Aircraft running lean on one side

[becktc2004]

A friend of mine has a 0540 lycoming .The other night while fishing and romping on it one of the headers was glowing cherry red while the other was normal.The question is what would be causing this?The carb is on the bottom and the motor is stock.Also how do you tell the difference between a angle valve and straight valve?

 

[Buck Thruster]

Check the header flange gaskets.

Angle valve has flat valve covers. Straight valve has round ones.

 

[mwood7800]

might check for loose spark plugs, happened to me when I did not use the aircraft style plug washers, also cost me 2 new cylinders

 

[becktc2004]

Thanks for the replys,He does have a leaking header gasket so maybe this was the problem. Why would that make the header glow?His valve covers are flat so I quess he has a angle valve?

 

[becktc2004]

Buckthruster could you clarify the valve covers.His stick out about 1.5" but are flat is this a angle valve?

 

[becktc2004]

Come on A/C owners I know you all have some ideas on this.

 

[rick]

Straight valve:

Angle valve:

Rick

 

[becktc2004]

Rick your pics did not show up,or I am doing something wrong.

 

[rick]

Sorry about that. The new pics are four cylinders, but the 540 uses the same valve covers as shown.

Rick

 

[deepsea diver]

Could it be sucking air at the rubber hose connection? or a crack in the manifold?

 

[cont520]

sounds like the intake gaskets might have a leak you gotta be sucking air from some where in order to be running lean on one side only .? is it injected our carb.?

 

[deepsea diver]

If it is sucking air and he keeps on running it or runing it hard. It's : FTD
Fixin To Die.

 

[cont520]

couldnt say it any better my self

 

[K-mac]

Intake Leak.

 

[hmgm123]

CONT520 has it nailed, intake gasket blown. When the motor is totally cold start it up and let it idle start feeling your valve covers on the side that the problem is and see if one valve cover or covers can be more than one with a leak. if one stays cooler longer than the one that is getting hot. The cooler one is the one with the leak. Hope this helps.

 

[david]

take a can of starting fluid and spray a little on each intake tube as its running if it idles up then thats the one leaking

 

[Waterthunder]

Two things can cause this, running way too lean from a leaking intake tube or a leaking exhaust gasket. If the pipe is glowing but it's not shooting out a big flame it's probably got an intake tube leak or running lean as mentioned above. But if the tube is red and it's shooting a big flame out the header it's an exhaust gasket leak. A header gasket will do the very same thing. A/C motors run very rich because they use extra fuel to cool the motor. The exhaust has fuel left but not much oxygen and when these gases pass a leaking exhaust gasket or header they draw in cool air. Since the exhaust gasses are still hot and contain fuel and now they have a supply of oxygen they burn again!

 

[becktc2004]

Thanks for the replys.I will pass on the info.He thinks he has a exhaust leak but its on the other side.I will have him check the intake on the glowing side.