Hi Franz,
I had a very scary episode about 12 years ago with my Europa taking off from a
glider site in Germany.
1500 ft elevation & 36 deg C temps. I had to taxi through long grass at quite
high
power to get to a short tarmac runway. Take off roll was fine and only when
I was in the air did the stuttering and power loss begin. Luckily the glider
site is on a hill so I could get up some speed descending into the valley.
She stuttered her way up to about 1000 ft above the field and I waited to see if
the "vapor lock" would clear but after 5 mins landed again to change my pants!!
There was no pressure loss, or at least my warning lamp did not come on which
is quite sensitive.
I took the cowling off straight away and removed one of the fuel lines from the
carbs. Fuel spit me in the face so I was sure at that time that it was a vapor
lock. I had had enough for one day and called someone to bring my trailer.
The next day I tried a run up on the trailer. Everything was OK until I tried
full
power then the stuttering began again, no vapor lock this time!!
I searched for the problem for a month before in frustration I wanted to measure
the fuel flow from the pumps and found that about 50% of what was coming out
of the fuel line at a carb was air!!
I had no obvious fuel leaks but air was getting into the system.
I changed all the fuel hoses (Europa originals), re-routed them with insulation,
changed the clips and no more air.
I am still not sure that it was a vapor lock on that day but it certainly made
me re think my fueling strategy. I now always fill with Avgas when the
temperature
is approaching 30 deg C or bellow 0 deg C.
No idea and not suggesting that it ha anything to do with your case. Just an
experience.
Barry
--------
Barry Tennant
D-EHBT
At EDLM - Germany
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