold pressure (MP) gauge?  Possibly you may have a small

vacuum leak which the MP gauge would show.  Mags are designed to operate

under very high heat, but I wouldn't rule it out.  Do you have a single mag?

Do you have access to a spare?

Hope some of this helps.

Deke

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smokey_bear_40220(at)yaho
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:32 am Post subject: First flight 541KF

Hi Ron,



I had a VW for a long time and had the same thing

twice.  Once it was ignition system overheat, and the

other was the ignition capacitor itself.  (I tore the

whole engine apart for a $1.69 capacitor!)



Add to that your engine might carbon up with that high

pitch prop and just a little rich running.



I'd buy a cheap ($10) indoor/outdoor thermometer and

put the outside sensor on the ignition to monitor it. 

Shield it from the exhaust heat too.



Just some thoughts.



Kurt S.



--- ron schick <roncarolnikko(at)hotmail.com> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   Having recently completing my tailwheel training I

 left the field today in 

 N541KF. The VW powered MK IV Speedster is an

 absolute joy to fly.  Slips 

 through the air without all of the parasitic drag of

 my STOL Avid.  Flys 

 hands off and does not squirrel around when the

 power settings are changed.  

 This was a concern with the thrust centerline/ angle

 using the redrive. The 

 controls feel smooth and solid begging for more

 input than I plan to do for 

 a while.  Balance feels perfect as I can stall the

 tailwheel down before the 

 mains if I want.

   That is the good part....  The prop is overpitched

 and climbed 500' per 

 minute at best.  Cruise was around 90 without being

 able to reach redline 

 rpm.   Worse than that was this nasty little habit

 of misfiring after about 

 1/2 hour hard running.  I was doing a left then

 right mainwheel touch and go 

 to see what the alignment felt like on asphault. 

 The landing went well with 

 no tendancy to swerve from either main wheel and a

 nice transition to 

 tailwheel.  With 3000' of runway 31 asphault left I

 chose to go around 

 again.  At about 300' agl the motor misfired a few

 times and I radioed 

 landing runway 22.  I could not contact a small helo

 playing long on that 

 runway so I amended my landing to runway 16.  This

 was a 230 course 

 reversal.  With a tailwind and a pos motor I made

 the turn. It went well and 

 I could have landed anywhere there if needed. 

 Fortunately I made the runway 

 so our overactive firefighters did'nt come over and

 hose me.

   After gapping down the plugs at a friends hanger

 it ran flawlessly.   Ten 

 miles to the north, near my grass strip, I began

 some steep turns and stalls 

 to get at least some performance testing in.   After

 1/2 hour running I made 

 for the pattern.  On my turn to base the same

 misfire.   Yes practice slips 

 and s turns and come in hot! I had my carb heat on

 and I don't think it was 

 ice. I believe it may be that my magneto is

 overheating and needs baffles 

 and a scat hose.  After cooling down it once again

 runs perfect.    I'll 

 check fuel flow as well. Any ideas???   Ron NB Ore 

 Cleaning the shorts


	


__________________________________________________

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roncarolnikko(at)hotmail.
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:39 am Post subject: First flight 541KF

HI Deke.  Single mag only and one cylinder misfires first if not the only 

one.  I have limited gauges so am diagnosing by experience of other vw 

problems only.  The plugs all looked the same with the excepion of the sooty 

misfiring plug.  I think it sooted up as a result rather than cause of the 

misfire.  Single barrell carb so I can eliminate many possibilities due to 

the other strong pulling cylinders.  The misfire occred under transition to 

go around first, then at 50% or less power in the pattern the second time.   

My first check will be to ensure fuel flow, then put a stock distributor in 

for a test.   I have everything to try this without spending more $$$$$ on 

parts which may not be the problem.    I have a zero time Revmaster with 

dual plug heads that I may put on this engine if I can get the prop and 

performance dialed in.   Hate to cabbage a complete motor though.   Thanks 

Ron NB Ore

[quote]From: "Fox5flyer" <morid(at)northland.lib.mi.us>

Reply-To: kitfox-list(at)matronics.com

To: <kitfox-list(at)matronics.com>

Subject: Re: First flight 541KF

Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 09:05:56 -0400






Good story Ron, thanks.  Obviously, only four things need to happen for the

engine to run properly.  Fuel, air, spark, and both to meet at the correct

time.  The first thing I'd check would be the fuel flow.  Ensure it is

within the fuel flow requirements.  Check free flow and also the flow with

pump on.  Do you have a backup pump?  You obviously have spark or the 

engine

wouldn't run.  However, when things heat up something is obviously breaking

down.  While checking fuel flow I would replace the plugs because it's the

cheapest and easiest to do then go out and try again while taking note of

all ambient conditions.  Cleaning and gapping will not help a plug with a

small crack in the insulator.  Do you have EGT gauges?  Do they read any

different during this time.  Does the engine miss under load or at all

times, even when you're taxiing back?  What is the OAT during this time?  

Do

you have a manifold pressure (MP) gauge?  Possibly you may have a small

vacuum leak which the MP gauge would show.  Mags are designed to operate

under very high heat, but I wouldn't rule it out.  Do you have a single 

mag?

Do you have access to a spare?

Hope some of this helps.

Deke

---

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vadert(at)telusplanet.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:57 am Post subject: First flight 541KF

Ron

    Sorry I can't offer any advice on the misfiring other than the things 

you've already outlined.  Well maybe one thing,  check your fuel line for 

nearby heat sources that could be causing some vapourizing problems.  I 

think it's more likely to be electrical. Oh, check the plug wires for 

separation so they aren't crossfeeding each other.  Congratulations on your 

first flight.  I hope you get your problems sorted out for the next flight. 

Sounds like you handled your problems well on the first one.  Good luck with 

diagnosing the problem.



Tim Vader

C-FBYV   (Sub IV)

Still repairing

---

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morid(at)northland.lib.mi
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:35 am Post subject: First flight 541KF

It doesn't sound like a huge problem as you can easily see where it is

affecting one plug and shouldn't be difficult to track down.  First thing

I'd do is change that plug and also the plug wire might be a bit of a

suspect.  Changing the distributor is a good plan too.  One of the problems

of doing too many changes in one go is that when the problem is fixed, you

don't know which fix fixed it!  Good luck and congrats on first flight.

Deke



---

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pulsair(at)mindspring.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:10 am Post subject: First flight 541KF

It seems that everytime you had a problem you were in some type of turn. It 

could be fuel disruption for some reason. Jeff Classic IV

---

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