Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge

surfCRQ · February 27th, 2008, 01:27

I have been flying an arrow IV this past week training for comm. The Manifold Pressure Gauge has a serious vibration to it. -like a mini windshield wiper on crack. same thing with the fuel pressure gauge. My instructor said it was just old gauges. but, on the last flight whenever I had the aux fuel pump on both needles settled down. Could this be a bad engine driven fuel pump or gunked up injectors or just excessive vibration?
Oh yeah the cowl is pretty well full of fresh oil too. I know its normal for an engine to have some oil around the belly/ cowling, but this oil is pretty fresh. Am I being paranoid?

gator4798 · February 27th, 2008, 03:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfCRQ

Am I being paranoid?

I think that as a pilot being paranoid is a good thing. Better to be sure its nothing then to think its nothing and have it turn into somthing. I'm just a lowely PPL student so i dont know but I hope you find an answer!

fermeh · February 27th, 2008, 09:20

hmmm... i experienced that on a couple of my flights too, MAP gauge used to swing a lil and the RPM too, insturctor and i checked with the maintenance guys and they said.."probably just the gauge, just keep an eye on it".. keep it with the "Green zone"... it shdnt be pegged at red line. if the oscillations are pretty much the same back and forth, avg it out i guess

. with the RPM i would think u could hear it off.

Maurus · February 27th, 2008, 13:28

With my experience in piper arrows, I have found that they don't like too much more oil than 6 quarts. If you put the oil to 7 or 8 quarts the engine will probably just spit it out. That could be why there is so much oil on the cowling.

surfCRQ · February 27th, 2008, 15:44

yeah i have been using about 6 quarts. Did I mention the smoke smell with throttle to idle. I know Im just being overcautious but i fly in so cal and all the flat land around here is covered in track homes and all the freeways are gridlocked with traffic.

Berkut · February 27th, 2008, 20:50

What did maintenance have to say about it?

surfCRQ · February 27th, 2008, 21:13

No i haven't talked to maintance. The school just outsourced all the maintance to somewhere else on the field so I'm not to sure how to go about that. It just came out of a 100 hour so I figured they would have addressed any issues.

Citationkid · February 27th, 2008, 21:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by fermeh

i checked with the maintenance guys and they said.."probably just the gauge, just keep an eye on it"..

It it were just the FF or MP gauge, it could just be the gauge is screwed up. Since it is both, that means there is probally a problem.

Alex.

fermeh · February 27th, 2008, 21:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfCRQ

Did I mention the smoke smell with throttle to idle. I know Im just being overcautious but i fly in so cal and all the flat land around here is covered in track homes and all the freeways are gridlocked with traffic.

hehe, i knw so cal isnt the best place for emergency engine-out landings!... where do u fly? what area? i used to fly out of a lil airport in upland,CA ... CABLE AIRPORT.

Berkut · February 27th, 2008, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfCRQ

It just came out of a 100 hour so I figured they would have addressed any issues.

Yeah, never assume that.

I don't believe in fixing planes over the internet; That being said, can you detect any change in engine vibration when the aux pump is turned on?

surfCRQ · February 28th, 2008, 01:59

Well with the aux fuel pump on the engine runs about the same. no noticable difference. But - with the aux pump selected the needles stop vibrating.

E6BAV8R · February 28th, 2008, 17:53

Get the # to the maintenance facility and see what they say.

Berkut · February 28th, 2008, 20:44

Yes, get MX involved. Why wonder if it's okay? Let MX stand there and wonder if it's okay. That's what they're there for.

February 27th, 2008, 01:27	#1
surfCRQ Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CRQ Posts: 50	Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge I have been flying an arrow IV this past week training for comm. The Manifold Pressure Gauge has a serious vibration to it. -like a mini windshield wiper on crack. same thing with the fuel pressure gauge. My instructor said it was just old gauges. but, on the last flight whenever I had the aux fuel pump on both needles settled down. Could this be a bad engine driven fuel pump or gunked up injectors or just excessive vibration? Oh yeah the cowl is pretty well full of fresh oil too. I know its normal for an engine to have some oil around the belly/ cowling, but this oil is pretty fresh. Am I being paranoid?

February 27th, 2008, 09:20	#3
fermeh Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Vero Beach,FL Posts: 41	Re: Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge hmmm... i experienced that on a couple of my flights too, MAP gauge used to swing a lil and the RPM too, insturctor and i checked with the maintenance guys and they said.."probably just the gauge, just keep an eye on it".. keep it with the "Green zone"... it shdnt be pegged at red line. if the oscillations are pretty much the same back and forth, avg it out i guess. with the RPM i would think u could hear it off.

February 27th, 2008, 13:28	#4
Maurus Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 638	Re: Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge With my experience in piper arrows, I have found that they don't like too much more oil than 6 quarts. If you put the oil to 7 or 8 quarts the engine will probably just spit it out. That could be why there is so much oil on the cowling.

February 27th, 2008, 15:44	#5
surfCRQ Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CRQ Posts: 50	Re: Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge yeah i have been using about 6 quarts. Did I mention the smoke smell with throttle to idle. I know Im just being overcautious but i fly in so cal and all the flat land around here is covered in track homes and all the freeways are gridlocked with traffic.

February 27th, 2008, 20:50	#6
Berkut Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Murfreesboro, TN USA Posts: 916	Re: Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge What did maintenance have to say about it?

February 27th, 2008, 21:13	#7
surfCRQ Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CRQ Posts: 50	Re: Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge No i haven't talked to maintance. The school just outsourced all the maintance to somewhere else on the field so I'm not to sure how to go about that. It just came out of a 100 hour so I figured they would have addressed any issues.

February 28th, 2008, 01:59	#11
surfCRQ Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CRQ Posts: 50	Re: Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge Well with the aux fuel pump on the engine runs about the same. no noticable difference. But - with the aux pump selected the needles stop vibrating.

February 28th, 2008, 17:53	#12
E6BAV8R Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: OKC Posts: 786	Re: Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge Get the # to the maintenance facility and see what they say.

February 28th, 2008, 20:44	#13
Berkut Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Murfreesboro, TN USA Posts: 916	Re: Vibrating MAP and Fuel Pressure Gauge Yes, get MX involved. Why wonder if it's okay? Let MX stand there and wonder if it's okay. That's what they're there for. Last edited by Berkut; February 29th, 2008 at 00:56.

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