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  #11  
Old 08-30-2016, 10:17 PM
Chrysopelea Chrysopelea is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: santa rosa CA
Posts: 90
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rvbuilder2002 View Post
I am using the nomenclature that Rotax uses.....

The expansion tank is the round metal tank on top of the engine that has the automotive type radiator cap on it.

The white plastic bottle is referred to as the overflow bottle.

Your comment about your mechanic ok'ing your work would probably not amuse the faa....... the only thing they care about is if the person doing the work is certified to do so, or is being directly (present at the time the work is done) supervised by someone that is.
OK, I have misnamed the two tanks.


I'm having him do the repairs, so as to have the repair done by a Rotax authorized mechanic.

This way there's no question about anything.
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  #12  
Old 08-31-2016, 09:06 AM
N62XS N62XS is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hazlehurst, GA
Posts: 1,359
Default Under the supervision?

Sounds like you are doing an excellent job of diagnosis, troubleshooting and communicating "under the supervision" of your mechanic. I applaud your diligence and honest effort! Fly safe and keep on learning, despite those trying to neuter your efforts.
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  #13  
Old 09-01-2016, 08:46 PM
Chrysopelea Chrysopelea is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: santa rosa CA
Posts: 90
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Ran the plane up to temp today, idling at my hangar, and took it to my mechanic (a stone's throw away literally), and found the plane still leaking.

Upon closer inspection, he found the leak was actually from the TOP metal elbow on the head. The coolant was seeping down between the fins, and onto the lower tube, making it look JUST like it was leaking from the lower tube.

SO, now I've been told to drain the coolant, and bring the plane to him.

He said "a couple days" but so far my observations are that "day" means "week" lol.

He's a good mechanic though, and SO close, so now it's hurry up and wait, Again!

Glad the leak was found finally.
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  #14  
Old 09-02-2016, 04:04 PM
Chrysopelea Chrysopelea is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: santa rosa CA
Posts: 90
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Upon further inspection, it looks like the leak was caused by an improperly placed clamp on the short 3" tube from the expansion tank to the elbow on top of the head.

I saw seepage, but it really looked like the leak was coming from the elbow/flange. When I wiggled the small 3 inch long hose, it popped off! The clamp had been installed on the wrong side of the bulge, basically it was only clamping tubing, and so finally the tubing slipped down and almost off.

A new piece of tubing was installed, and now I have to fill the cooling system, and run the plane up, check for anything funny, but I think the problem is licked!

Afterwards I did a CLOSE inspection of ALL the other hoses, and it seems that whoever built the engine was not too particular about clamp placement, as long as it was behind the bulge in the metal tubing.

IMO the clamp should be JUST behind the bulge, or maybe a couple millimeters behind it. I found the clamps were ranging from there, to an inch behind the bulge, no consistency.

Anyways, none of those other hoses are leaking so I left all alone, thanked my lucky stars that my leak was a simple, easy fix.

I'm off to refill my cooling system, run my plane up to confirm no leakage, and then wrestle the cowling back on hopefully without scratching my nice paint.

I hope Murphy stays away from me for a while now. I've got lessons to take!
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