Turbo lance II

cmoodie

I am the new owner of a 1978 lance II turbo. I have a puzzling question for anyone. Once at altitude using lean find on the engine monitor the fuel flow leans back from about 22 GPH to about 15GPH and as I continue to lean it begins to increase back to 21 GPH before it starts flashing indicating peak. Lean find starts flashing and as I go to 100 rich of peak it goes from 21 GPH back down to 15GPH. Anyone have any idea how this can happen? Im not sure what would happen if I keep leaning to LOP because I haven't tried it. Low time engine with around 15 SMOH.

Craig

Bob H

Hi Craig,
You did not mention which engine monitor you have. My advice would be to go to the engineer at that manufacturer and get feedback direct from them?
Also, my gut says you may want to stay away from much leaning on this freshly OHC'd engine. I think running it rich during the break-in period is probably the better plan.
Again, consult with the OHC shop and see what they say? Thanks! Bob Hart www.AvionixHelp.com

cmoodie

It has nothing to do with the monitor. The monitor is doing its job. Fuel flow gauge or transponder is what is suspect. As I said in my post, I am running 100 ROP. Are you thinking that's not rich enough?

Russell Bass

Craig, if you are at 15 gph, you are WELL lean of peak. When I first bought my turbo lance I used to (should say had to) run at 22 gph and book manifold pressure to keep my chts under 400 degrees, and I could only get 140 kts tas. That was unacceptable coming from an 182rg that got 150 kts at 12.5 gph. I called John Paul at Gami, he said that is common for our airplanes, and to try 32" mp and lean to 16.5 gph. It worked beautifully... 160-165 tas. In summer months I have to lean to about 15-15.5 to stay just under 400 degrees (my hottest cylinders are 4 & 5), which gets me apprx. 155 kts tas. I found in recent cooler months I can enrich to 16.5 and stay under 400 degrees, and get around 165 kts tas. It seems every .5 gph I enrich or lean gets me 5 kts change. Anyway, I would use 16 gph as a bench mark, and lean or enrich as needed to stay under 400 degrees on your hottest cylinder on your engine monitor. Hope that helps.

Daniel Tortolani

hello Craig, i had experienced the same thing, read my previus post, still no clue

http://www.piperowner.org/memforums/topic.html?id=151567

cmoodie

Daniel
I had read that post and was hoping that you would weight in with some magical solution! When you say "I had the same problem" does that mean that you fixed it? Did it continue or just change? Someone told me the ships FF gauge is a pressure reading correlated to indicate FF and that would have to be the culprit. Makes sense.

Craig

Daniel Tortolani

Hello Craig, I’m sorry for the short note but my wife was pushing me out of the computer, when I said I had, it’s because after a prop strike last December my plane is not currently flying, I hope I can be on the air on May 2014, after the incident and 2 months of bureaucracy I started fixing the plane in my hangar 2 weeks ago, I had many problems with this plane all regarding fuel consumption, high oil temp and high cht’s, learned a lot about it and to be honest if I knew all these things 2 years ago I think I wouldn’t buy a Turbo Lance, my lance is only 2500 TT hours but had been stored in a hanger for too long and after I flew it for about 150 hours it started braking, this in addition of the cooling design problems has converted my plane in a project that requires lots of research, time and of course money, this time I am performing a lot of SB that were not present, I sent my injectors to gami for rebuild, send my oil cooler to Pacific oil coolers, send my magnetos to overhaul, and the list goes on and on, if I take off after all this work and money invested and I find myself with the same problems I think I’m just going to sell it never knowing why the fuel flow did that
PS: the FF Gauge explanation doesn’t quite convince me, but will continue to research

Regards

havasubobby@gmail.com

I have owned 2 Turbo Lances. Very stable aircraft and flies more like a Suburban than a Ferrari but carries the family and gear and very comfortable for pilot and passengers. I have had no issue with cooling the aircraft. Leaning past peak works very well with this aircraft and will easily keep CHTs below 400 at around 15 gallons an hour and 145 knots. If you want to go fast you can burn more gas and do 160-170 knots. Depending on mission I do both ways. It's a complex airplane but a joy to fly and a stable load hauler. They are the best BARGAIN in aviation in my opinion due to some unfortunate and false info out there about them. I personally love the Turbo T-Tail. Very stable and great looking airplane and they can carry an unbelievable amount of passengers and bags. Just my opinion but I have owned two and feel as though I know what I am talking about.