Electro air Electronic Ignition System (6100)

[Fritz1]

Make sure you use long reach plugs for the EIS

[Curt Connell]

I had the Electroair EIS installed just over 2 years ago in my 1990 Bravo. I had been experiencing an occasional stumble over the past year and thought it was fuel related, based on my A&P’s troubleshooting. I had my fuel servo, engine fuel pump, and fuel splitter all overhauled by Western Skyways. I still experienced an occasional stumble on climb out at full power, until my EIS quit working, no ignition at all—thankfully on the ground when the problem was discovered. After my A&P troubleshot with help of the EIS tech, the teeth on the small wheel were “eating” into the timing sensor and I needed a new Mag Timing Housing (MTH) replacement. I flew the airplane yesterday for the first time with the newly installed MTH, it ran the best it has run in two years until…it was sweet until 30 minutes into the flight when the engine had some hard misfires. I turned off the EIS after 3-4 sec. and the engine smoothed out. Safely on the ground, I turned off the mag with the EIS turned back on, the engine quit. The MTH cover was removed, the large timing wheel spun freely and the small gear wheel’s teeth are damaged. The “new” MTH is shot. I called the EIS tech with the problem today and I’m waiting to hear back. 

[LANCECASPER]

I almost went this route in 2019 on the Bravo I owned, but couldn't pull the trigger. I didn't like the answer I got when I asked what the gears were like inside of it.

As much as we all want Electronic Ignition, the challenge is trying to put it on a 1940's-technology tractor engine, which happens to be FAA certified. No one has come up with a solution yet that I'm comfortable with. I still feel that the original mags with an IRAN every few hundred hours is still the most reliable - staggered so both mags don't get IRAN'ed at the same time by the same tech and subject to the same error.  Someday I hope General Aviation gets modern engines with modern ignitions, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it in my lifetime.

[kortopates]

I almost went this route in 2019 on the Bravo I owned, but couldn't pull the trigger. I didn't like the answer I got when I asked what the gears were like inside of it.
As much as we all want Electronic Ignition, the challenge is trying to put it on a 1940's-technology tractor engine, which happens to be FAA certified. No one has come up with a solution yet that I'm comfortable with. I still feel that the original mags with an IRAN every few hundred hours is still the most reliable - staggered so both mags don't get IRAN'ed at the same time by the same tech and subject to the same error.  Someday I hope General Aviation gets modern engines with modern ignitions, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it in my lifetime.

I would not install an ElectroAire EIS but the Surefly’s have proven themselves to be very reliable so far.
Mags also have nylon gears but not the Surefly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dickard]

On 4/11/2024 at 5:48 PM, Curt Connell said:

I had the Electroair EIS installed just over 2 years ago in my 1990 Bravo. I had been experiencing an occasional stumble over the past year and thought it was fuel related, based on my A&P’s troubleshooting. I had my fuel servo, engine fuel pump, and fuel splitter all overhauled by Western Skyways. I still experienced an occasional stumble on climb out at full power, until my EIS quit working, no ignition at all—thankfully on the ground when the problem was discovered. After my A&P troubleshot with help of the EIS tech, the teeth on the small wheel were “eating” into the timing sensor and I needed a new Mag Timing Housing (MTH) replacement. I flew the airplane yesterday for the first time with the newly installed MTH, it ran the best it has run in two years until…it was sweet until 30 minutes into the flight when the engine had some hard misfires. I turned off the EIS after 3-4 sec. and the engine smoothed out. Safely on the ground, I turned off the mag with the EIS turned back on, the engine quit. The MTH cover was removed, the large timing wheel spun freely and the small gear wheel’s teeth are damaged. The “new” MTH is shot. I called the EIS tech with the problem today and I’m waiting to hear back. 

I haven't been on here in months and when I get on I find this post. My EIS from Electroair has been a nightmare ever since my previous mechanic reinstalled it after some major maintenance. I've had three MTHs fail in just this way.  It's been a year long battle.  I just completed a test flight last week with a newly installed MTH by the manufacturer recommended mechanic.  He found that my TDC mark on the flywheel was off by one tooth.  So my previous mechanic had been incorrectly timing it.  He also said that my engine had over three degrees of gear lash and that he didn't think the MTH was ever going to be the long term solution.  He was right.  The first test flight and I could feel the miss.  He's coming back out to replace the MTH with a trigger wheel.  A friend who used to own a Glassair with a non-turbo 540 Lycoming said he had the trigger wheel and it ran flawlessly.  I'm hoping he's right.

[Fritz1]

You are getting to the bottom of all this, asks your mechanic to find out if the Bravo and the TIO-540-AF1B are on the approved model list (AML) for the electroair and if not, what that really means, 

[LANCECASPER]

1 hour ago, Fritz1 said:

You are getting to the bottom of all this, asks your mechanic to find out if the Bravo and the TIO-540-AF1B are on the approved model list (AML) for the electroair and if not, what that really means, 

It is on the AML (http://www.electroair.net/pdfs/6cyl_aml.pdf)