sonerainut
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2007
- Messages
- 35
Hello All,
It has been a long time since I have posted on the Sonerai.net site. I have been checking in from time to time, it appears there are many new builders and the Sonerai series still is a lot of bang for the buck!
Speaking of bangs...
Recently, after an excellent local flight I had an engine failure. After a pass down the runway as I was climbing and turning downwind, I felt a bang followed by a bunch of shaking as the engine came clanking to a halt. I was able to continue my turn and position for an uneventful dead stick downwind landing. I should have stayed in the slip longer, but still had plenty of runway remaining. It was the first time my GP 2180 has let me down.
The engine total time was approx 130 hrs (sadly over a 13 year period - life tends to win out over flying most of the times) Last fall, I had pulled the heads and lapped the valves and looked over things - nothing noted at the time. Tear down this weekend revealed the following - pictures are worth a thousand words...
Coulda, woulda, shoulda, replaced the exhaust valves when i had it apart..... We found pieces of the piston in the combustion chamber of the other cylinders - lots of metal! When the piston pin was banging on the base of the cylinder, it actually bent the rod.
So now I'm needing to build a new engine. I'm thinking GP2276. Any of you with the 2276 have info on what heads and valve sizes you are using? Are you using stainless exhaust valves too? Any input would be appreciated.
Freedom Is Flying....
Lee
It has been a long time since I have posted on the Sonerai.net site. I have been checking in from time to time, it appears there are many new builders and the Sonerai series still is a lot of bang for the buck!
Speaking of bangs...
Recently, after an excellent local flight I had an engine failure. After a pass down the runway as I was climbing and turning downwind, I felt a bang followed by a bunch of shaking as the engine came clanking to a halt. I was able to continue my turn and position for an uneventful dead stick downwind landing. I should have stayed in the slip longer, but still had plenty of runway remaining. It was the first time my GP 2180 has let me down.
The engine total time was approx 130 hrs (sadly over a 13 year period - life tends to win out over flying most of the times) Last fall, I had pulled the heads and lapped the valves and looked over things - nothing noted at the time. Tear down this weekend revealed the following - pictures are worth a thousand words...
Coulda, woulda, shoulda, replaced the exhaust valves when i had it apart..... We found pieces of the piston in the combustion chamber of the other cylinders - lots of metal! When the piston pin was banging on the base of the cylinder, it actually bent the rod.
So now I'm needing to build a new engine. I'm thinking GP2276. Any of you with the 2276 have info on what heads and valve sizes you are using? Are you using stainless exhaust valves too? Any input would be appreciated.
Freedom Is Flying....
Lee