The last few trips to the flying field have not been particularly rewarding. I just can't find a needle and regulator setting that gives me a consistent run. I've had glimmers of hope where the engine has had that nice smooth drive off the bottom end with every throttle position meaning something, only to have it start running like a hairy goat 3-4 minutes into the schedule later.
The odd thing is that not matter how lean I've run this engine (I've tried rich and lean) while having problems, the oil under the plane has never been dark. Way back when it was a reliable engine you could see changes in the oil coverage and colour depending on the mixture setting.
So I'm committed to one more trip to the field before I go on holidays for 2 weeks to make a decision about the engines' future, either it stays or it goes...
DZ185cdi or DZ185cdi ZERO ????
The ZERO would be pretty much be a drop in replacement for the 170cdi power wise and a bit cheaper to run fuel wise, although the Aries 07 would probably benefit from the extra power of the 185cdi given the airframe wasn't' one of Oxai's lightest.
I was looking at it between flights yesterday while topping up the batteries, then looked at the club fire extinguisher and almost wished the Li-Po pack would catch on fire and put an end to the problems..