On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 03:21:18 -0500, Barnyard BOb --
wrote:



An old timer told me how to start that thing about three years ago.
His name is Paul Muskat and he's an old examiner who retired many
years ago, plus he's an A & P. He passed this on to me and I swear to
God it's the answer to the starting problems I had on the RV-6. In
fact I'm not so sure I needed to buy and instal that Lightspeed
ignition after I changed the way I started--due to Paul. Here's what
he said:

Lightspeed ignition, NOT required, *IF* you follow the steps
that were recommended to you below.

I know that now and agree. I jumped the gun on that one. I should
have known how to start that engine without spending a grand on that
fancy ignition. But I didn't.


Yep.
What was happening...
you were *FROSTING* the sparkplugs.

Once ICED...
Ya either wait for the ice to melt or remove it.

If you don't believe it....
pull a plug when the engine absolutely won't start.
Check for ICE shorting across the electrodes!
It will be there in mass quantities !!!!!!

Interesting. I don't quite see the physics of that. Must have
something to do with the adiabatic expansion of air in the cylinder
causing the temp to drop way down.


I learned this the hard way, as a 16 year old teenager.
I had a car that would not start below 32 degrees.
Ditto for a Cessna 175.
Above 32, both would always start on the first lick.

Below 32 degrees...
Both engines required FUEL to be in the cylinders BEFORE
turning on the ignition or the hot spark would cause ICE
to form across the sparkplug electrodes.

What's the difference between pulling it through by hand or cranking
it? The same thing is happening except that you don't get a spark?


In SOME, but not all engines...
The hot spark causes the cold moist air WITHOUT FUEL
in the cylinder to CONDENSE across the electrodes as
ice... if it's 32 or colder.

Why? How?

Once shorted in this manner,
your screwed until it warms up or you remove the ice.

Trust me on this one. g

Nature is amazing in it's own right. Being a physicist I know that
the truth is much stranger than fiction, but I don't see this one for
some reason. I'm not saying I don't believe it. I'm just saying I
can't see the mechanism.

Bill


Barnyard BOb -- believe it or not