First Flight Fuel Pressure

ECI-IO360 supposed to be 14.5 psi, here's what I had today on first flight: OK? Is 40 psi OK?

Is that with just the engine driven pump or with the boost pump on? For my IO360-B1B, I believe the spec is 33PSI at the fuel pump inlet; the boost pump drives slightly higher than this.

14 PSI sounds about right for the ECI AE fuel injection system. You'd be flooding it terribly with 40 psi, probably would not even run at low power if the pressure was really that high.

Congrats!!

Congratulations on the first flight

AE Data Sheet

Bud,

I just went though the fuel setup with my ECi XIO-360 with Automotive Engineering (AE) fuel pump.

At idle, the unmetered fuel pressure should be 6-8 psi. At full power, 2700 rpm, the unmetered fuel pressure should be 24.5, the metered fuel pressure 20 psi, and the fuel flow 16.2 -17. EGTs are also specified.

If you are seeing 40 psi unmetered, then your metered fuel pressure is probably over 30.

I'd recommend finding a 0-30 fuel pressure gauge and go thru the setup again. When I did, I adjusted the high pressure relief to give me 20 metered pressure, and that made the unmetered fuel pressure more than 30 psi. I dialed it down a bit and was satisfied with the best I could get as a compromise, that being 27 unmetered, 18-19 metered, and a fuel flow 16.2+.

Here's a link to the data sheet with those set-up values, and the AE pump documents have the procedure.

CONGRATS on the first flight!!!

Don

Buds ground/video team is working on editing.

Video to be posted soon.

Excellent 1st Flight!

fuel

Did you run a return to fuel tank?

More Information

Thanks for your prompt replies and keep them coming..

Yes, return lines from the pump/separator back to duplex Andair valve to each tank.

The electric boost pump was off, the engine ran smooth the whole flight, not to rich.

I'm pretty sure I noticed the pressure rise when I switched from the left tank to the right tank. I continued flying for a while longer, and when I checked the pressure back on the left tank, it was still high.

Possible causes: Bad gauge tranducer, blockage in the return circuit, bad pump, Skyview electrical. I have a call into ECI to discuss with their experts.

Make sure you have the correct sender also.

Fuel and oil pressure senders look the same, but will not give accurate readings due to different internals-----------been there, done that.

dbuds2 said:

Thanks for your prompt replies and keep them coming..

Yes, return lines from the pump/separator back to duplex Andair valve to each tank.

The electric boost pump was off, the engine ran smooth the whole flight, not to rich.

I'm pretty sure I noticed the pressure rise when I switched from the left tank to the right tank. I continued flying for a while longer, and when I checked the pressure back on the left tank, it was still high.

Possible causes: Bad gauge tranducer, blockage in the return circuit, bad pump, Skyview electrical. I have a call into ECI to discuss with their experts.

Click to expand...

I have your setup with the ECI injection. I suspect that you have a bad indication. My engine will not run smoothly with that kind of fuel pressure. The ECI system is not designed to run with a high pressure fuel pump running with the engine pump at the same time. The pump is a backup in case of a failure of the engine pump. If I turn on the pump with the engine running it gets rough instantly from the higher pressure and the very rich mixture that results. The ECI system is different from most other injections systems and functions most like the continental system.

George Psaros
RV6 ECI IO360

Good Practice

It would be good practice to connect a mechanical gauge to the unmetered fuel line (using a T fitting) and check the pressure, and compare it with the sensor reading. My Dynon sensor was 1-2 psi different from the mechanical gauge, and it is not necessarily linear.

Additional info

Couldn't sleep after the excitement and thinking about this concern.

I removed the retunn line at the ECI pump/separator and verified by me blowing in the return line in each side that they are open and flowing. I put everything back together, started up getting 12-16 near idle and quickly over 25 psi with 2000rpm.

Reviewed screenshots from previous runs and I think something changed in the sensor or pump. Here's the info:
Date. RPM. Fuel Pressure
8/12. 1450. 10
9/21. 1460. 12
9/21. 1600. 12
10/20. 1810. 20
11/3. 840 13 start and idle before first flight takeoff
11/3. 2700. 40 during first flight.

I plan to get a mechanical gauge, talk to ECI and Dynon. Headed to the Skyview forum now to see if any sending unit problems.

Thought of more info, when running yesterday at about 1200-1800 rpm, when I switched on the Andair pump, almost died from being too rich.

Now suspecting I've changed some ems setting, it will always be some thing.

I had a fuel or oil pressure INDICATION problem using a Skyview. It was resolved by changing the sensor range in the Skyview to the correct one.

As usual, my ignorance is the problem. Just got off the phone with ECI, Mr. Bobby Looper, this guy is incredible, makes me so glad I have the ECI FI system.

Turns out this pump is used on 100-300+ HP engines and making 40 psi is normal and fine. I used the info I had and set the limits too low. With my 360 and fixed pitch, He said 30-45 is normal.

Also got a tip to clean my #4 injector in Hoppes gun cleaner, before deciding its the EGT probe.

Hope this has helped anyone as much as its helped me. Can't wait to get home and burn more fuel.