Miscellaneous Stuff

The past couple weeks were spent doing various miscellaneous stuff in preparation for the first engine run. First item was timing both my PMag electronic ignitions. The starter ring gear behind the prop has 149 teeth or 2.4 degrees/tooth. Using the TDC witness mark on the back of the ring gear and going 2 teeth (or 4.8 degrees) beyond is lined up with the top crankcase seam. Applying power to the PMag and blowing into their respective manifold pressure tubes yields a blinking red light on each ignition module. A second puff of air yields a blinking green light. Timing is set. Easy as that. Per the PMag manual I pulled all 8 spark plugs, hooked up the leads and grounded them, then slowly pulled the prop through to verify that each plug was firing at the correct time. Unlike a magneto that fires at only one position throughout the engines RPM and power range the PMag has a curve like a car and fires the plugs at the optimum timing point based on a range of operating conditions. This creates easier starts and better fuel efficiency. Each PMag has a built-in alternator that can power the ignition down to approximately 900 RPM. Next task was adding engine oil. I first had to drain the preservative oil in the crankcase and then added 7 quarts of AeroShell straight 50W mineral oil which is used for break in. To eliminate air and help the system prime faster I pulled the top hose going into the oil cooler and using a modified funnel added a full quart to the oil cooler. I secured the crankcase breather, sniffle valve and engine fuel pump drain tubes that were loosely fitted under the engine. 10-inch wide antiskid tape was added to both wings. This was badly needed as the wings are quite slippery when the plane is in the 3-point attitude. Ingressing and egressing the cockpit is much easier and safer now. My wife was bugging me to remove all the blue plastic protective film on all the sheet metal, so I let her do that. I also removed the protective film on the interior and exterior of the canopy. I'll leave the film on the rear window for now for added protection. Bruce's Custom Covers sent me a custom, heat resistant pitot tube cover. I also added 4 gallons of avgas to each fuel tank.