Jetpilot86

Here are my numbers from today. A relatively cool ISA+9. Cowl Flaps either closed or open 1 bar.

After mine tried to kill Brian Kendrick when a Slick with 10 hours on it and one with just under 200 hours on it, left him with only 3 cylinders running, total, on 1 mag, he managed to get Lycoming to spring for the SureFly’s since the OH was still in warranty. To set it up, you have to run one mag off each battery and the batteries have to be independent of each other entirely. Took about 20 hours of labor to set it up. The backup for one mag battery is the other mag hooked to the other battery. It’s definitely a pricey switch for a pair, and honestly, if Lycoming wasn’t buying them, I’d probably gone with your setup. But after 3 Slicks cratered in 200 hours on a Factory OH, I don’t miss them at all. They are most noticeable on cold starts and climb performance. My CHT’s in climb are 20-30° cooler. Heavy, I can climb at 120k/700 fpm into the mid teens at 1/2 Cowl Flaps under 380°, used to be 390+, full open. Running a little cooler in cruise as well.

Feel free to let them know I sent you.

Maxwell did my Bravo. Had I kept the same scheme and colors, I was quoted $22k earlier this year. Naturally I went nuts and ended up st $35k. 4 colors, all DuPont Imron Clearcoat Metallics. Before and after attached.

Yup. Dual system on my Bravo. I start in 2 blades when cold & run cooler vs Slicks.

When I bought mine, it had an Insight 602 on the right side of the panel and still used the OEM TIT gauge on the left/center panel. The Max it ever read was about 1560-1580 when I was manually logging. I upgraded to a G2 to get data monitoring, then switched to a G4 on the left side when I upgraded to an ESI500 as my standby AI as the OEM Airspeed was freed up. As the old engine log went with the old engine, I have no idea when the 7 ohm probe was installed. Just glad @Rick Junkin kept casting doubt on it’s accuracy so that when Kendrick also brought it up, it was fixed. I assume it was the wrong probe before the G2 was installed and perpetuated when the OEM was disconnected as the G4 installed.

When running all my avionics off my GPU, I’m pulling about 9.5 amps.

Here ya go. 4 hour flight with a bunch of testing at various power settings. https://apps.savvyaviation.com/flights/shared/flight/10056430/707618c4-e56f-4748-9e8d-47456b47ccf4

There is much spirited debate about this topic. Look for @DVA’s post on Bravo engine management and join the fun. Since the POH Cruise Tables are effectively useless above 27”/2200, many opinions on operating the TIO540-Bravo have developed here. What I posted above is by no means an absolute, but my experience with my 240 SFOH engine. @donkaye, MCFI does not ever run LoP, having had issues, with the exhaust I suspect, and will probably chime in here before long. You’ve already heard from @Rick Junkin who is probably the most successful at running LoP. For awhile, I was fat, dumb and happy thinking I was able to duplicate his numbers but he kept nagging at me that my TIT was too low despite a very well respected Mooney Shop telling me it was just fine. Well I had a different well respected Mooney mechanic tell me it was too low as well. Turns out my TIT Probe was 1 ohm too low and I was really running the 30/22 peak numbers (1690°TIT), and not the 1540 I believed. It’s why I try to post as much data for a power setting here as possible, it’s already saved me from abusing my “baby” engine. After my research, I’m comfortable running CHT’s up to 400, the 380 offered here often is an actual Continental number, not a Lycoming number. My other mechanics recommendations range between 380-420° in higher power cruise, depending on the operating FF. My personal limit is 399° in cruise and I prefer lower while keeping the Cowl Flaps closed to get that 1-2kts. Since I added the FineWires and SureFly mags, the climb heating problems I was having with a cylinder are now down to “sometimes” a problem in cruise. The actual weak link in the engine is the exhaust and that is the reason why the unofficial TIT limits are 1600-1620 depending on who you ask. I’m sure I drive a few crazy here because I not only want to know how, but why people advocate what they do for our Bravo’s. Many here run the Key # method, but note above, not all Key 53’s are equal, nor is the % power of Key 53 constant for all altitudes if you are considering running Key53 peak or lean, see the engine manual to confirm that. I assume you have the ability to record data from your engine monitor. If not, I’d suggest getting one where you can and have it analyzed, by someone like Savvy. Ref: https://www.lycoming.com/sites/default/files/file/2025-02/60297-23P%20-%20TIO-540%20Series%20-%20Parallel%20Valve%20Cyl.pdf Moral here is read, research, and figure out which method works best FOR YOU! And understand why it works for you!!!! The good thing about this group is that we are happy to share. Invest in Savvy Engine support and take the APS Engine class, at least online. We own a collection of high strung thoroughbreds, each with their own idiosyncrasies, on a good day we tame them. This week, I limped to cheap gas at 24/22 peak TIT, only to run the next leg at 75% and 18gph to make up some time. I’m getting progressively more comfortable with need based settings vs one size fits all. There is much versatility available as you get comfortable with the options. Yes, I’m probably going to run mine a bit harder than you intend, but I’m also boroscoping every other oil change, or more and so far my only problems have been bad mag and wrong probe induced. How I run it also varies on the day’s mission. HTH, and don’t hesitate to reach out with or post questions.

