Section 4 - Standard Operating and Maintenance Procedures
This section outlines the procedures to be used in normal operation of the ELLISON TBI
after the unit has been installed and adjusted in accordance with the preceding sections
of this manual. If any instruction or procedure specified in this section conflicts with
recommendations of the aircraft or engine manufacturer, then those recommendations should
take precedence over contrary instructions contained herein.
The following starting procedure should be used for the engine's first start of the day
and any time the engine has cooled to ambient temperature.
| 1. |
Both magnetos OFF. |
| 2. |
Master switch ON. |
| 3. |
Brakes ON, wheel chocks in place or tail
tied down. |
| 4. |
Mixture FULL RICH. |
| 5. |
Throttle cracked 1/8 inch. |
| 6. |
Prime the engine in accordance with the engine manufacturer's
instructions. |
| 7. |
Magneto switches positioned as recommended by the engine
manufacturer for engine starting. |
| 8. |
Engage the starter or commence manual propping. |
| 9. |
If the engine does not start by the fifth compression stroke,
return to step five. If symptoms of flooding occur or step five has been repeated three
times, then proceed to Section 4-4 (Unloading). |
| 10. |
When then engine starts, switch magnetos to BOTH ON
and set the throttle to the desired RPM. |
When the engine is warm, use the same procedure as for normal starts, except omit the
use of prime fuel (step 6).
| Note |
| Hot starts are sometimes more easily accomplished if the
engine is shut down using the magneto switches rather than the mixture control. |
If during starting attempts the engine becomes overloaded with fuel, the induction
system may be cleared as follows:
| 1. |
Both magnetos OFF. |
| 2. |
Throttle FULL OPEN. |
| 3. |
Mixture control at FULL LEAN. |
| 4. |
Manually rotate the engine backwards through 20 blades. |
| 5. |
Close the throttle, set the mixture at FULL RICH
and initiate the appropriate starting procedure once again. |
The ELLISON TBI greatly increases the engines tolerance for lean mixtures when compared
to conventional aircraft carburetors. For this reason, the common practice of leaning to
the threshold of engine roughness may place a TBI equipped engine far on the lean side of
safe operation. Therefore, follow the engine manufacturer's recommendations which rely on
EGT, fuel flow, or RPM as a reference for leaning.
The engine may be shut down by any of the following:
| 1. |
Set the mixture control to FULL LEAN. |
| 2. |
Set the main fuel valve to the OFF position. |
| 3. |
Turn both magneto switches to the OFF
position. |
If procedures 1 or 2 are used, both magnetos must be turned to OFF
after the engine has stopped.
It has been observed that hot re-starts are sometimes more easily accomplished
following engine shutdowns using procedure 3.
It is good practice to occasionally kill the engine with the magneto switch to
determine that both magneto grounding circuits are functioning properly. A switch
malfunction or an "open" P-lead will permit one or both magnetos to remain
"hot", allowing the engine to continue running regardless of switch position.
| Caution |
| Because of residual fuel that always remains in the fuel
system, there is constant danger of the engine firing if the propeller is rotated. |
The main fuel valve must always be placed in the OFF position whenever
the aircraft is to be parked or hangared.
Contrary to common belief, the ELLISON TBI can accumulate ice!
Additionally, engines with cold induction manifolds such as the four cylinder Continental
engines, the Continental O-470, and all Volkswagen derivative engines, are especially
susceptible to the formation of manifold ice. At idle power, icing is indicated by erratic
RPM (loping after a smooth idle) or other signs of richness. This condition can be
corrected with the application of induction heat. In cruise, Icing might be indicated by a
gradual enrichment of mixture, or the inability to lean the engine with the mixture
control. This condition can be corrected by selecting full rich mixture and applying
induction heat. Additionally, ice built up during cruise can sometimes be removed by
cycling the throttle from full open to full closed and then back to the desired setting.
When operating in conditions of very hot ambient air temperatures with very tightly
cowled engine installations, fuel vapor formation may occur causing engine roughness. This
problem can usually be solved by:
| 1. |
Careful thermal insulation of all fuel lines and fuel system. |
| 2. |
Air blast cooling of fuel pumps and other fuel components. |
| 3. |
Installation of thermal shields to protect fuel system
components from radiant heating by exhaust system. |
| 4. |
Turn boost pump ON. |
When operating out of high altitude airports, takeoff power should be optimized with
the manual mixture control in accordance with the aircraft or engine manufacturer's
recommendations.
The following maintenance should be accomplished at the intervals indicated:
| 1. |
Remove and clean or replace the aircraft main fuel system
filter each 50 hours of engine operation. |
| 2. |
Remove and clean the TBI fuel inlet finger screen each 50
hours of engine operation. Check condition of the "O" ring and replace with EFS
P/N 29-009 if damaged (P/N 29-013 for the EFS-2).
| Caution |
| Do not use thread sealing compounds or tape. All fitting
joints use either an "O" ring seal or a flared tube seat and, if properly
installed, require no additional sealing material. |
| Note |
| If contaminants are found inside the fuel inlet filter
screen, the source must be found and corrected. |
|
| 3. |
Clean the inlet air filter each 50 hours of engine operation
or more frequently if operated in dusty conditions.
| Caution |
| The ingestion of unfiltered air into the TBI can create
hazardous throttle plate binding and slide seal wear. |
|
| 4. |
After an initial period of five hours of operation, idle
mixture should be checked and readjusted as needed. |
Field repair or disassembly of the regulator portion of the TBI is not authorized.
Removal of the lead seal will void the warranty.
To Section 5
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