REFLECTOR: radiator cooling

Wayne wowens at darientel.net
Thu Feb 3 20:05:25 CST 2005


I'm using a float switch in my expansion tank to alert if water gets an inch low.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dave Bertram 
  To: reflector 
  Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 6:44 PM
  Subject: REFLECTOR: radiator cooling


        Recently I blew a radiator hose on my chevy powered Velocity.  It was four or five minutes before I could shut it down.  I repaired the hose connection and flew two more times .  On the first I lost three cylinders due to piston ring fragments being hammered into the spark plugs and closing their gap.  I thought the plugs were too long and upon research I did find I had the wrong plugs.  I replaced all the plugs and ran the engine.  I pulled the plugs and they looked fine.  Thinking I had found the problem I flew again.  This time I lost a cylinder shortly after take off.  I returned to the hangar and removed the cowling.  The second plug I removed had the gap closed.  We pulled the heads and found the two burned pistons.  One of those also had a broken ring which made its way around the engine damaging most of the pistons and both heads.  

        This teaches a couple of things.  First, that the V-8 is one very tough engine.  I have flown it with two burned pistons and three bad cylinders.  Secondly, you should have water pressure and temperature indicators.  You may get zero water pressure earlier than high water temp.  Shut it down and pull the heads if the temp is excessive or the pressure zero for very long.   I will be running again in a few weeks.  Dave Bertram 
               
       



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