Seven or eight years ago, when I was buying equipment for my RV-8 project, I was intrigued by the (then) new E-mag electronic ignition. Intended as a nearly “drop in” replacement for regular magnetos, I sure liked the clean design that did not require a separate “brain box”, crankshaft sensor, or extensive wiring. It seemed to me to be a great design concept – but I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous about anything that absolutely MUST work (to keep the airplane in the air) being that new. I decided to equip the airplane with tried and true Slick mags, and keep an eye on the E-mags. I watched as numerous people went with one, then two of the units, as well as the even newer P-Mag – an E-mag that had its own internal alternator so that once it was going, it was independent of ships power to keep the engine running. This really upped the interest, since it was pretty much as electrically independent as a traditional mag (except for starting – and take-offs are almost always optional).
After some early teething problems with temperatures and mechanical components, it appeared that folks who I have a lot of respect for were piling up hours on their P-Mag installations. Reports of difficulties became few and far between, and reports of improved customer service on the part of Emagair went up. I saw both of these as positive signs, so when it came time to have an engine built for our new RV-3, we pulled the trigger and went dual P-Mags to get the maximum benefit of EI all the time.
With 1430 hours on the RV-8’s engine, we suffered our first real Slick mag issue (I have had great luck with Slicks on a number of airplanes) when the left mag died on a long cross-country. Most likely a coil issue, we were able to borrow a mag from a friendly mechanic to get home, and then I started shopping for a pair of new Slicks. The price of coils and overhaul parts are such that it really makes about as much sense to buy a new one as it does to fix one that is malfunctioning, so I was looking at about $1600 for a set. P-Mags would cost more, but if I was ever going to make the switch, now was the time – and since I was committed (and happy) on the RV-3, I figured why not go ahead and bring the Valkyrie’s engine up to the same standard.
At the same time, it would allow me to see (and share) first-hand what was involved in making the swap. It turned out to be very straightforward and simple, with the greatest time spent in adding a couple of circuit breakers and determining where I wanted to run the wiring to supply ship’s power to the P-Mags. As always, making the installation look pretty takes a little extra time as well, but overall, this was a weekend project (if you don’t count the days I spent waiting on a couple of special parts and tools for my unique installation.
Find an Album of Pictures (with captions) here: https://picasaweb.google.com/111407...0RV8PMagUpgrade?authkey=Gv1sRgCJCdopzF7f7zWQ#
I have been really impressed with the quick and easy starting on our RV-3, but I had nothing to compare it to - it came with P-Mags - so it has always started quickly. With the -8, I could get a direct comparison to the old Slicks – and it was like night and day. First off, I have always considered this to be a very nice-starting engine. Now, I was surprised at just how quick it lit off – like the proverbial one or two blades. Second, I have always had pilot passengers remark on how smooth the engine runs – with Mags. I was SHOCKED at how smooth it now started and idled with P-Mags, right out of the box. The ignition is obviously hotter and more powerful, and doesn’t misfire a single cylinder. After a little running on the ground, I cowled it back up and took it for a quick flight around the pattern. Leaning was incredible – even with a carburetor, you can lean it way, way down into the LOP region without misfiring – and I mean down to where the power is dropping off dramatically (but smoothly). It is going to be possible to run quite a bit leaner than before, and I was always able to run 50 LOP without a problem
Easy installation, a reasonable cost (when compared to a full-up Slick system), and few reported problems in the latest installations – I am sold. I fly lots of cross-countries, and cover lots of ground where I’d rather not land – but I am comfortable now that these have reached a level of maturity that I can trust. True – if I find myself with a dead P-Mag, I probably won’t find one on the field to get me home (like I might with an old Slick), but Fed Ex can reach us just about anywhere these days, and I won’t stuck for very long. Everything is a compromise, and you might find yourself stuck with a dead mag (and no replacement) at some out of the way refueling stop as well. But the past few years of demonstrated reliability, plus the smooth starts and potential for efficiency finally tipped the scales for us. We still have one Slick-equipped airplane, and when it needs ignition work, we’ll see what makes the most sense – but the P-Mags seem to be an easy and sensible direct replacement if you are looking at buying two new mags anyway.
And the installation? Piece of cake!
After some early teething problems with temperatures and mechanical components, it appeared that folks who I have a lot of respect for were piling up hours on their P-Mag installations. Reports of difficulties became few and far between, and reports of improved customer service on the part of Emagair went up. I saw both of these as positive signs, so when it came time to have an engine built for our new RV-3, we pulled the trigger and went dual P-Mags to get the maximum benefit of EI all the time.
With 1430 hours on the RV-8’s engine, we suffered our first real Slick mag issue (I have had great luck with Slicks on a number of airplanes) when the left mag died on a long cross-country. Most likely a coil issue, we were able to borrow a mag from a friendly mechanic to get home, and then I started shopping for a pair of new Slicks. The price of coils and overhaul parts are such that it really makes about as much sense to buy a new one as it does to fix one that is malfunctioning, so I was looking at about $1600 for a set. P-Mags would cost more, but if I was ever going to make the switch, now was the time – and since I was committed (and happy) on the RV-3, I figured why not go ahead and bring the Valkyrie’s engine up to the same standard.
At the same time, it would allow me to see (and share) first-hand what was involved in making the swap. It turned out to be very straightforward and simple, with the greatest time spent in adding a couple of circuit breakers and determining where I wanted to run the wiring to supply ship’s power to the P-Mags. As always, making the installation look pretty takes a little extra time as well, but overall, this was a weekend project (if you don’t count the days I spent waiting on a couple of special parts and tools for my unique installation.
Find an Album of Pictures (with captions) here: https://picasaweb.google.com/111407...0RV8PMagUpgrade?authkey=Gv1sRgCJCdopzF7f7zWQ#
I have been really impressed with the quick and easy starting on our RV-3, but I had nothing to compare it to - it came with P-Mags - so it has always started quickly. With the -8, I could get a direct comparison to the old Slicks – and it was like night and day. First off, I have always considered this to be a very nice-starting engine. Now, I was surprised at just how quick it lit off – like the proverbial one or two blades. Second, I have always had pilot passengers remark on how smooth the engine runs – with Mags. I was SHOCKED at how smooth it now started and idled with P-Mags, right out of the box. The ignition is obviously hotter and more powerful, and doesn’t misfire a single cylinder. After a little running on the ground, I cowled it back up and took it for a quick flight around the pattern. Leaning was incredible – even with a carburetor, you can lean it way, way down into the LOP region without misfiring – and I mean down to where the power is dropping off dramatically (but smoothly). It is going to be possible to run quite a bit leaner than before, and I was always able to run 50 LOP without a problem
Easy installation, a reasonable cost (when compared to a full-up Slick system), and few reported problems in the latest installations – I am sold. I fly lots of cross-countries, and cover lots of ground where I’d rather not land – but I am comfortable now that these have reached a level of maturity that I can trust. True – if I find myself with a dead P-Mag, I probably won’t find one on the field to get me home (like I might with an old Slick), but Fed Ex can reach us just about anywhere these days, and I won’t stuck for very long. Everything is a compromise, and you might find yourself stuck with a dead mag (and no replacement) at some out of the way refueling stop as well. But the past few years of demonstrated reliability, plus the smooth starts and potential for efficiency finally tipped the scales for us. We still have one Slick-equipped airplane, and when it needs ignition work, we’ll see what makes the most sense – but the P-Mags seem to be an easy and sensible direct replacement if you are looking at buying two new mags anyway.
And the installation? Piece of cake!
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