Had a bad day with my waiex, airframe and jabiru issues

[WesRagle]

Hi Ron,

But was weird that in flight there was no power or running issues till I throttled back down to idle.

By all means, change the filter if it is time to do so.

Since you have a gravity feed system and the engine ran fine during high power operation the filter probably isn't the issue (yet). When you reduce power to idle the fuel will take much longer to pass through the hot engine compartment giving it a lot more time to absorb heat and vaporize. So, sounds like a typical case of vapor lock (AKA the "burps") as it presents itself with AeroInjector type carbs.

Ref: http://sonexbuilders.net/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=5586#p42337

Best of Luck,

Wes

[racaldwell]

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

I have a new fuel filter from Earl's Racing that I was going to install on my CAMit 3300. A friend saw it and said he had an extra filter that came with is fuel pump system. So he gave it to me. Much larger so I'm using it and have the one I bought from Earl's sitting in the hangar. If your interested, let me know.

Rick Caldwell
Xenos 0057

[pappas]

Regarding your tailwheel assembly. I'm sorry, you are having trouble. I have also dropped the small tailwheel into a grate. You are not alone. Luckily I didn't have that kind of damage but I would bet others may have. Don't despair.

I have built 2 Waiex's. Now, I know this will sound like a lot but it really isn't. If that was my bird, I would remove the rudder, and simply drill out the rivets holding the aft 12 to 16 inches of the aft fuselage side and bottom skins. That should give you all the easy access you need to complete the fix. (Watch the videos on how to drill out stainless rivets without enlarging the existing holes. Even if you mess that up, just use the next oversize rivets to reassemble).

Assess the damage, as you may have a couple of bent longerons, and replace the entire tailwheel mount assembly right through to the tailwheel. Go for a bigger tailwheel because the small ones just suck in a lot of ways other than their light weight.

If you don't like the rudder skin anymore, you can likely just straighten it. If you prefer, the replacement rudder skin kit is inexpensive and you can then say that you built a part of your aircraft. The rudder should take a couple of hours to finish if you use new parts. Straighten it out in about 15 minutes.

The plan pages are available and there are a lot of guys that will send you a copy. The whole job should be able to be done in a day. At worst an easy disassembly on one day and reinstall the next. Even by a novice. If you have some friends with regular mechanical skills...one day.

Remember, if it is made of metal, a big hammer can fix it!

[GordonTurner]

I believe Wes and Lou have the correct solutions to your two problems. Unfortunately I recently sold my extra tail wheel mount. Sonex will sell you the weldment, but Peter Anson makes one that it is far superior if you can get it.

Gordon

[gyroron]

Thanks for the replies folks.

I spoke to a few " Experts " and although a good inspection inside the plane is warranted, the general consensus is the parts on the plane now are probably going to be okay to leave as is. Obviously the tail wheel assembly should be replaced, and I have already a new one on its way to me from Peter Anson... But that the rudder skin, and possibly bent steel fitment that is bolted to the rear of the plane should be fine to leave as is.

I would have to drill out some rivets to even get a look inside there, that or some type of camera system?

As for the engine, IDK.... This was probably the warmest day I have flown the plane since I bought it, but I have a hard time believing it was vapor lock. There is literally only maybe a foot worth of fuel line that comes through the firewall, and goes straight into the aero injector. And it has fire sleeve on it. Seems like there shouldn't be enough fuel line on the hot side of the firewall for heat to cause vaporlock. And it started doing it in the pattern after a 30 mile flight. Outside air temp at the time was maybe 78 degrees.

I think the most logical thing is the fuel filter may be clogged up. Just luck that It didn't clog in flight, and just started to clog once in the pattern.

IDK, of course that seems fishy too, how does it SUDDENLY clog... and not do so when higher fuel flow is needed such as during takeoff and climb out and even cruise flight.

I hope to get out there maybe tonight after work, or tomorrow and see if the plane will start and run normally. Then remove the fuel line from the aero injector and try to run some type of test to figure out how much fuel the line flows... then replace the fuel filter and redo the test to see if the filter was actually blocked up some.

