----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
I suppose we could use FAA approved firesleave. Kevin -----Original Message----- From: Jon Page [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 12:59 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; coupers tech; [email protected] ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- Lynn. Yes, I thought I had what I thought was a carb ice problems, and enlarging the main jet seemed to make it noticeably better. This was puzzling and didn't make much sense. After diverting cabin heat to the front of the carb, enlarging the main jet and a few other things, all of which seemed to make it better, it was still not right! I'll have to admitt that I was quite wrong! It came to me as I lay in bed one night thinking about the problem, as I had done a hundred times before. The fuel line was heating up to the point that the fuel was boiling and causing a vapor lock! The fuel line comes from the firewall, down over the muffler to the gascolator on the lower firewall and then back up to the carb. It MUST have no humps or high spots in the fuel line run, rather it must run in a continuous slope down or up. Still the engine only seemed to give trouble when backed off to about 2,200 RPM. This again puzzled me until I realised what was causing the problem. At take off and higher settings, the fuel ran through the line fast enough that it didn't get a chance to heat up and vaporize. When backed off somewhat, the carb bowl would fill, shutting off the needle valve, which stops the fuel flow in the line. As the engine uses little fuel at low settings, the gas would sit in the line long enough to heat up and boil! Pulling the carb heat always restored power, but it was still very disconserting. Carb heat enrichens the mix slightly giving the needed fuel thirst to open the needle valve all the way and let the fuel recharge the carb bowl, and off you go again. That's way running at higher settings and/or enlarging the jet made it better, it kept more fuel running through the line, thus not giving it time to boil. This is the second Coupe I've had with this problem. I'd also be willing to bet many coupes have this problem as well, as when I talked about this a year or so ago, six or eight other Coupers said they had very similar problems. This engine dying out stuff can put you right off flying, as it almost did me! ......The solution......... As I am on the Canadian Owner Maintenance program I can and have solved this problem once and for all!! A trip to the local hardware store yielded a roll of 2"X1/8" foam insulating tape with aluminium on oneside and sticky on the other. I wrapped all the fuel hoses, overlapping as I went. When that was done I folded heavy duty alum. foil over four times to make strips. I then crinkled it up to give it more thickness and then wrapped it over the foam insulation for added heat protection. Then I took fine lock wire and double wrapped the foil to secure it in place. Done. The fuel line now is about 1 1/2" in dia. and does look different, but IT DOES WORK!!! I know some will throw their hands up in disgust but it certainly has worked for me and my precious pink skin is more valuable to me than all the rule books and manuals. There are quite often new solutions to old problems if only we can keep our minds open to new thought and careful experimentation. I cannot recommend that others do what I have done as the big bad wolf (the FAA) my get you if you live below the Canuck border. If you have a Coupe that sometimes dies out for no reason, chances are vapor lock! I hope this may help of my fellow Coupers. ..........................................Jon Page................................................. Flak Magnet 415-C ======================================================================== ====== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/ ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/
<<attachment: winmail.dat>>
