In-flight mag check data

[par]

Hey guys,

I did an in-flight mag check today for the first time and below are the results as displayed on Savvy. Please notice I have selected the "Mag check mode" hence the reason for seeing the highest and lowest values. I have a total of 4 images attached showing before, during, and after the mag check. 

I have asked Savvy to run an analysis on this data and hopefully they will get back to me tomorrow. In the meantime, I noticed that #3 EGT peaked significantly more than the rest. It also ran leaner with "R" selected than "L". Could this have anything to do with my #3 CHT always being higher than the rest during T/O? If so, what if anything, should be fixed or changed?

 

[Hank]

Wish I could help you . . . On my only i flight mag check, when I selected L, the engine stopped. It restarted immediately on Both, and ran well on R, which I used to finish the flight. With the mixture further forward than normal . . . Removing the left mag, the condenser wire had been cut by the internal gears due to poor quality 500-hr service.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Hank

[MyNameIsNobody]

2 hours ago, Hank said:

Wish I could help you . . . On my only i flight mag check, when I selected L, the engine stopped. It restarted immediately on Both, and ran well on R, which I used to finish the flight. With the mixture further forward than normal . . . Removing the left mag, the condenser wire had been cut by the internal gears due to poor quality 500-hr service.

Do you not check mags on ground Hank?  Did it pass that test?  Rate that pucker factor_____(0-9)

[Hank]

10 minutes ago, MyNameIsNobody said:

Do you not check mags on ground Hank?  Did it pass that test?  Rate that pucker factor_____(0-9)

Runup immediately before departure was 50-60 RPM drop each side, purring like a sewing machine. The condenser wire in the left mag hadn't worn completely through yet. She cranked on about 5 blades (my prop has 3, and the Shower of Sparks cranks on the left mag, which died mid-flight).

Pucker factor on the ground:  0   Let's go flying!!

Pucker factor at 9500 msl, very cloudy Georgia behind me, clear sunset Carolinas before me:  3  (Onward! I'm not turning back now.) Besides, there's two of these things for a reason, right? And there's plenty of options below. Having to get down through the clouds in Georgia would have been a different thing altogether!

Wife's Pucker factor when the engine briefly cut off:  I'd guess about a 7 (I was thinking and not talking. Bad pilot!)

Edited April 18, 2017 by Hank

[kpaul]

7 hours ago, Hank said:

I was thinking and not talking. Bad pilot!

That is not always a bad thing.  I let my inside voice get out on a flight, actually until we were on the ground and one of the other crew members brought it up, I had not even noticed.

Long story short - Flying in severe ice with an inoperative de-ice system (it failed on the approach, we had one suitable field, the weather was 200/1, it was at night).  The plane only has a wing ice light on the pilot side, the co-pilot commented he wished there was a light on his side, my response "you don't want to see it anyway!"  I guess that is not confidence inspiring to the rest of the crew.

[par]

Got a response back from Savvy. Below is what they noted:

 

[par]

Now, questions for the crowd:

1) Do I need to replace all the spark plugs in order to match what is already installed? I don't know exactly what is in there so i'll have to check. Based on what I have seen in the past on MS, I am thinking of going with tempest fine wire plugs. 

2) Where is the voltage regulator and how is it adjusted?

[carusoam]

Expect to find the VR mounted on the copilot side, forward of the firewall.

under the handy access panels that the C is famous for.

the box has wires mounted to the bottom that lead to the right places for what you're looking for.

If the box isn't labeled Zeftronics... it would be better to get one that is, than to adjust a fifty year old black box that is filled with springs and stones and assorted things that were used back in the day...

Zeftronics, no adjustment required.  Delta electronics(?) many adjustments available, unknown how it gets adjusted...

The new box also has some LED outputs to let you know how well things are charging or not. Not priced to kill the budget either.  

The Savvy graphs are interesting.  But without all four lines, we don't get to make an opinion...

Best regards,

-a-

Edited April 19, 2017 by carusoam

[carusoam]

Was it a 20 minute flight?

a 12 minute taxi?

5 minutes spent doing the inflight mag test?

Seems quite busy.  Or I missed something...  

Best regards,

-a-

Edited April 19, 2017 by carusoam

[par]

3 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Was it a 20 minute flight?

a 12 minute taxi?

5 minutes spent doing the inflight mag test?

Seems quite busy.  Or I missed something...  

Best regards,

-a-

Def missed something. It was a 45min flight with T/O occurring at the 5min mark with the associated increase in EGT's/CHT's. I climbed up to 7.5k and started the test 19 mins into the flight. 

[par]

Is this what I need?

 

[carusoam]

I couldn't figure out the time sequence.  All the rest looked like precise well thought steps.

Best regards,

-a-

[carusoam]

That looks like the delco version.  First time I have seen that.

Compare to Zeftronics for competition purposes.

My C got a Zeftronics after the VR melted the solder off the internal connections of the generator.

Best regards,

-a-

 

while looking up Zeftronics... they have Delco products on the Zeftronics website.....(?) are they now the same?

Edited April 19, 2017 by carusoam

[Guest]

9 hours ago, par said:

Now, questions for the crowd:

1) Do I need to replace all the spark plugs in order to match what is already installed? I don't know exactly what is in there so i'll have to check. Based on what I have seen in the past on MS, I am thinking of going with tempest fine wire plugs. 

2) Where is the voltage regulator and how is it adjusted?

The voltage regulator is normally on the upper right side of the firewall.  You will need to know if you have a generator or an alternator.  The old mechanical three coil generator regulators are adjustable, I don't recall if it's in the Mooney manuals or not, some older 100 series Cessna manuals had the procedure, failing that a Google search should find it.

Alternator regulators are normally adjustable as well.

Clarence 

[par]

1 hour ago, M20Doc said:

The voltage regulator is normally on the upper right side of the firewall.  You will need to know if you have a generator or an alternator.  The old mechanical three coil generator regulators are adjustable, I don't recall if it's in the Mooney manuals or not, some older 100 series Cessna manuals had the procedure, failing that a Google search should find it.

Alternator regulators are normally adjustable as well.

Clarence 

I def have an alternator. 

I am thinking there is something up with the electrical system because my JPI indicated low battery voltage a couple weeks ago on startup. I looked down at the ammeter and noticed it was at 0. My reaction was to reset the mater switch and everything came back to normal. I think a new voltage regulator might be needed if all the wires look to be secure and nothing obvious is amiss. 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, par said:

I def have an alternator. 

I am thinking there is something up with the electrical system because my JPI indicated low battery voltage a couple weeks ago on startup. I looked down at the ammeter and noticed it was at 0. My reaction was to reset the mater switch and everything came back to normal. I think a new voltage regulator might be needed if all the wires look to be secure and nothing obvious is amiss. 

Worn brushes?

Clarence

[jamesm]

22 hours ago, par said:

Is this what I need?

 

I believe I still have mine that I am not using.....  If you interested PM me. James "67C

[par]

James,

My IA is looking at it next week so I will let you know if I end up needing one.