My experience with the ElectroAir ignition upgrade

[BlackMammoth]

I am going to have to try the BRS starting technique. We are currently using:

Minimal priming (just until FP stabilizes)
Mixture idle cutoff
Throttle against stop (very low idle)

Engine will start within a rotation if we have flown within the last week. But remember it isn't cold here

[waynemcc999]

I uploaded G1000 Data Logs from two flights:

After ElectroAir Installation and Magneto Inspection/Repair (16March2016):
https://www.diamondaviators.net/reports/flights/9383

Before March2016 Service (2 magnetos; 2March2016):
https://www.diamondaviators.net/reports/flights/9384

Observations? Thoughts?

Candidate actions:
(1) it is what it is
(2) replace Massives with Tempest Fine Wires
(3) add switch to disable ElectroAir Advance for climb out

[Rich]

Wayne, I'll echo Phil's (Black Mammoth) question. What about spark plug gap? The fact you're running massive electrode plugs makes me wonder how did you open those gaps up to .032? To my knowledge there is no reasonable procedure to widen gaps in ME plugs.

[waynemcc999]

Rich and Phil... thanks for the input to check on the spark plug gaps.

I just checked with my IA/A&P... he uses a special tool to widen the gap. The installation manual tells you to widen the gaps on these specific plugs. The only difference between the spark plugs my IA/A&P installed and the plugs ElectroAir sells is that they widen the gap for you... and charge about $75 extra per plug.

[Antoine]

Hi Wayne
I'm digging into this on spare time so you'll get fragments vs a full analysis.

On log 9384 everything looks perfect. In the initial climb the engine was leaned to 1350 EGT which I think is a good value when taking off at altitude. It gives very close to max power but with additional cooling.
Airspeed was low for such an extended climb but CHTs were OK (i did not look at OAT, maybe it was very cold).

On log 9383 low airspeed combined with an EGT of 1400 resulted in too high CHT.
You briefly increased fuel flow (which was a good idea) but then for some reason leaned even more.
This made your CHT go through the roof.

I suggest you try this again and give the engine enough fuel flow to keep your EGT below 1350, maybe even below 1300, depending upon OAT. The EI is known to produce higher CHTs but also more power below 24 inches of MAP.
I would use the extra power to lower the nose and increase airspeed and cooling.

The G1000 logs have fpm data, but it is not displayed here. You can take a look at your log files in Excel and compare the climb performance. Did you check the timing of the remaining mag by the way?

I may be wrong and there may be something not OK with your EI install, but what I saw above tells me that you need to adapt your leaning "habits" to the EI and take it from there.

[waynemcc999]

Big thanks, Antoine, for looking thru the log files. Some of your points relate to times when my IA/A&P and I were experimenting with variables (rich, lean, etc). Your suggestion to update my leaning habits is right on. I'll update as I learn more.

[Antoine]

Yes Wayne, I think this is where you should start - maybe I have not highlighted this enough, but the leaning becomes very critical when you climb so aggressively.
I typically lower the nose to a TAS (not IAS, TAS) of 90 knots for cruise climbing. It is also less dangerous because of improved forward visibility.
In the supercharger thread, Brock posted some information about plugging the gaps between the engine and its baffling. The more power you extract from your engine, the slower you climb, the more relevant this becomes.
But there may well be something wrong with your install. Please keep posting log files and let's see if you can keep CHT's in check. You really should see much improved climb rates at these DA's...

[Colin]

From things I have read online, the leads to the spark plugs are not well-shielded and sometimes need to be routed differently (unbundled, not too close to the remaining mag). Sometimes replaced, allowing for a stronger spark to go through them.

[waynemcc999]

First: Thanks to all for your valuable inputs. From that I decided to swap the massive plugs for Tempest Fine Wires and I'm now overall a happy camper.
----
Further ​update on the ElectroAir upgrades. From earlier in this thread, a couple weeks ago the Electronic Ignition was installed. This week the massive plugs were swapped for Tempest Fine Wire plugs.​ I flew again today with my IA/A&P/CFII.​

End result:
It's difficult to evaluate with various variables bumping around, but the bottom line for the final configuration is approx:
-- in climb-out 5900' to 10,500' (DA 11,000')
---- 75 KIAS, hold EGTs at 1250, gives Fuel Flow 13 gph, after 1000' AGL pull prop back to 2450
---- results in CHTs nicely below 400 and climb rate 500'-to-750'

[Thanks to Antoine for the hint on improving my "managing temps" habits. I also believe the fine wire plugs are behaving better wrt the CHTs than the massives were.]

-- in cruise at 10,500' (DA 11,000')
---- 2450 rpm, fuel flow 8.5 gph, KTAS 137​ (original config was 2450 rpm, fuel flow 8.7, KTAS 132-140)
---- 2350 rpm, fuel flow 7.5 gph, KTAS 137

Bottom line on performance... holding KTAS constant, something like a 1 gph savings​ over the original state of my 2008 DA40 XLS.​

​At higher altitudes (e.g. 12,500' or higher) the fuel flow should go down a bit more (low 7s?) with only a few knot decrease in True Airspeed (or maybe no decrease?).​

Added benefits observed of the ElectroAir/Fine Wire combo:
-- very easy cold and hot starts
-- just nicely smooth in genera​l

​If you like data analysis, here are three flights (not really apples to apples, but still interesting):
Original: https://www.diamondaviators.net/reports/flights/9384
ElectroAir: https://www.diamondaviators.net/reports/flights/9383
ElectroAir plus Fine Wires​: https://www.diamondaviators.net/reports/flights/9405

[Antoine]

Hi Wayne
Thanks for the update and glad you're making progress.

Climb performance
I have no experience in take-offs from such high DA locations but you may have some more potential left:

Dropping RPM to 2450 in the climb reduces CHTs but costs a lot of performance.
I would suggest the following combo:

2550 RPM. This will increase heat by 8-9% (the RPM ratio squared)
higher airspeed 80 instead of 75 (for more cooling) this will increase cooling by 13-14% (the speed ratio squared).
This gives you a net bonus of about 5% on your heat balance. Put it to good use by leaning to EGT's
around 1300 which will give you again more power while saving some fuel.

I would expect better climb and a higher TAS - more pleasant and safer.

Cruise performance.
This is where I have gathered tons of data and can help with reference points. Plus I have been flying in my friends '08 XLs lately.

I would say your plane should be a tad faster regardless of what ignition system is used.
A '08 XLS should hit 145+ on 9 GPH and do 140 on 8 GPH.

At these altitudes I typically run the following settings in economy cruise:

2500 RPM, around 9 GPH, peak EGT or just rich of peak (0-20 degrees).
This is where I see a smooth engine and airspeeds around the 145 mark.
Try these settings. If your plane can't do 145 or so, you probably have a "corked nose wheel" problem.
Take a look at the rudder trim tab. Is it visibly bent?
From experience with 2 planes, a DA40 does not need a rudder trim tab if its nose wheel is flying straight...

Fine wire plugs
From what you have reported so far and my own experience of flying DA40's with/without fine wire plugs, I tend to believe that fine wires work wonders in this engine...
Go figure...
Thank you for reporting and sharing so much detail with the community.