Karl,
> Your cooling problems at startup are not at all typical.
I got some emails (on the list and privately) from people who have
experienced similar problems. So it is not really a-typical either.
Maybe it is a matter of luck how tight a newly produced engine is.
> As far as I
> know the engines are run in at the factory, and there is no recommended
> 'run-in' period, like there used to be many years ago for cars.
Of course engines are now produced with much smaller tolerances,
minimizing the run-in period, but still some run-in remains to be done.
As far as I know the engines are just "test-run" at the factory, only
for a very short time, and not for the time required to perform a full
run in.
> You may well have had an airlock somewhere which cleared itself.
If that were true, coolant should have dropped somewhat, but that is not
the case. Also, all cylinders ran at the same CHT, so they either should
have had all four a similar airlock, or the airlock should have been in
the radiator or collection tank, which is quite unlikely as well. Then
the vibration, that cleared itself as well. Everything suggests that
there was a run in problem involved. An air lock could of course have
contributed to it as well.
BTW, yesterday I implemented your nose wheel mod. Needed considerable
efforts to get the original tube out (heating and pressing), but once
that was done, everything assembled nicely together. Only that nylon
stuff is not easy to work with, but I managed to drill a 1" hole right
in the middle of it, and sawed it of squarely. Thanks for a bright idea!
--
Frans Veldman
|