Backcountry Pilot • Fuel Flow Problemo

Fuel Flow Problemo

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Fuel Flow Problemo

I have an ECI fuel flow. It lately either works well of not at all. I will quite often show a flow of zero. It is intermittent. Does the transducer have a little impeller that could bind up. I use a lot of mogas and am wondering if a little 100 LL would be a good idea.

tim
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

Rotor - YES

Could also be intermittent electrical if it suddenly goes from OK to OFF.

Quick lap around the net seems to show EI-FT-60 coming out on top. That is the RED one.


http://www.tl-elektronic.com/instrument ... -10_en.pdf


Nuff for now
Chris C
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

It never goes from good to bad during a flight. Each flight is a surprise.

Tim
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

Is the transducer shielded from exhaust heat? To close to the exhaust pipes?

Pictures of installation possible?
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

It is installed correctly. Has a few thousand hours on it.

tim
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Re: Fuel Flow Proble

I had a transponder which started to intermittently stop transmitting (which is embarrassing in Class B). The avionics shop wanted $800 up front to trouble shoot. I said F that.

So I sprayed some CRC Contact Cleaner on the connectors and reinstalled. Still working (20) years later.

I carry my CRC Contact Cleaner everywhere. I live near the ocean.
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

We've been through a red cube. They will withstand very little foreign debris. In the experimental world it is common to have a fuel filter in front of it.
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

I had a problem recently with my EI fuel flow jumping around giving me erratic flows. Turned out to be a connector problem, and therefore I suspect a connector problem for you as well. Super easy fix, especially if your current connector is the crimp style. I would make sure you get the new set screw connector from EI. Buy a couple of extra ones just in case you need them down the road. Good luck.
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

Check your connector for recessed pins or sockets. Get some Stabilant 22 and brush a little on the pins when you know they are mated well. Check the Circuit Breaker - that the two wires are terminated well and the screws in the bus bar are as well. Re-terminate as required. If no joy, buy the cube you cheap sailor :P :P :P

You been duckin' us lately?
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

Did you/yours happen to use Teflon Tape? The above link in my first reply says that is a NO-NO.

EDIT: "It never fails while in-flight." SO - seems to me the problem should be behind the firewall - inside the rats nest of wires - switches - buss bars - flakey pull-push CB - have even found a fuse once that was not burned but had broken off where it was hard to see inside the end cap and was intermittent. Usually shaky though.

Have you tried to operate all the switches and CBs? Even a full shut down and restart?
Hard for me to get my head around contamination as a cause ONLY at random starts.

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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

My hangar mate and his daughter were killed because he used Teflon Tape installing a transducer. The tape restricted fuel flow and resulted in a complete engine failure.

It was an RV-10 which was worth about $200K.

Crashed into a paper mill on the Yaquina River, Toledo, Oregon.
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Re: Fuel Flow Proble

8GCBC wrote:.....I carry my CRC Contact Cleaner everywhere. I live near the ocean.


Reminds me of the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", where the girl's dad figured Windex was a cure-all.
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

Picking up crc this afternoon. Each start up is a surprise. Seems if it is working at start up it always works or if it is not working at start up it will not work during that run.

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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

qmdv wrote:Picking up crc this afternoon. Each start up is a surprise. Seems if it is working at start up it always works or if it is not working at start up it will not work during that run.

Tim



Also, #800 wet/dry sandpaper (I use it to clean electrical connectors too). My headset jacks go about a month until they need a good rough up and some contact cleaner! The cost of living on the coast.
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Re: Fuel Flow Problemo

Talked to EI tech on the phone. Was told that a considerable amount of problems are loose connectors. Found that the positive wire going to the transducer was loose enough that two bed bugs could have pulled it apart. fixed it and will do proper test when my new battery arrives.

Tim
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Re: Fuel Flow Problem

A friendly reminder:

If electrical connections have been loose for a while... completely remove, thoroughly clean, inspect (replace if damaged) and reassemble the contacts. Especially under the hood in the engine compartment.

Hope the pesky intermittent readings resolve!
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