A quick look at the Speed Power vs Altitude chart in the POH says to get 200KTAS it would take 34/2400 @ PeakTIT of 17.6 GPH to get near those speeds. Really, you are looking at more like 20.5-21gph to do it, well more properly. I didn't include it above, but I did run 34/2400 cruise for a 5-10 minutes after level off. At 10k and +9c I was at a temp adjusted 20.8 FF for the Power FF on the chart, 1620TIT, 408CHT with the Cowl Flaps closed. The TIT is the absolute limit it's been suggested I tolerate to keep the exhaust from failing over time, and the CHT is 9 degrees over my personal max. POH calculates 187KTAS for that setting, I was getting 185KTAS at close to MTOW. It will do it, but not interested in living at that power setting in cruise. I'll get the numbers you suggest at 18k & a 31/2200 power setting for that FF. HTH

Mine started acting crazy and it was a loose plug. Also I have this RPM app for my iPhone and it works great. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/engine-rpm/id340401811

Unless headwinds really dictate it, I really don’t like to run under 10k. Only way to improve fuel economy with the turbo is to go higher as all we are at 8k is a J model burning a lot more gas. If it’s remotely feasible, I try to get to the upper teens for this reason. Now that I’ve got the kinks worked out on my engine, I’m gonna get an O2D2 and check out FL190-210. I get too much ice at 16-18k if it’s cloudy as I don’t have TKS.

Hot off the press from my Bravo this week: All at 10k & +9°C Cowl Flaps closed. CHT will be #6, my hottest. I ran a few power settings and Peak, RoP & LoP. Note: not all Key 53’s are the same. 29”/24 was way hotter than 31”/22 key 53 for basically the same TAS. 29/24 Power 17.6gph 1595TIT 395CHT 169KTAS 29/24 Peak TIT 15.3 1720TIT 405CHT 166KTAS 29/24 LoP 13.2 1650TIT 375CHT 154KIAS 31/22 Power 17.9 1575TIT 387CHT 168KTAS 31/22 Peak 15.3 1675TIT 166KTAS 31/22 LoP 13.1 1615TIT 159KTAS 30/22 Power 17.2 1570TIT 390CHT 170KTAS 30/22 Peak 14.7 1689TIT 167KTAS I’ve got about 220SFOH, factory injection (0.4) spread, Finewires and Dual SureFly’s courtesy of my Lycoming warranty and 3 failed Slick Mags in under 200 hours. Fresh Paint as well. I’m not eligible for GAMI’s. It seems my CHT is what it is as Maxwell put new GeeBee baffles in for me and Brian Kendrick went through the cooling again when installing the SureFly’s. Consider this my ringing endorsement of SureFly’s as I’m running 15-60 cooler CHT’s in climb, 5-10 cooler in cruise, and cold start in 2 blades. For the long term, looks like I’ll have to run 30/22 power FF to get my best performance for the temps. At FL180 -4°C and the rest as above: 31/22 Power was 18.2gph 1540TIT 398°CHT 187KTAS 30/22 Power is normally 173-175KTAS at this altitude More on my next long trip next week As a side note, Book numbers for 24/22 are not a problem, 27/22 us right at comfortable limits and as you can see from my numbers, above 27/22 Peak FF is not pretty. Between Mike Busch’s articles, the APS class I’m working through and the GAMI operating recommendations, I’m pretty much tossing out the POH and leaning fuel flows in cruise until I hit around 1600TIT unless I bump up against 390CHT first for any given power setting. For takeoff that is WOT, 29.6gph, 1440TIT & in a 34/24 Climb 1440TIT works out to right at 26gph.

Since we went EFK at the night job, I repurposed my 1” Jepp Binder as an QRH (Quick Reference) and am putting my custom stuff in there along with the emergency checklists, and the 2” will hold the complete POH. Both mine are Leather. Should be able to pickup some on eBay if you want a longer term solution. You will also need a 7 hole punch for that.

He did. Mine has not been as dramatic as Patrick’s, but Brian has been getting me dialed in as well. Especially if you have a Bravo, I would highly recommend Brian.

I’m in the middle of Brian Kendrick tweaking all the little things that everybody else seems to miss. I’ll get something up eventually.

Had mine covered in leather. Turned out great!

In mine, the Left ALT light comes on around 850, goes off around 1000. Right side doesn’t seem to care what the RPM is.

Here’s my contribution to the thread, fresh from paint.

I’ve got a Bravo with a 200hr SFOH 540-AF1B on her. I’ve got about 190 of those hours. When I change the oil, I fill to 8qt of Phillips + the Camguard or 8.5-8.75 qt total. Bravo oil is changed every 25 hours and I burn from 0 - 1 qt in that 25 hours. For reference, I am 90% long haul, 700-900 nm per flight. I have little to no blow by.

Thoughts on it’s use as a light oil. It’s origins are from WW2 and I use it on my Mauser.

Yes. Was using a bungee cord to hold the front and the plastic hook snapped.

1615 today 1630 1645 Yes, the Islander either broke it’s moorings or was never tied down. Managed to pivot and miss me. Watched it all happen.

Just put in an Insight G4. There is about a 75RPM split between it and the OEM. Probably going to get that app.

I found a couple of half squares used to keep straps from chafing loads on flatbeds. Turns the air left and right or the 45° angle will direct the air up from the floor. Helped out a lot yesterday.