REFLECTOR: Severely rough-running Franklin

[Laurence Coen]

Hiroo,

Changing the oil could not cause the problem you are having unless something 
else was disturbed in the process.  Having changed the oil on my Franklin I 
don't see how that could happen.  Pulling a couple of the lower plugs could 
be very revealing.  If they are wet with fuel it would indicate that the 
engine is flooding.  Possible causes might be a stuck primer solenoid or you 
didn't turn off the electric pump before starting.  I don't know how your 
fuel system is plumbed up but if your electric pump supplies pressure to the 
inlet of the engine driven pump, running both will produce excessive 
pressure to the carburetor forcing fuel past the float valve.  If the plugs 
are wet with oil, how much oil did you put in there?  Stuck valves after 10 
hours of operation are unlikely with any engine but are easy to check with a 
compression test.

Larry Coen
SE-RG Franklin
(50 hours)
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Hiroo Umeno
  To: reflector at www.tvbf.org
  Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 8:19 PM
  Subject: REFLECTOR: Severely rough-running Franklin


  So...

  I gave my plane its first oil change.  It has about 10 hours now.  As 
expected with a newly overhauled engine, there are some very fine dark 
powder mixed in the oil.  No big chunks or shavings.  So far, so good.

  After the oil change, I tried starting the engine.  Using the primer, I 
tried a few times and just could not get it to run consistently.  It will 
fire and do an uneven "shakes and rattles" and after a few seconds, it will 
die back down.  One time, I got it to run for about one minute but the 
running was rough and really uneven and would not idle as it used to.

  Subsequently, it just will not go beyond a few rattles and shakes.  My 
wife observed a faint white smoke blow out of the exhaust stack when it 
"rattles" and a few times a darker smoke subsequently.

  What should I look into?

  Hiroo



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