Augmentor no light Trouble shooting on the F-100-pw-200/220E

Flying Safety, August, 2001 by Rich Greenwood

A Maintenance Crosstell message, dated 280058Z Dec 00, from the Commander, 3d Logistics Group, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, highlighted an unusual condition. Knowledge of this condition may help with troubleshooting the next time you have an "Augmentor No-Light" discrepancy (Event Code 1040 or Advisory Code 5002) on F100-PW220/220E engines in F-15 or F-16 aircraft.

The condition? It seems that over the years some F100-PW-100/200 Segment 1 spray rings have "migrated" into the F100-PW-220/220E fleet. If a -100/200 spray ring gets installed in a -220\220E engine, there is a slightly increased propensity for augmentor no-lights to occur.

The most easily identifiable difference between the -100/200 spray ring and the -220/220E spray ring is the number of ignitor orifices--the holes upstream of the ignitors--that initially supply ignition fuel to the augmentor. The ignitor orifices can be identified by the absence of pintles in the fuel holes. These non-pintled holes ensure fuel delivery for proper augmentor ignition. Reference Figure 1 to see orientation of the spray ring in the engine.

* The -100/200 engine has a single augmentor ignitor, hence its spray ring has a single, non-pintled ignitor orifice located at the 4:30 position. See Figure 2.

* The -220/220E engine has tzvo augmentor ignitors, so the -220/220E spray ring has two sets of ignitor orifices. Just like in the -100/200 engine, there's a single, non-pintled orifice upstream of an ignitor at the 4:30 position. But take a look at the 7:30 position on the -220/220E spray ring and you'll see that just upstream of the second ignitor, are a non-pintled orifice and a pintled orifice, side-by-side. See Figure 3.

Remember: The -100/200 spray ring has a single, non-pintled hole at the 4:30 position. The -220/220E spray ring has a single, non-pintled hole at the 4:30 position, along with a non-pin tied orifice and a pintled orifice, side-by-side, at the 7:30 position. Except for the differences noted above--and spray ring part numbers--all other fuel holes on both the -100/200 spray ring and -220/220E spray ring are pintled.

If you suspect a mismatch in the spray ring and engine application, then verify the part number, which is found on the spray ring feed tube mounts (feed tube mounts are highlighted in Figure 1). Part numbers for the -100/200 spray rings are 4051866 or 4074478. Part numbers for the -220/220E spray rings are 4056925, 4074497 or 4085197.

Next time you experience a no-light event this quick check could save you a lot of troubleshooting time. Thanks to the 3d Fighter Wing's Propulsion Flight, and its Flight Chief, CMSgt Tim Shannon, for taking time to put out the Crosstell on this issue.