ORIGINAL: Spitpilot
Bo, I think you should be absolutely sure that it was a leaky fuel tank plug that caused the engine failure - in my experience these plugs can relax after time and should be checked for tightness. However, the two cases where I experienced a leaky fuel tank plug, fuel leakage was apparent during the engine run up before flight so I never actually took off with a leaky fuel tank plug - just a thought so it might be worth a few extra minutes to make sure it was not something else.
John.
John,
Good advice, thanks!
I didn't get into it in my previous post, but at the time, another experienced flyer and I talked about the possibility that the mixture was set too lean. This was before I tore the plane down at home and found the loose fuel tank cap. Neither he, nor I, remembered seeing the slight, but obligatory, "smoke trail" you want to see from a Saito in flight. However, we also don't remember NOT seeing it!
In the past, I've had a Saito 91 set too lean by a "club expert", and experienced a "soft seize" while airborne, which required the bearings to be replaced. In this case, I turned the engine over when I picked up the 'Stang from her belly landing, and there was no tell-tale internal resistance to rotation other than the usual compression.
It's a distinct possibility that this (mixture) is the actual culprit, so I intend to strap her down and do some careful checking of the mixture and do multiple run-ups, before she takes to the skies again.
Bo