Importance Of Propeller Governor Maintenance

By Andrew Johnson


The regulatory system of the engines may not be noticed. You can only realize once they have stopped functioning. The source of the problem is usually the RPM and insensitivity to the airspeed. For all systems to work properly, you need to have a good propeller governor maintenance system. Parts such as hydraulic locks and pilot valve are usually vulnerable and should regularly be maintained.

The bearings that cause the rotations may wear out due to the shimming of the blades caused by the sticky props. This may cause the system, not function when given a command by the blade angles in the regulator when tightly fixed. This is not a major problem it can be resolved easily.

At the prop repair site, when the pitch-stop is not set properly, it would result in a problem. Instead of a turbocharged model, a prop may be set up for the naturally aspirated airplane with one single engine propeller. The proof a turbocharged engine may have higher blade pitch compared to a naturally aspirated plane of the same model. This indicates that the systems are unable to keep the RPM down and at ascertain density.

Sometimes there are planes with double engines which the oil pressure reduces the angle of the blade making them stop using low pitch. These pitches can be set incorrectly resulting in a problem. The static RPM would be incorrect as the edges would not allow the engine to spin to the maximum. This is common especially when there has been a maintenance of a prop hub.

Another problem usually occurs on the piston stick. When a seal gets pressed between the piston and the wall of the cylinder, the piston can stick in a prop dome. Sometimes the seal may be torn by the engines that have gone through metal contamination. They are torn by the metal wedge between the piston and the wall. The debris is thrown on the right side by the centrifugal force causing a problem. This is solved by dissembling the prop-hub after a contamination by metals to remove the debris.

Hydraulic lock is normally assumed as they are known to cause fewer problems. However, when not checked for a long period, they may be a source of breakdown. The planes that have single engines the RPM is brought down by the props same as the double engine planes. However, the RPM cannot be regulated when the system goes down. This shows the importance of doing a checkup in the entire plane even the hydraulics.

When the regulator leaks from below, it affects the high and low pitch. If there is uncontrolled leakage in the area below the regulator the pitches from both double and single engines planes will not be regulated.

Sometimes when there are no proper checkups on the plane, some parts tend to wear out without being noticed. The circled toe of the aircraft is one of them. When it touches the speeder-spring assembly, it causes the flyweight to wear out. The prop or plane cover starts clattering. This may cause excessive oil leakage in the pilot valve which may be mistaken to a problem from the engine transport system.




About the Author: