I'm very puzzled at what's going on with my 102, here's my setup. It's in a Giles 202, 26x10 Mezjlik, Pennzoil air cooled 40-1. I've had this engine in this very airplane for almost 5 years, and it never missed a beat. In the springtime of this year it siezed up and wiped out the left cylinder, piston, and rings, the piston was bone dry, while the right side piston was well lubed. I sent it to Keith at BME and he replaced the jug, piston and rings, and the rings on the other piston also. This morning I started her up and she seemed to run fine, about two minutes into the first conservative flight, she seized up again. Once again the left jug, piston and rings destroyed and once again bone dry, while the right side was well lubed. After landing, I immediately hit the left jug with my heat gun and could only read 189 degrees on the left side, and about 154 on the right jug. Could there be a reason why the left jug isn't getting proper lube? There is plenty of exiting in the cowl and not baffled because if OK for 5 years it should be OK, I would think. BTW the repair cost me 297.00 and now who knows what will be.

I would imagine after 5 years you might need to clean and/or re-build the carb. Have you adjusted the needles lately? I would have to guess you had two lean runs. Where did you take the temps after landing???? Never heard of one cylinder not getting lube, but one will always run a little leaner than the other. If you are lean, that's the one that will burn first every time. Muriatic acid works wonders sometimes

I left the needles where keith had them after the repair, they were at 1 1/4 on the low side and 3/4 on the high. I took the readings immediately after the deadstick, on the top, middle, and base of the jug, the highest temp I saw was 189

Unfortunately there is no such thing as a factory set needle that is good for all locations, prop, altitude, temp, etc. You must tune your engine for your location and set-up.
You might not have done that much damage. Make sure the carb screen is clean and your fuel system is good, then I would run it and see. Don't forget to set the needles.

Oh, if it feels real rough and/or scratchy when turned over don't run it.

Like I said 2 minutes into the conservative flight the engine locked up, the whole left side is hosed. Keith advised me to keep the needles where the were, the engine sounded fine on the initial run up. I know how to tune an engine, I have other gassers 3w100, D&B 5.1, Brison 6.4, BME 44. I just can't figure this one out.

http://www.opti2-4.com/ <--------- Try this, they advertise the harder you run it the better. I've melted the teflon couplers on the headers of a 115 without seizing.

If the cylinder on one side is dry and seized up you cooked the lubes out. Tune a bit ritcher when the air is hot, dry or humid and thin. You will not get as much power in the summer so don't tune for max power. Tune for a good run.

Check the engine timing, too much advance builds heat fast. Or just set the timing back in the summer a couple degrees.

The rotation of the crankshaft inside the block will have an efect on how the fuel mixture gets to the ports, not much to be done about it.

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Thanks for the advice

If you run too lean, the left side seems to go first on the 102. don't ask me why!!!

airega1
the last time BME fixed it did they tell u the motor had a lean run?

Hey Krayzc, yes I was told it was a lean run for the first repair. I had a hard time believing it because I had this engine in the same plane for 5 years without an incident. After the repair I was advised that the needles were set and should be good to go, this might have been a misunderstanding between Keith and myself. I should have used my usual rule of thumb, "richen the pee-pee out of it and work from there" especially on a newly ringed engine. I will take the heat on this one. My only gripe is that a newly ringed engine shouldn't have come out of the shop with the high side needle less than 3/4 open. This is what I found after the second seizure. I blame no one but myself, a hard lesson learned.

I have one of the 102's. Its several years old. I am flying it in a Weeks special and have an Eagletree telemetry with the downlink and temperature monitors on both cylinders. At what temperature should I set the alarm?

ditrybird- It depends where you put your sensors. If you are at the top portion of the combustion chamber and on the (hottest point) back side against the cylinder, not the fin, I would say around 330. The front would be much lower.
Does eagle tree make a sensor for under the plug or just those wrap around ones??

Iwould say 290-300 max

airega1
i feel ya i find it strange that all of sudden its acting up seem like some one would come on stay check x, y or z as sometning is stopped up. We all set those carbs and fly and never look back. Even if you were lean you were lean to the fact that you could get 5 years of run time so that means to me barly lean but lean, so lets get 5 more years with close to those same settings. did u change brands of oil or something as i know my carb settings changed when i took all my motors off 50 to 1 to go to 100 to 1 then again when i went off syn oil to run only penzoil air cool in every gas motor?

gc

I have the wrap around placed just above the exhaust. I don't know if eagle tree makes the under the plug type. That would be better.
So far I have not seen more than 200. I will move the sensors to the top the next time I fly it.

As you have mentioned, try it a little higher. You should see more than 200, unless you are flying in Antarctica. Let us know what you are hitting next time out.
If place on the upper portion of the chamber in the right spot, those wrap around ones are pretty much identical to the under the plug sensors.

Hey Krayzc, funny you mention oil change, the first 3 years was on the original formula Amsoil at 64-1, I've used that mix since 1985 and never a problem. The last 2 years I ran the new Amsoil (Saber) also at 64-1. Spring time of this year running Saber is when I suffered the first seizure, and after talking with Keith at BME I switched to Pennzoil air cooled at 50-1. I've flown all my other gassers since with Pennzoil and it seems pretty good, but when I fired up the BME, 2 minutes into the flight BAM! The cyl. temps were low 189 & 154, checked immediately upon landing. I'm not blaming the pennzoil and I believe I will continue to use it, must have been that lean high needle setting in which I ASSUMED was OK. Like I said I blame no one but myself, If I had counted the turn (less than 3/4) on the high side, I would have without a doubt opened it at least another 1/2 or even 3/4, especially in this heat.

Frank

Frank-- Have you called or e-mailed Keith?? He is a good guy to deal with and might cut a deal with you if you cooked that cylinder.
Have you looked to see if there is damage??

Oh yeah man there's damage, I spoke to Keith and he said he would work with me, I appreciate the effort by him, the first rebuild cost 297.00

As a matter of fact if you look at my avatar, that's the 5 year old Giles 202, The BME in this plane ran so well and the plane tracks and handles exceptionally smooth.