BlackRV7
Well Known Member
I played hooky yesterday late afternoon from my CPA practice......OK, I got cell phone call after cell phone call....and went out to the airport to add oil to my new BPE engine and pre oil the engine.
The weather was just too nice to sit inside and work, upper sixties, sunny, no wind, just a nice evening to hang out at the airport. After adding the remaining four quarts of mineral oil I had to buy, I still had four quarts left over from my initial engine break in, I got one of the line guys to help me pull Black Magic out to the fuel farm thinking I would go ahead and take of putting a couple gallons in the left tank so I would have everything in place for an engine start....whenever that would be.
I had talked with Allen, at BPE, Monday and got his input on pre oiling and what he and Rhonda recommended for a first run on their engines. After fueling up, and still at the fuel farm, temptation got the best of me and I just "had" to turn the master on and electric fuel pump on just to see if the pump would "pull" air and prime itself. Nope....oh, well it's for the best as I hadn't planned on starting it last evening anyway...spur of the moment thing to go the airport anyway, I thought to myself.
We pushed her back to the front of the hangar, and left her outside in the nice sunny evening weather, while I removed the top plugs. While piddling, a student pilot in the local university's aviation program came walking up. The conversation started up with him talking about the RV's he had seen at the Kickoff Flyin a couple weeks ago. He said, prior to the flyin, he thought experimental airplanes were just crazy and something he would never, ever, get in and fly. Well, to say the least, his opinion was changed that day
. He was at the airport to solo that evening and was an absolute basket case. We talked for a while and off he went to pace around the ramp in anticipation of his impending death.
A local taildragger pilot came over, at about the time I was ready to crank her over to see if I could get oil pressure. Perfect, he could look for leaks while I cranked...never know if you have left something un-tightened. Top plugs out, clear prop, master on, mags off, starter button.....no oil pressure, no oil pressure, no oil pressure....battery starting to weaken, no oil pressure, oh, 2, 3, 4, 5 pounds....up to 14, off the starter button as the oil has to make it's rounds through the engine to get to the pressure nipple and then to the transducer. Get out, look for leaks, none found!!
Hum I think, wonder if the fuel pump will prime itself. Master back on, fuel pump on......nope While turning the master off, I "noticed" the fuel selector valve is on the right tank and I put fuel in the left tank...geez, I must have landed at Etown last Memorial Day weekend on the right tank. Brain F@rt!! Fuel valve left tank, master on, fuel pump on, oh.......it just found fuel...big smile. Guess what, it's time to install the upper plugs.
After taking care of the plugs, we retrieved a fire extinguisher from the hangar as I decide this evening is it. I hop in, as Jacob stands ready with the fire extinguisher to attempt a fire intervention most assuredly to be required.
Master on, mags on (I'm certain I have not wired these Bendix up correctly) fuel pump on, clear prop, finger going towards the starter button, (certain the drained battery from the pre oiling will not turn the engine over with the plugs in), starter engaged............Nothing.....throttle pumped once, twice...come on accelerator pump....oh, it just tried to fire....oh, man I bet I flooded it...what is the flooded start procedure...oh, it just hit again....come on baby, come on, then....it lit!! It started up at a nice smooth 800 RPMs. I checked the EMS and found oil pressure in the green along with fuel pressure in the green as I watch the EGT's and CHT's going up together with all numbers close to each other. It seems I somehow got all the wires flowing electrons reattached correctly. Everything smoothed out nicely as I watched the oil temp rise to Allen's recommended temp and then shut her down, with a big smile on my face. I can say without a doubt, this BPE engine is SMOOTH!!
I had no doubt the new BPE engine would be leak free, but I "knew" something I installed on the engine would leak and sure enough, I was correct. We found a drip on the ramp at the rear of the engine and found the oil pressure line attached to the nipple on the accessory case was not fully tightened. A wrench used appropriately, as opposed to not being used correctly the first time, took care of that leak. It sure felt good to stand back and look her over knowing she had come back to life, albeit just an engine start but I had turned money into noise again.
About this time, Jason Rowe, a local 7A builder called. He was needing my flaring tool along with a new key starter switch I had opted out of using in Black Magic. Hum, me thinks, just got Black Magic making a carbon footprint, got a new experimental convert doing his first solo, Jason makes some kick butt home brew beer, Jason is coming out to the airport to pick up tools and such...hey Jason, I say, bring a couple bottles of your best brew out "witcha".
Jason makes it out as the new student is on the downwind...ALONE. After the student successfully avoids death three times, get's doused with ice water upon exiting the airplane, we all toast over some really, really nice adult beverages.
Jason and I push Black Magic back into the hangar as the sun sets on an absolutely perfect weather evening here in KY. We put the canopy cover on her and walk out leaving her tucked away.
