Safety Officer Posted September 14, 2013 Report Share Posted September 14, 2013 FYI, Ignition module failure rates seem to be on the increase either because reporting and communications are better or because installation issues are causing this. These seem to be failing between 400-800 hours TTSN from the ones I have been hearing about. These won't be covered under warranty after warranty is past. Here is the tip of the day. Ignition modules can only take so much heat and with the huge increase in LSA Mfgs. and nice tight cowls the heat inside can get trapped with no where to go. The issue isn't usually when you are flying as there is usually good air and heat exchange. The problems start when you stop flying and park and the under the cowl temps climb and they can climb quite high. It would be nice if aircraft Mfg's had known this and given the heat some where to go. Some are lucky and have an oil door on top to open, but many don't. It would be a very sound practice to buy some heat sensitive tape strips. The target heat to stay away from is anything over 175F. So a strip that reads anywhere from 150F-220F may be a good place to be. Place this heat strip on the ignition module. If the heat strip keeps popping above 175F you might think of a way to get rid of some of the heat after your done flying. If you need to replace your modules the newer soft start modules are going for around $750 for the pair, but may not be this way forever.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandpiper Posted September 14, 2013 Report Share Posted September 14, 2013 Just guessing, but I would bet on higher than 175F on a 100 degree day after shut down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted September 14, 2013 Report Share Posted September 14, 2013 Hi John, You have my vote on that temp. I just bought some temp strips and I'm going to keep an eye open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 John, Thanks for the post. I've never given this any thought and usually install cowl plugs after shut down. I won't do this in the summer months anymore and will pop open my oil filler door. Do these temp strips mark the highest temp reached so you can observe at a later date or do you need to look under the cowl on the hot days to look at the strip before it begins to cool? Where are these strips available? Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 Part of the install process of the BullyHawk SoftStart module is to fly with strips they provide to make sure temps are not beyond their limits: I'm sure there are lots of sources, but they could probably point you in the right direction if no one else can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 Eddie's example shows it perfectly. Thanks Eddie. You can find them on line by just typing in temp test strips or something similar. They also come in many different temp ranges. I would think something along the line that the Safety Officer recommended for temp range. These strips many times have little dots and when it breaks out of that temp it darkens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 You're welcome! If anyone's curious, this is the recommended Bullyhawk SoftStart module installation: The tywraps are kinda funky but get the job done. It goes inline with the regular ignition module wiring, and a separate red wire runs to the starter solenoid (you can just see it on the lower left). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 Same as Eddie's. Documentation included. http://www.drillspot...o_230Deg_F_PK10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 Or... http://Temperature Indicator Labelss Thermax Similar to Tempil 6ml 3 4 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opticsguy Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 I've heard of a bunch of 2006-2007 era module failures. Are there newer ones? I assumed there was a bad batch of modules (lead-free solder?) from that time frame, but if newer ones are failing, that would be bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 Thanks for the E-Bay link I've ordered the strips this morning. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 Ordered...thanks Eddie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marty.santic Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 ...... the newer soft start modules are going for around $750 for the pair, but may not be this way forever.. Where can you purchase a pair for $750? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 So, I order the strips and find out that the heat is greater than it should be, what is the approved solution from FD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safety Officer Posted September 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Good news, I did some testing with some heat indicating strips that work with temps from 160F-230F. I placed them on a CTSW ignition modules and flew for an hour. I came back and landed and let the engine sit for an hour with the oil door closed so as not to throw off any results. The heat strip did not break the 160F indication. That's good news because that mean the CT's are not over heat and heat soaking our ignition modules. The number not to go over is 175F so the CT group is in good shape. Note* This was only one test and I'll try to fly some more, but if it didn't break the 160F barrier then things should stay the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT4ME Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Yea... but that was in Iceland with a high today of about 100. Surprising, but good, news. I'll have to cancel plans for cooking "pheasant under cowl". I don't have my temp strips, yet. How'd it go for the rest of you? tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Meade Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Yea... but that was in Iceland with a high today of about 100. Surprising, but good, news. I'll have to cancel plans for cooking "pheasant under cowl". tim Ah, the memories. 40 years ago on a cold fall day my girl friend and I were visiting the home farm from where I lived 100 miles away. We were in her VW bug. I went pheasant hunting and was happy to bag a couple of birds because times were lean. I field dressed them and put them in plastic bags on the floor in back. (You old timers are already ahead of me.) Wouldn't you know it, I happened to lay them right beside the heater outlet. Now, the heater system on the air-cooled boxer VW motor is notorious but one of the tricks to getting it to work right is to keep the engine up to speed. You can guess that with 100 miles of interstate we were in top gear and high revs all the way home. Yep, when I retrieved the birds they were half cooked in the sack. I decided to forgo pheasant ala VW. It's still worth a chuckle to this day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 I got two sets of the strips Eddie linked to...my modules like Eddies are "stacked" one on top of the other. Should I just put a strip on the top of the top module, or one on the side of each module, or just one on the side of the lower one? It seems the lower module is most vulnerable to heat, since it is more exposed to engine heat, the heat from the other module above it, and gets very little air around it to cool it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Just on the top or side of one. They will get heat soaked the same while it sits after flying and being parked. Hopefully anyone who tries this will be under 175F. Gathering from what Safety said it looks good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marty.santic Posted September 26, 2013 Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 If you need to replace your modules the newer soft start modules are going for around $750 for the pair, but may not be this way forever.. Safety Officer, Where can you purchase a pair of ignition modules for $750?? Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted September 26, 2013 Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 After I read his post I was checking myself and it looked like the US dealers were out, but the Rotech dealer in Canada had them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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