Just a reminder to all when doing a DI on any motor glider turn electric fuel pump on for say 60 seconds just to check the needle and seat in carby is shutting off with the float. If tray has fuel in it then there is a problem and DO NOT FLY aircraft. I always do this be it 2 stroke or 4 stroke as it quickly picks up a fuel problem.
I was going through a DI on Dimona XOO (Paddys) which I have not DI previously and when it came to turning fuel pumps on and inspecting fuel pissed out both carbys and there was no way of stopping it. The Limbach manual or is it a Service Bul call for replacement of needle and seat at 500hrs but I had same problem with Bob Williams Dimona (ex Thai Airforce) so maybe gliders sitting around not flying for a long time should have the needle and seat replaced before going into service. I always have fire extinguisher in motorglider (even 2 stroke Rotax with the pumper carb) just for that day that the needle and(or pumper) seat fails AND there is a crack in exhaust which was missed. When you need a fire extinguisher it is amaizing how far away an extinguisher can be as Geof Sim soon found out. I once had a Holden Torana 4 cyl which had a CD150 carby and the exhaust seal to engine was leaking (directly below carb) and it caught fire but saved by the extinguisher. The little Torana was renowned for catching fire as it aged. I guess we will never know what went wrong with Neil Cox and his fire in S10 Ian McPhee .
