It lives! (Super Rebel Chevy V8)
Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:01 pm
I got my fuel pumps installed and tried another engine run on the Chevy. It
ROARED to life immediately. I ran it for about a minute and then shut down
just to make sure there wasn't one or more kinds of fluid spewing all over.
There was a minor fuel leak that simply tightening the fitting fixed.
Couple of small oil leaks. One at a hose fitting from the gear reduction to
the engine. Can't get that one to stop leaking. Will have to look into it.
Small leak, but gotta fix it. Another very slow leak looks like it might be
coming from the gear reduction. Another thing to check out. No coolant
leaks. I started it again and ran it for about 5-7 minutes. Oil pressure
OK and oil temp just coming off the peg. I thought it sounded pretty good
until I started leaning the mixture. I watched the rpm increase as I leaned
and the engine sounded better and better until it was sweet music (as long
as I had hearing protection on). Very loud in my shop. I couldn't get the
rpm drop I was looking for as I continued leaning. The rpm just kept going
up until the engine quit from fuel starvation. Not sure what's going on
there, but I found that I had forgotten to plug the vacuum port normally
used for vacuum advance on the distributor. This port is right on the main
metering plate and would certainly mess with the mixture. I look forward to
my next test run with that port plugged. I never saw coolant temp or
pressure come off the peg. I think it's because 5-7 minutes wasn't enough
time to reach the range of the gauge for temp and the thermostat would have
still been closed along with cold coolant which is why I had no pressure.
What I can't explain is why my EGT gauge showed nothing. I checked the
wires to the probe and they seemed to be correct. There's nothing to an EGT
gauge. Doesn't even require power. I don't know why it's not working. All
other gauges showed good indications. I also have a problem with four of
the spark plug wires. The boots on the plugs are too close to the headers.
They were melted a bit. Summit Racing sells heat protection boots for this.
Hopefully, that will take care of the problem. I still have to get a
barrier installed between the exhaust and the copper coolant tubes but I
just had to see if it'd run today. Despite the EGT and spark plug wire
problems I consider this a great day. A landmark in the Chevy V8 airplane
installation process. I'll recheck head torque and valve adjustments next,
along with a call to Mitchell Instruments to ask about the EGT gauge. Then
I want to go for a long run up to operating temps. With no fans and no prop
installed yet that shouldn't take long.
The manager at my local NAPA mentioned that there might be a problem with
the short exhaust up here in the winter. When shutting down there is only a
short path for cold outside air to go up the exhaust pipe and rapidly cool
the heads causing problems, possibly severe. Anybody ever heard of such a
thing? Is there a real danger when it's very cold outside, say well below
zero F.? Virtually every aircraft on the ramp has short exhaust with no
mufflers and I've never heard of it being a problem with them.
Mike
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ROARED to life immediately. I ran it for about a minute and then shut down
just to make sure there wasn't one or more kinds of fluid spewing all over.
There was a minor fuel leak that simply tightening the fitting fixed.
Couple of small oil leaks. One at a hose fitting from the gear reduction to
the engine. Can't get that one to stop leaking. Will have to look into it.
Small leak, but gotta fix it. Another very slow leak looks like it might be
coming from the gear reduction. Another thing to check out. No coolant
leaks. I started it again and ran it for about 5-7 minutes. Oil pressure
OK and oil temp just coming off the peg. I thought it sounded pretty good
until I started leaning the mixture. I watched the rpm increase as I leaned
and the engine sounded better and better until it was sweet music (as long
as I had hearing protection on). Very loud in my shop. I couldn't get the
rpm drop I was looking for as I continued leaning. The rpm just kept going
up until the engine quit from fuel starvation. Not sure what's going on
there, but I found that I had forgotten to plug the vacuum port normally
used for vacuum advance on the distributor. This port is right on the main
metering plate and would certainly mess with the mixture. I look forward to
my next test run with that port plugged. I never saw coolant temp or
pressure come off the peg. I think it's because 5-7 minutes wasn't enough
time to reach the range of the gauge for temp and the thermostat would have
still been closed along with cold coolant which is why I had no pressure.
What I can't explain is why my EGT gauge showed nothing. I checked the
wires to the probe and they seemed to be correct. There's nothing to an EGT
gauge. Doesn't even require power. I don't know why it's not working. All
other gauges showed good indications. I also have a problem with four of
the spark plug wires. The boots on the plugs are too close to the headers.
They were melted a bit. Summit Racing sells heat protection boots for this.
Hopefully, that will take care of the problem. I still have to get a
barrier installed between the exhaust and the copper coolant tubes but I
just had to see if it'd run today. Despite the EGT and spark plug wire
problems I consider this a great day. A landmark in the Chevy V8 airplane
installation process. I'll recheck head torque and valve adjustments next,
along with a call to Mitchell Instruments to ask about the EGT gauge. Then
I want to go for a long run up to operating temps. With no fans and no prop
installed yet that shouldn't take long.
The manager at my local NAPA mentioned that there might be a problem with
the short exhaust up here in the winter. When shutting down there is only a
short path for cold outside air to go up the exhaust pipe and rapidly cool
the heads causing problems, possibly severe. Anybody ever heard of such a
thing? Is there a real danger when it's very cold outside, say well below
zero F.? Virtually every aircraft on the ramp has short exhaust with no
mufflers and I've never heard of it being a problem with them.
Mike
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