Pietenpol-List: Slick Magnetos

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 7:21 pm

Original Posted By: "Ted Brousseau"
Finally got NX899JP running this weekend, in anticipation of the inspectionby the Feds in the next few days (or weeks). Had an interesting problemwith it and wonder if anyone else has had this problem.I had installed brand new Slick magnetos on my Continental A65 a couple ofyears ago, but this was the first time I had tried to start the engine. Theignition leads were attached as labeled (Slick puts labels on the collarsthat screw onto the plugs, like "B4" and "T2". The mag timing was set by anA&P/IA friend (who also happens to be the FBO at the airport where I will domy test flying).We tried to start it and wore out 4 men propping it on Saturday. It wouldhit occasionally, but never more than 2 cylinders at a time. We finallygave up and rolled it back into the hangar.Sunday I tried again, this time pulling the bottom plugs from each cylinderand squirting starting fluid (ether) into each cylinder, then replacing theplugs. It hit once, then I got brave and opened the throttle wide open.The next time it was propped, it caught and ran, very roughly, finallygetting up to about 900 RPM. I ran it for about 5 minutes, hoping it wouldloosen up and run properly. At least the oil pressure was good.Once I shut it down, it became obvious that the front two cylinders werecold. To make a long story short, it turned out that the two frontcylinders (number 3 & 4 on a Continental A65) had their ignition timing 180degrees out of phase with where it should be, i.e., #4 was trying to firewhen #3 should be firing. I reversed the leads between those two cylindersand it then ran fine. I barely had enough length to reach on the top plugs,but it does fit and runs normally now. I have not contacted Slick aboutthis yet, but think that I will. I guess we would have caught it earlier,but when we timed it, we were just looking at #1 cylinder and it was timedcorrectly.Anybody else had a similar problem with Slicks?Jack PhillipsRaleigh, NC________________________________________________________________________________

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 9:36 pm

Original Posted By: Jack Phillips
Jack. Could it be that you have LH mags instead of RH rotation mags.? That would makesense since the Continental 65 firing order is 1-3-2-4 . Sounds like your Magsare (were) expecting 1-4-2-3. Seems like mine say RH on each one on the data plates.What model slicks are they?If this is a dumb idea, and there's no such thing, there's an imposter on my computertonight.Bert ----- Original Message -----

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 9:51 pm

Original Posted By: Jack Phillips
I had brand new slicks put on my A-65. No problems. I had it set up by an A&IDick ----- Original Message -----

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 12:43 am

Original Posted By: Bert Conoly
The last Slick mags I put on an O-320 had the 180 degree opposed holes for settingeither left or right rotation. Sounds to me like one of the mags was "pinned"for the correct R rotation and the other was pinned with L. They both haveto be pinned for right rotation, then inserted into gear, then jointly timed.Maybe someone made a mistake. Did the AP actually insert the mags in theholes, or just do the timing?Gordon Bowen ----- Original Message -----

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 7:03 am

Original Posted By: owner-pietenpol-list-server(at)matronics.com
The A&P installed the mags, and set the timing. I don't remember the modelnumbers, but I'm heading to the airport to work on the plane (took the dayoff) and I'll see what they are. Whem I ordered them directly from Slick, Itold them that they were going on a Continental A65.-----Original Message-----

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 3:52 pm

Original Posted By: "Carl D. Vought"

Brodhead Pietenpol Association