Engine temps

[pgkevet]

..Juts when i was thinking I'd fly my Spectra more I start getting engine temp issues.

It's been fine for months and then about 6 weeks ago the engine temps started to rise. I have a thermocouple with display on the back ladder for an easy read on touchdown and like to keep under 260f.
When it started to get above it was a case of just richening a tad ..but despite that it's been running above my target temp time after time even as I've been richening it. I refitted and checked exhaust gasket etc with no benefit. No signs of bubbles in the lines and it's been flying superly..bags of power.

Last week even after richening again the last flight was 270f on a cool day.. and today it came down from it's first flight at 330f.. which is in the danger zone.

I'm guessing it's a dirty screen but rather than mess about the game plan will be to stick a new unused carb on. If it cures it then I'll clean the old carb and burn off the screen. If not then it'll have to be the progressive new clunk and lines approach followed perhaps by new oil seals on the crankcase <sigh>

..when they work they're great..

[Rotorhead]

Could be the O rings in the carb need replacing, if they start to go hard and split they can let air in just like a split in the fuel line, and I'd replace the fuel line from the tank to the carb aswell just to be sure.

[pgkevet]

A belated follow-on to this story..

Some of you know i bought a farm in Sepember and there's been loads to do here so less flying than I'd like..but this week I dug out the Spectra (still had a half tank of fuel in it too!!)..
Anyway new fuel, got it started.hovered it with some stumbling in flight... orded and fitted new fule line's, clunk line, new nihms and a new batt for the thermocouple which had died.
Fired it up today and flew around.. whenever it was unloaded the engine theatened to die...thermocouple reading in the 320f's.. richened it even more and had the engine quit in a flip for a forced auto....temp reading still way high..

I dug out my old IR gun..next flight still stumbling and threatening to quit..reads in the 300's on thermosouple but only 78F on the IR gun!! A spit test showed the crank case was way cool!

..so a dud thermocouple...