[tx_swordguy]

Ron, for no other reason than time in service, change the fuel filter. It may have been getting just enough fuel to the carb with the majority of the filter clogged. Vibration could have shifted some sediment to cover up the only part of the filter allowing fuel to get through. also check the plugs. I tend to think fuel but plugs are easy enough to check/replace. Since it was already running at a high rpm prior to going to idle (when the problem started) I am doubtful it is ignition related. However I have seen cars hide a miss at a higher rpm and would not show it until it was at idle. My belief is the faster rpm just "carries through" the combustion process since it is happening so fast at the higher rpms and the next cylinder just picks up the slack of the missing one. Once at idle each cylinder is needed to keep the combustion process moving smoothly or it stumbles or dies. (I am a shade tree mechanic so take that for what it is worth). Hope that helps

[Rynoth]

I would have to drill out some rivets to even get a look inside there, that or some type of camera system?

The fairing that's between the top of your rear stabilators should be removable (likely with machine screws.) If you remove that fairing you can use eyeballs (and maybe a mirror) to inspect the tailwheel mount. It's standard (for me anyway) to remove this fairing on condition inspection to check the stabilator attach points.





Also, depending on when your Waiex was completed, there may be an inspection panel on the bottom fuselage skin near the tail. If it was finished prior to the Service Bulletin for the tail being issued, builders had to cut a new hole to gain additional access to the tail post bolts.

[GraemeSmith]

Ron, for no other reason than time in service, change the fuel filter. It may have been getting just enough fuel to the carb with the majority of the filter clogged. Vibration could have shifted some sediment to cover up the only part of the filter allowing fuel to get through.

What Mark says here and what I said on your FB post where you elaborated that the fuel filter had not been opened since 2016. It's a dirt cheap and simple check to do. And awful expensive one to overlook if a clogged filter is what it is.

Following in a constructive tone - not to start a flame war.... : And as I also said on FB - three Condition Inspections and no one thought to open the filter to examine it? Honestly? That's an accident waiting to happen.

[Onex107]

Rough idle with a hot engine. It would run fast, like leaning out, then slow, like getting richer. It wouldn't idle below 13-1400 rpm without dying. Only after a flight with everything up to temp on a warm day. It was an easy fix. My AeroInjector started doing the same thing when the weather warmed up. My fuel line is longer and enters on the front side (prop side) of the injector and was insulated very heavily. More than just fire sleeve. I have been through all the "burp" problems and thought I had it solved. The only thing that is not insulated is the AeroInjector it's self. So I added a blast tube to the end of the AeroInjector where the fuel line enters. I was like day and night. No matter the temp, it now idles fine after a flight. The blast tube also admits cooler air to the Injector and that is a plus, I think. I had to conclude that the alum body of the Injector was getting hot enough to cause some vaporization at the needle or in the shut off orifice. I do burn car gas and it seems to have more problems with vapor than 100 LL.

[gyroron]

Ron, for no other reason than time in service, change the fuel filter. It may have been getting just enough fuel to the carb with the majority of the filter clogged. Vibration could have shifted some sediment to cover up the only part of the filter allowing fuel to get through.

What Mark says here and what I said on your FB post where you elaborated that the fuel filter had not been opened since 2016. It's a dirt cheap and simple check to do. And awful expensive one to overlook if a clogged filter is what it is.

Following in a constructive tone - not to start a flame war.... : And as I also said on FB - three Condition Inspections and no one thought to open the filter to examine it? Honestly? That's an accident waiting to happen.

Yeah, who knows how well they did the inspections. I know that The log books showed the battery had just been replaced a few months before I bought the plane and I had problems with the battery not giving me more than 1-2 good starting attempts before the battery would be drained down too low to really crank the engine over fast enough to start.... I kept having to pull the cowl to hook up jumper cables. Long story short, the battery was old. Was manufactured years earlier and was defective, only producing about half or even less than half of the amps a new replacement produced. I don't think the battery was ever replaced, that or the seller pulled out the new battery and installed the old one before I came to look at the plane. So who knows how well the rest of the inspections were done.