Hot weather and autogas?

Hi Troop..........

The weather forecast for Idaho today is staggering! 107° F in Boise, 108° in
Twin Falls and 110° in Mountain Home. Montana is similar with 108° forecast
in Helena.

Last year, on my way to OSH, I planned my fuel stops to take advantage of
autogas availability. I stopped at Pullman, WA and filled up. As we were
flying past Helena, Montana, the OAT showed 85° at 9500'. Fuel pressure went
to zero and the electric pump (ahead of the firewall) made no difference.
Within one minute the engine quit. Not rough. QUIT.

I'll spare you the details, but fortunately, as I was about to turn downwind
for a soybean field, it had cooled off enough to restart. Cautiously, we
climbed and made our way to Helena, 25 miles distant. Draining the autofuel
and filling up with 100 LL solved the problem.

Unless you are *absolutely* sure that your engine will not vapor lock in
extreme temperatures, do not run autogas. It is not worth the few bucks
difference. Don't worry about the 100 LL fouling a plug or two - your plane
will still fly.

I am not looking for an discussion or argument about autogas. I use it
regularly in moderate temps. I will not use it when the mercury rises to
these levels.

Keep 'em flying,
Rich S.

"Rich S." wrote in message
...
Hi Troop..........

The weather forecast for Idaho today is staggering! 107° F in Boise, 108°
in
Twin Falls and 110° in Mountain Home. Montana is similar with 108°
forecast
in Helena.

Last year, on my way to OSH, I planned my fuel stops to take advantage of
autogas availability. I stopped at Pullman, WA and filled up. As we were
flying past Helena, Montana, the OAT showed 85° at 9500'. Fuel pressure
went
to zero and the electric pump (ahead of the firewall) made no difference.
Within one minute the engine quit. Not rough. QUIT.

What were you flying?

Fuel pumps work better against vapor-lock when closer to the source.

I'll spare you the details, but fortunately, as I was about to turn
downwind
for a soybean field, it had cooled off enough to restart. Cautiously, we
climbed and made our way to Helena, 25 miles distant. Draining the
autofuel
and filling up with 100 LL solved the problem.

Unless you are *absolutely* sure that your engine will not vapor lock in
extreme temperatures, do not run autogas. It is not worth the few bucks
difference. Don't worry about the 100 LL fouling a plug or two - your
plane
will still fly.

I am not looking for an discussion or argument about autogas. I use it
regularly in moderate temps. I will not use it when the mercury rises to
these levels.

Keep 'em flying,
Rich S.

Yes, mogas is more volatile, but couldn't you have mixed it with 100LL? Do
you have your firewall-forward fuel lines well-insulated with firesleeves?
A friend complained about vapor-lock until he band-it clamped that orange
silicone Aeroquip stuff on his lines. And don't forget to seal it on the
ends so that oil and fuel don't soak into the insulation. See Tony
Bingelis on Firewall Forward. Some people seal it with RTV silicone, some
with that expensive stuff Tony says to buy as a group.

Better to discuss it than not to discuss it. And then have to cuss it
later.

What kind of plane? I used to have high desert vapor lock on my old
International Travelall...5000 feet and 110 degrees F in the shade. Nothing
I did, and I mean NOTHING stopped the vapor lock problems until!!! I
installed an electric fuel pump at the fuel tank With insulated fuel lines
in the engine compartment and a 1/16" diameter bleed line that vented back
to the tank (so that after sitting for a while any vapor that formed in the
line would vent back to the tank unblocking the line when I flipped on the
fuel pump....the bleed line was insurance as I ran it almost a year with the
tank mounted fuel pump with no problems...The fuel pump seemed to create
enough pressure to collapse or force through any bubbles in the line...but
the heat soaked engine would start more quickly once the bleed line was
installed) I also by-passed the block mounted fuel pump to reduce engine
block heat transfer into the fuel. I put another 100,000 miles on that
vehicle, most of it rock crawling in Utah's Canyonlands in the summer time,
with never even a hic-up caused by fuel vapor blocking the line.

Bruce A. Frank

"Rich S." wrote in message
...
Hi Troop..........

The weather forecast for Idaho today is staggering! 107° F in Boise, 108°
in
Twin Falls and 110° in Mountain Home. Montana is similar with 108°
forecast
in Helena.

Last year, on my way to OSH, I planned my fuel stops to take advantage of
autogas availability. I stopped at Pullman, WA and filled up. As we were
flying past Helena, Montana, the OAT showed 85° at 9500'. Fuel pressure
went
to zero and the electric pump (ahead of the firewall) made no difference.
Within one minute the engine quit. Not rough. QUIT.

