Problem With My Plasma II

[rjbob]

On a flight from Yakutat, Alaska to Anchorage my engine started to shudder, misfire, and backfire.

After doing all the look-for-place-to-land planning, I did my troubleshooting. The right ignition was the culprit. By running on the left ignition only, the engine ran smoothly.

The right ignition behaves as if the timing is out of whack. Today, I only had time to check to see if the timing lights on both sensors come on at the same time...they do.

Now I have to "hit the books". That said, my initial research in the manual doesn't seem to address this particular problem.

Anyone have experience with this?
Engine...IO-360
Thanks,
Bob

[deek]

Are you using the mag hole Hall Effect modules? If so, e-mail me longez at sbcglobal dot net

Good you are reading the manual; that will be Klaus' first question...

[bhester]

I had a problem with my Halls effect sensor, read all about it here, might not be your problem, but it might be:
http://home.newwavecomm.net/bobbyhester/2012Flying.htm

Haven't had a problem with it since!

[Rick_A]

Good luck getting it fixed if it's the brain box. Do other trouble shooting to make sure it's not a bad connection or bad plugs or coils. If you determine the brain box is bad, be prepared to spend some money.

I had a brain box go bad which was verified by swapping the box with a known good one and putting my bad box in the another plane with an LSE ignition. The problem followed the bad box.

When it was sent into LSE, Klaus said he could not find anything wrong with it. Since he couldn't fix it, I didn't even want it back and I sure was not going to buy another one from him.

I replaced it with an PMAG.

[RV8Squaz]

I've replaced two Hall modules.

Jerry Esquenazi
RV-8 N84JE

[deek]

Originally Posted by RV8Squaz

I've replaced two Hall modules.

Jerry Esquenazi
RV-8 N84JE

I'll see your two and raise you one

[flyingriki]

Send it in anyway. If he says nothing is wrong with it, reinstall and don't be surprised if it works.... I'll let you figure out why...
Do check all plugs. They are cheap and mine failed twice into the Hall Effect Sensor. A buddy replaced it with a quality part that worked fine.

[krw5927]

Originally Posted by Rick_A

Good luck getting it fixed if it's the brain box. Do other trouble shooting to make sure it's not a bad connection or bad plugs or coils. If you determine the brain box is bad, be prepared to spend some money.

I had a brain box go bad which was verified by swapping the box with a known good one and putting my bad box in the another plane with an LSE ignition. The problem followed the bad box.

When it was sent into LSE, Klaus said he could not find anything wrong with it. Since he couldn't fix it, I didn't even want it back and I sure was not going to buy another one from him.

I replaced it with an PMAG.

Sounds eerily similar to my experience with a PMAG. No problems now with 2x magnetos.

[rjbob]

Update...
It appears that the problem may have been caused by dirty/oxidized contacts in the Cannon Plug going to the right Hall Effect sensor.

Before doing any work on the the engine this morning, I started it and again noted that the RIGHT ignition was still causing the engine to misfire and backfire. Then...

In order to isolate the problem, I switched the plugs going to the Right & Left sensors. I noted that there seemed to be an oxidized coating on the pins.
Anyway...

I started the engine (knowing that the Left switch controlled the Right ignition and vice versa) and the problem disappeared. The engine was started 6 times and I ran it up every time. At full power, mid throttle and idle everything was normal with normal RPM drops at at all throttle settings. So I think that my problem stemmed from some pins in the plug making contact while others weren't.

I believe that disconnecting and reconnecting the plugs scraped off the oxidation/dirt from the plugs.

I am home now to pick up "stuff" I'll need to remedy the situation. Contact cleaner, silicone (a light coating around the plug to prevent moisture and contamination), and mild thread lock.

I'm about to call Klaus, also.

Rest assured, I will not fly the plane again until I've spoken with Klaus and tested the **** out of the engine.

Thanks for all your help...especially deek!

Bob Edison

[RV8Squaz]

Originally Posted by deek

I'll see your two and raise you one

I think next time, I'm gonna fold and install the ring gear pick up. I don't have a good poker face!

Jerry Esquenazi
RV-8 N84JE