It doesn't get much better than last evening, nice weather, good friends, hanging at the airport, seeing the smile of a new pilot. Very nice evening!!
Keep pounding gang
The weather was just too nice to sit inside and work, upper sixties, sunny, no wind, just a nice evening to hang out at the airport. After adding the remaining four quarts of mineral oil I had to buy, I still had four quarts left over from my initial engine break in, I got one of the line guys to help me pull Black Magic out to the fuel farm thinking I would go ahead and take of putting a couple gallons in the left tank so I would have everything in place for an engine start....whenever that would be.
I had talked with Allen, at BPE, Monday and got his input on pre oiling and what he and Rhonda recommended for a first run on their engines. After fueling up, and still at the fuel farm, temptation got the best of me and I just "had" to turn the master on and electric fuel pump on just to see if the pump would "pull" air and prime itself. Nope....oh, well it's for the best as I hadn't planned on starting it last evening anyway...spur of the moment thing to go the airport anyway, I thought to myself.
We pushed her back to the front of the hangar, and left her outside in the nice sunny evening weather, while I removed the top plugs. While piddling, a student pilot in the local university's aviation program came walking up. The conversation started up with him talking about the RV's he had seen at the Kickoff Flyin a couple weeks ago. He said, prior to the flyin, he thought experimental airplanes were just crazy and something he would never, ever, get in and fly. Well, to say the least, his opinion was changed that day
. He was at the airport to solo that evening and was an absolute basket case. We talked for a while and off he went to pace around the ramp in anticipation of his impending death. A local taildragger pilot came over, at about the time I was ready to crank her over to see if I could get oil pressure. Perfect, he could look for leaks while I cranked...never know if you have left something un-tightened. Top plugs out, clear prop, master on, mags off, starter button.....no oil pressure, no oil pressure, no oil pressure....battery starting to weaken, no oil pressure, oh, 2, 3, 4, 5 pounds....up to 14, off the starter button as the oil has to make it's rounds through the engine to get to the pressure nipple and then to the transducer. Get out, look for leaks, none found!!
Hum I think, wonder if the fuel pump will prime itself. Master back on, fuel pump on......nope
While turning the master off, I "noticed" the fuel selector valve is on the right tank and I put fuel in the left tank...geez, I must have landed at Etown last Memorial Day weekend on the right tank. Brain F@rt!! Fuel valve left tank, master on, fuel pump on, oh.......it just found fuel...big smile. Guess what, it's time to install the upper plugs. After taking care of the plugs, we retrieved a fire extinguisher from the hangar as I decide this evening is it. I hop in, as Jacob stands ready with the fire extinguisher to attempt a fire intervention most assuredly to be required.
Master on, mags on (I'm certain I have not wired these Bendix up correctly) fuel pump on, clear prop, finger going towards the starter button, (certain the drained battery from the pre oiling will not turn the engine over with the plugs in), starter engaged............Nothing.....throttle pumped once, twice...come on accelerator pump....oh, it just tried to fire....oh, man I bet I flooded it...what is the flooded start procedure...oh, it just hit again....come on baby, come on, then....it lit!! It started up at a nice smooth 800 RPMs. I checked the EMS and found oil pressure in the green along with fuel pressure in the green as I watch the EGT's and CHT's going up together with all numbers close to each other. It seems I somehow got all the wires flowing electrons reattached correctly. Everything smoothed out nicely as I watched the oil temp rise to Allen's recommended temp and then shut her down, with a big smile on my face. I can say without a doubt, this BPE engine is SMOOTH!!
I had no doubt the new BPE engine would be leak free, but I "knew" something I installed on the engine would leak and sure enough, I was correct. We found a drip on the ramp at the rear of the engine and found the oil pressure line attached to the nipple on the accessory case was not fully tightened. A wrench used appropriately, as opposed to not being used correctly the first time, took care of that leak. It sure felt good to stand back and look her over knowing she had come back to life, albeit just an engine start but I had turned money into noise again.
About this time, Jason Rowe, a local 7A builder called. He was needing my flaring tool along with a new key starter switch I had opted out of using in Black Magic. Hum, me thinks, just got Black Magic making a carbon footprint, got a new experimental convert doing his first solo, Jason makes some kick butt home brew beer, Jason is coming out to the airport to pick up tools and such...hey Jason, I say, bring a couple bottles of your best brew out "witcha".
Jason makes it out as the new student is on the downwind...ALONE. After the student successfully avoids death three times, get's doused with ice water upon exiting the airplane, we all toast over some really, really nice adult beverages.
Jason and I push Black Magic back into the hangar as the sun sets on an absolutely perfect weather evening here in KY. We put the canopy cover on her and walk out leaving her tucked away.
It doesn't get much better than last evening, nice weather, good friends, hanging at the airport, seeing the smile of a new pilot. Very nice evening!!
Keep pounding gang
Last edited:
