By Vic Syracuse, EAA Lifetime 180848
This piece originally ran in Vic’s Checkpoints column in the May 2024 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
At the end of the Part 1 column on Maintenance for Reliability, I left you wondering what I was going to do with the magneto on my RV-10 since it was coming up for the 500-hour Slick service bulletin.
As I mentioned, the internal parts are getting rather expensive now. (As a side comment, it seems like all aircraft parts have seen unreasonable price increases in the last two years.) Since I have already performed that SB on this magneto twice, I decided to look at some other options.
Since the current magneto is a Slick 6350 direct drive, it has no impulse coupling. If the Light Speed Plasma II ignition should fail, I would not have a way to start the aircraft. That hasn’t happened yet, but our Alaska trips always have me thinking about the “what ifs.” I don’t want to be stranded waiting on parts while on distant travels.
There are all kinds of options, from adding a second Plasma III to installing another brand of electronic ignition, or “supersizing” the current situation. I am fond of keeping one magneto. Most of the benefit from electronic ignition comes from the first one, up to 90-95 percent, so in my mind, there doesn’t seem much benefit to adding a second one. A new 6350 magneto costs close to $2,000 and doesn’t solve the starting issue.
Once I started thinking about it, I remembered I had a new Slick 6393 magneto and harness on the shelf in my hangar that I had removed from an earlier IO-540. The 6393 has a dual set of points, which allows for an additional source of power to be applied to them during the starting sequence, such as the Slick SureSTART. I liked this idea, and it would only cost me a SureSTART, which retails for about $1,400 since I already had the mag and harness.
Installing the SureSTART is simple, requiring only four wire connections. The operation is simple in that internally it grounds out the normal P-lead connection during the start sequence and applies a boosted spark to the extra set of points in the magneto. Those points are also retarded, so the spark is applied about 10 degrees after top dead center. It makes starting easier, with no chance of kickback.
For those of you who have a key switch and might be thinking of installing this, make sure you look at your switch and make sure there isn’t a jumper that grounds out the mag when the key is moved to the START position. This jumper is required when using a direct drive magneto. In my case, I was using toggle switches. I did not activate the magneto while starting, so my only change is now I start the engine with both switches ON. Also, while you have the magneto off, take the time to replace the magneto drive cushions, which should be done every 500 hours.
So far, I have been pleased with the setup. While I didn’t seem to have any starting problems before adding the SureSTART, it does seem to start faster with it installed, especially during hot starts.
The last area of attention for the engine was the hoses. Much like the magneto, this was the third time I was going to be replacing the hoses due to their eight-year life. Of course, I never wait until the full eight years are up.
This time I decided to bite the bullet and make them out of Teflon, which would now render them to be replaced on condition only. (Yes, at my age, I do sometimes wonder why I wait so long to buy or subscribe to “lifetime” solutions, as it seems it would have been better financially to have made those decisions earlier, but here I am.) The Teflon hoses are not that much more expensive, but they take a little more time to fabricate and, of course, use different hose end fittings. But now I have all Teflon-lined hoses in the engine compartment, with the fuel lines all properly heat-protected with fire sleeve.
Another best practice I have used over the years is to add Del fitting seals to all of the AN hose connections. They seem to do a great job of sealing the connection from any leaks, especially oil lines. It’s really frustrating to have an oil leak in a hose connection right after you’ve filled the engine with fresh oil.
I’m comfortable with the rest of the engine compartment now so it was time to move on to the second aspect of reliability — the electrical system. I have found the backbone electrical system to be reliable.
I’ve always used B&C alternators and regulators, including a B&C 40-amp backup alternator that is capable of carrying the entire in-flight electrical load. I have had one failure of a master solenoid at 1,000 hours, so since the airframe is now at 2,600 hours, it was time to proactively replace it. While I was at it, I replaced the starter solenoid, too. Out of curiosity, I disassembled the starter solenoid to see if it was necessary. Much to my surprise, there was minor pitting on the internal contacts.
I took the time to clean up all the wire ends before reconnecting them to the solenoids, either by hand with a piece of Scotch-Brite or with a Scotch-Brite wheel on the Dremel. I also always add some Dow 4 (Molykote) to the connections to help eliminate corrosion.
The EarthX battery is approximately 4 years old and appears to be in fine health. Since it only weighs 5 pounds it has been my practice to carry a spare on the Alaska trips, and I think I will continue to do that.
As I was thinking about the electrical side of the equation an even bigger picture popped into my head. The Advanced Flight Systems 5400T screens were now more than 10 years old. They are still working wonderfully, but truth be told, when I completed the Hummingbird helicopter last year, I had the opportunity to install the latest and greatest from AFS — the 6600. I’ve come to like it, but there are enough differences that I make sure to brief myself when flying each aircraft. They both run the same software, so the features are the same. But a new installation would also allow me to take advantage of some of the Dynon features that have been added.
Dynon purchased Advanced Flight Systems many years ago but kept the AFS product line alive. The only real differences are in the electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) displays. Behind the scenes, both companies are using much of the same hardware. My current setup only has the engine instruments connected to the main EFIS and then networked to the second EFIS. A failure of the primary EFIS would eliminate engine data on the second EFIS, meaning no engine data would be available. Its new SV Network architecture has the engine instruments connected to a box that is then networked to both systems.
Hmm — perhaps I could represent it as a safety issue with Carol? Unfortunately, she sees through me so that might not get the sale. Maybe some teasers like “I could rearrange the panel so you would have a full EFIS screen on your side” would help? Maybe I should start bringing home flowers? Next month I will let you know the outcome, but suffice it to say, it will probably take a couple of columns to tell the story. Hopefully, I am not sleeping on the couch and the fun factor will stay alive!
Vic Syracuse, EAA Lifetime 180848, is a commercial pilot, A&P/IA mechanic, designated airworthiness representative, and EAA flight advisor and technical counselor. He has built 11 aircraft and has logged more than 10,000 hours in 74 different types. Vic founded Base Leg Aviation, has authored books on maintenance and prebuy inspections, and posts videos weekly on his YouTube channel. He also volunteers as a Young Eagles pilot.