I'll spare you the details, but fortunately, as I was about to turn
downwind
for a soybean field, it had cooled off enough to restart. Cautiously, we
climbed and made our way to Helena, 25 miles distant. Draining the
autofuel
and filling up with 100 LL solved the problem.

Unless you are *absolutely* sure that your engine will not vapor lock in
extreme temperatures, do not run autogas. It is not worth the few bucks
difference. Don't worry about the 100 LL fouling a plug or two - your
plane
will still fly.

I am not looking for an discussion or argument about autogas. I use it
regularly in moderate temps. I will not use it when the mercury rises to
these levels.

Keep 'em flying,
Rich S.

Well Rich, It was only 77 ° today. Supposed to get down to high 40s or low
50 tonight and we are 160 miles south of Oshkosh. Is supposed to get to 90
some this week end but I am heading North this Friday to look for green
planes that break off axles.
GRIN

Have a safe flight!

--
Cy Galley, TC - Chair, Emergency Aircraft Repair, Oshkosh

Editor, EAA Safety Programs
or

Always looking for articles for the Experimenter

"Rich S." wrote in message
...
Hi Troop..........

The weather forecast for Idaho today is staggering! 107° F in Boise, 108°
in
Twin Falls and 110° in Mountain Home. Montana is similar with 108°
forecast
in Helena.

Last year, on my way to OSH, I planned my fuel stops to take advantage of
autogas availability. I stopped at Pullman, WA and filled up. As we were
flying past Helena, Montana, the OAT showed 85° at 9500'. Fuel pressure
went
to zero and the electric pump (ahead of the firewall) made no difference.
Within one minute the engine quit. Not rough. QUIT.

I'll spare you the details, but fortunately, as I was about to turn
downwind
for a soybean field, it had cooled off enough to restart. Cautiously, we
climbed and made our way to Helena, 25 miles distant. Draining the
autofuel
and filling up with 100 LL solved the problem.

Unless you are *absolutely* sure that your engine will not vapor lock in
extreme temperatures, do not run autogas. It is not worth the few bucks
difference. Don't worry about the 100 LL fouling a plug or two - your
plane
will still fly.

I am not looking for an discussion or argument about autogas. I use it
regularly in moderate temps. I will not use it when the mercury rises to
these levels.

Keep 'em flying,
Rich S.

Cy...

I know you've got your share of volunteers, but if you need an IA to sign of a
certificated major repair, I'm happy to do it. I'll be on the field from Monday
to Saturday...leave a note for me in the press tent if you need help.

Obviously...no charge. (Knew you knew this, but had to say it.)

Jim



"Cy Galley"
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

I am heading North this Friday to look for green
-planes that break off axles.



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

"Cy Galley" wrote in message
news:HzGTa.130839$ye4.92382@sccrnsc01...
Well Rich, It was only 77 ° today. Supposed to get down to high 40s or
low
50 tonight and we are 160 miles south of Oshkosh. Is supposed to get to
90
some this week end but I am heading North this Friday to look for green
planes that break off axles.
GRIN

Have a safe flight!

Not coming this year, Cy. I have imposed enough on the good offices of the
Emergency Repair Crew. I hope you guys will have a relatively quiet time of
it. Please tell the crew that I am thinking of them and still remember their
good-natured and able assistance. 2002 was a year to remember, for sure.

Rich S.

P.S. Current temperature in Helena, MT @ 8 PM is 96°.

P.S. Current temperature in Helena, MT @ 8 PM is 96°.

And tonight in Iowa City, IA we're expecting record-breaking LOW
temperatures. It is absolutely perfect sleeping temperature.

But I suppose your blazing heat will arrive in the Midwest just in time for
(you guessed it!) Oshkosh 2003...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Got down to 41° last night. Didn't break 80 today, Maybe by Sunday it will
go to 90 but by that time I'll be in cool Oshkosh. Sorry you won't make it.
it will be my 32nd.

Cy Galley, TC - Chair, Emergency Aircraft Repair, Oshkosh
Editor, EAA Safety Programs
or

Always looking for articles for the Experimenter

"Rich S." wrote in message
...
"Cy Galley" wrote in message
news:HzGTa.130839$ye4.92382@sccrnsc01...
Well Rich, It was only 77 ° today. Supposed to get down to high 40s or
low
50 tonight and we are 160 miles south of Oshkosh. Is supposed to get
to
90
some this week end but I am heading North this Friday to look for green
planes that break off axles.
GRIN

Have a safe flight!

Not coming this year, Cy. I have imposed enough on the good offices of the
Emergency Repair Crew. I hope you guys will have a relatively quiet time
of
it. Please tell the crew that I am thinking of them and still remember
their
good-natured and able assistance. 2002 was a year to remember, for sure.

Rich S.

P.S. Current temperature in Helena, MT @ 8 PM is 96°.