MacCool
Well Known Member
Yesterday about noon I was returning from a fly-in in another part of the state. It was a record hot day here, about 96 degrees. I had no trouble starting the engine and the plane performed well (hot in the cockpit, though). All the engine gauges read normal on the flight back. When I landed, as I started to taxi back, I turned off the boost pump. I got no aural warning, but I noticed that the fuel pressure was down in the red, about 8-10 psi. The engine was running fine, engine temps all normal. Flipping the boost pump back on, there was no engine change but the fuel pressure did come back up. Flipped it off and the pressure dropped back down into the red. I ran the engine up to about 2000 rpm and the fuel pressure gauge continued to read low.
I’m sensitive to this because about 30 tach hours ago I had a failure of the engine -driven pump. I saw those same pressure gauge changes, although that was associated with definitely inadequate fuel flow..the engine ran poorly when the boost pump was off.
I thought I read awhile ago that occasionally, when a fuel-injected engine is hot, there can be fuel pressure wonkiness when running on the engine-driven pump only. Is that correct? Am I remembering that right?
Engine is a factory-new Lycoming IO-320 D1A with about 360 hours TT.
I’m sensitive to this because about 30 tach hours ago I had a failure of the engine -driven pump. I saw those same pressure gauge changes, although that was associated with definitely inadequate fuel flow..the engine ran poorly when the boost pump was off.
I thought I read awhile ago that occasionally, when a fuel-injected engine is hot, there can be fuel pressure wonkiness when running on the engine-driven pump only. Is that correct? Am I remembering that right?
Engine is a factory-new Lycoming IO-320 D1A with about 360 hours TT.