rear engine after rain storm

rmorris · #1 09-26-17, 01:32 PM

My plane is almost always outside in the weather. One thing I noticed as a pattern - after a really heavy rain storm, the rear engine is hard to start.

I thought it might be the engine...but I have a practically new engine now, and it still does the same thing....starts super easy most of the time, but if I go to the plane after a heavy rain event the rear engine takes literally minutes of cranking to get going.

this happen to anyone else?

kilr4d · #2 09-26-17, 02:53 PM

Mags getting wet somehow?

JimC · #3 09-26-17, 03:43 PM

Minutes of cranking? How are your starters holding up?

I'd lean towards wet mags as well.

JimC · #4 09-26-17, 03:44 PM

And it's possible that only one mag is getting wet, but the other is already weak and you just haven't noticed.

rmorris · #5 09-26-17, 07:29 PM

Obviously could be a bad mag, but doubt it
this was a symptom of the 'old' engine...but now I have an engine with 40ish hours on it doing the same thing, and the mags were definitely overhauled.

I was thinking that maybe the air filter was getting a bunch of water in it from the top scoop, then sucking it into engine

basically engine starts immed, but then dies out after about 5 seconds or so...and then takes many minutes of cranking (with small rest period for starter).
yes, tough on starter, which is why I was wondering if others are seeing anything similar.

kilr4d · #6 09-26-17, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmorris

basically engine starts immed, but then dies out after about 5 seconds or so....

That sounds like loss of fuel?

Do you have fuel flow gauges? Have you tried leaving the boost pump on low?

Does it spit unburned fuel out the cylinder drains while you're cranking?