|
-
POSTING RULES

-
Donate yearly (please).
-
Advertise in here!
-
Today's Posts
|
Insert Pics
|

02-10-2013, 11:09 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Okemos, Michigan
Posts: 45
|
|
P-Mags losing their timing
I have an IO-375 engine with dual P-Mags. On two different occasions my timing has been lost on one of the two P-Mags. Doing a mag check causes the engine to stop when that mag is selected. The engine stopped because the mags were no longer timed correctly - one was firing about 60 degrees later than the other mag. This happened because (as I found out after talking to E-Mags) running the electrical system on a battery charger while I was learning the avionics scrambles the timing. The P-Mag manual warns about this. I reset the timing and all was well for the past 3 or 4 flights.
Today it failed again at run-up. I have not done anything including using a charger since the last failure. The timing of one mag is off about 60 degrees, just like before.
Has anyone had this problem? I will give E-Mags a call tomorrow but I thought I'd see if anyone else has had this problem.
Thanks!
__________________
Steve Houghton
RV7a
Okemos, MI
N807SH
|

02-10-2013, 12:38 PM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Catawba, NC
Posts: 318
|
|
Curious as well
Steve,
I can't add to your data, as I haven't experienced the missed timing. I did read the warning and talked to Brad at EmagAir about the potential as I keep my Odyssey PC680 on a Battery tender 24/7 when not flying. My solution is to always pull the breakers (Ships power to PMags) as part of my 'Post Shut-Down' checklist. (Side note: Many people expressed concerns over cycle rates of CBs, so to counter this, I bought an extra CB and it goes in my travel kit. That along with a phillips screw driver and I can change one out in about 2 minutes.)
Luckily to date, I haven't had any issues doing the above. I too like to turn on the Master and/or Avionics while still attached to the charger. This step prevents the possibility of missed timing from occuring.
Will be following to see if others are having the issue and how they are combating it.
Dan
__________________
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Thompson
RV-6A - N426JM - 180hp / C.S. / dual PMags
NC26 - Long Island Airpark, NC
|

02-10-2013, 01:55 PM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SC
Posts: 12,887
|
|
Steve, those of us who were early adopters of the P-mags saw this but they fixed the problem with a software upgrade.
Are you running 113 or 114 P-mags? If running 113's, have you had them back for the upgrades?
Either way call Brad on Monday!
BTW, when you charge your battery, is your P-mag powered up? It just seems odd to me that your charger would zap the P-mags. I have non-standard wiring which isolates my P-mags from the master buss.
__________________
Bill R.
RV-9 (Yes, it's a dragon tail)
O-360 w/ dual P-mags
Build the plane you want, not the plane others want you to build!
SC86 - Easley, SC
www.repucci.com/bill/baf.html
Last edited by N941WR : 02-10-2013 at 02:12 PM.
|

02-11-2013, 04:34 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Adelaide Australia
Posts: 4
|
|
Me too!
It has happened to me as well. She would backfire on the e.mag. I re-tiimed It but the LED no longer works. Brad said he would send me a replacement electronic board to see if that fixes it but I haven't got around to it yet .
|

02-11-2013, 07:35 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 1,069
|
|
interested in hearing more. I have dual Pmags and have left my battery on a trickle charger on 1 or 2 occassions and have not had this problem.
__________________
Ryan Allen, CFII
RV7 N612RA, flying since july 2012
E-170/175
RV10 Tail Kit complete, Wings 90%, fuse on order
Acro Sport 2, building
|

02-11-2013, 08:45 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 532
|
|
Interesting.
I have dual P-Mags in my -4. I often put a trickle charger on the battery if I believe it might be a couple of weeks before I fly next. Sometimes, I turn on the master, though the P-Mags are on a separate switch that is not typically energized when on the charger. I have not had any problems, but it sounds like I have a new "worry bead". Please keep us posted.
Thanks,
|

02-11-2013, 11:19 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: KRTS
Posts: 1,798
|
|
Wouldn't turning the PMAGS off after shut down preclude this?
Have dual PMAGS, watching this thread.
__________________
Next?, TBD
IAR-823, SOLD
RV-8, SOLD
RV-7, SOLD
|

02-11-2013, 03:49 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: MERRITT ISLAND, FL
Posts: 360
|
|
Monitoring the mags
Reading over the many years of forum posts pertaining to engine operating issues, diagnostics and monitoring you could conclude that there is a need for an ?ignition monitor.? Bill Repucci?s Electronic Ignition Commander(EIC) goes a long way to close that gap. I wasn?t initially motivated by the need to monitor the ignition system rather I was a bit anxious reading some of the posts regarding the P-mag issues. Since I have duel P-mags I invested in the EIC mostly for the peace of mind factor it offers. The additional benefits are the mag set up and monitoring features (the real purpose of the system). My RV8 just turned over 100 hours flying in some very hot Florida wx and now I feel pretty much at ease with the mags but I do monitor them.
The EIC has a zillion screens that show more detail than I can remember but use only two: the tach screen and the TDA screen. The TDA screen gives you a real time look at the ignition status from your mag to the plugs. The other screens allow you to select timing maps etc. I use the map with the 39 degree upper limit (don?t have my book in front of me so I don?t know if it is A or B). Like the beer commercial, ?I don?t often monitor my mags but when I do I prefer EIC.?
And no I don?t have any financial connection with the EIC company or Repucci.
__________________
Don Stiver
RV8 "Little Pill" N6371S, Merritt Island, Fl.
BPE IO-390, Dual P-mag, MT 3-blade, AFP system
Steen Skybolt: Sold
|

02-11-2013, 08:28 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 571
|
|
Not a problem yet...
I frequently leave a 10 amp charger or trickle charger my RV7 with a single P-Mag (114 Series) / Slick set up. It is an isolated charger circuit and the Master is usually but not always off but the P-Mag power is always off.
151 hours with no problems at all. So far, the P-Mag has been perrrrfect!
|

02-11-2013, 09:58 PM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 426
|
|
Manual timed mine
I have 2 pmags and use a battery tender 24/7 and never had an issue. However, I manually time them to TDC first. Then use the blow technique. This way the software pointer and the default pointer are set to the same place, TDC. If if jumps from the software pointer it goes to default which is the same spot.
Seems to be rock stable.
__________________
John Adams
Seattle
RV7 600+hrs
Paid 12/2014
|
| Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
|
| Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:48 AM.
|