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Flyrod

Well Known Member
I have the Jeff Rose, Electroair EI on my new to me RV8, What has been the user experience with this system? This one is working fine, but I just want to know what to look out for, if anything. Who has the most trouble free hours on their system? The coils look like Mercury outboard coils. The builder of my plane wanted the EI off during starts; however, it appears to me that the advance on this system is locked to TDC until the engine is spinning 650 RPM. That would have the EI trailing the Magneto during starts. Is there another reason for killing the EI during starts? Do you kill your EI during starts? :confused:
 
I leave the EI on during starts. It is timed at TDC at that time and really helps with starting.

I have about 440 hours on my system, and have been trouble free since a sensor failure at 40 hours.

I check the timing once a year and make sure the mounting bolts are tight. Other than the sensor failure, that's all it has needed so far.
 
Rose

Similar experience to Kyle. 990 hours on a dual Rose setup and one pick up failure (mechanical failure due to a rock between the pickup and timing wheel).

I have had a bit of trouble with kickback on starting. I believe that the (or at least my) Rose sytem is sensitive to voltage and operates erratically when at the low end of it's operating range - which is close to the cranking voltage of a weak battery. With a new Oddessy it has not been a problem but with the prior aged Concorde it would kickback occasionally.

Interesting phenomenon when in the weak battery mode - the engine would often only start after I let up on the starter button! Cranking away and no action and the moment I would let up, bang! it would start (or sometimes kickback). I believe the voltage too low for operation until the starter disengaged but enough momentum to carry the engine though a firing sequence for the EI.

There is a good writeup on one of the lightweight starter manufacturer websites on this issue.

I like the system overall. Very strong, long duration spark that will ignite incredibly lean mixtures. No such thing as fouled plugs even when abusing it in rich ground operations. Vaccuum and RPM advance very adjustable or easy to lock into a fixed "mag" equivelent mode.
 
I have over 300hrs on mine with no problems other than a pickup replacement at the time of installation. The set screw that retains the pickup in the bracket damaged the case. Mine is a crank pickup. 5 RV's on our AP had JR units, one 6cyl Lyc had trouble with timing advance and replaced it with a mag. Another, with a unit about the same age as mine, felt he was having a surge in the engine and thought it was the EI unit. He installed a mag which he's happy with. The other 3 are running fine.
I start without the EI on line.

Gary Reynolds
RV6A O360A1F6D
 
I had the Jeff Rose system from new with the 0360 Cozy. It worked fine except for one event where it lost its brain on start, misfired,and broke the starter ring.

In talking with Jeff, it was decided a voltage drop when the starter was energized may have caused the timing to be off TDC. From that point on, I would leave the EI switch OFF until the prop was turning and then turn it on. That worked and the kick back never happened again in about 260 hours.

The impulse coupled mag was always ON for start and of course it was at TDC also. If you are running with a non impulse coupled mag and it is ON for start, watch out. It too could kick back and bust the starter ring.

Some guys had to change the starter ring more than once, that's where the procedure to start without EI ON came from. There always is a voltage drop when the starter motor is energized, but it comes back after the motor is running, so I think my procedure was OK. In any event that's how I did it and it worked.

I like the Rose system. It was simple, based on a couple GMC coils, fired on the odd (exhaust) stroke also, and helped burn whatever fuel did not on the compression stroke. As I recall, mags produce about 12000 volts, the Rose system about 85000 volts. The engine ran great with a map based on manifold pressure and rpm. I had an advance meter (actually a small voltmeter) and you could watch the timing at 32 during taxi and as power came up for take off it would drop back to 24-25. During climb it would slowly advance as MP decreased. It worked.

A friend now owns the airplane and it has about 700 hours and as far as I know, it is still OK.
 
Duane:

I assume you have the typical R-L-Both-Start switch? If you do, I suggest you disconnect it and test the terminals. On my brand-new switch, I found that holding the key hard on the start switch would ground both mags, but letting up slightly would unground the left (impluse) mag enough to let the engine start. I had the same symptoms; engine wouldn't start until I let up on the key.

Definitively a bad switch.

--Marc
 
Start Switch

I have separate start and ignition switches. No traditional keyed switch. Starter switch is live with the main and the only thin it energizes is the starter relay. It think I had the same problem as the Cozy driver above. New battery fixed it but I had better get it figured out before it weakens or I'll lose a ring gear!
 
Great Input

Hey everyone thanks for the good input on the Jeff Rose EI system. you have taught me (and I hope others) a couple things that I am sure will improve my experience with the system.
 
E-Drive Starter

Those of you concerned with starter kickback damage should checkout the new "E-Drive" starter from Kelly Aerospace. It has a clutch design and is advertised as immune to kickback damage. The "E-Drive" weighs 9.5 pounds; only 0.1 pound heavier than the inline Skytec starter. Note: The latest Lightspeed electronic ignitions tolerate a lower starting voltage than the Jeff Rose ignitions: 6 volts for the Lightspeed vs. 8 volts for the Jeff Rose, as I recall, anyway.

Best Regards,

Bill Palmer
 
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