RPT CONCERNING THE CT210 PROB OF VAPOR LOCK EVEN AT HIGH ALT. EXPERIENCED RAPID PWR LOSS; ADDED FULL RICH MIXTURE WHICH REMEDIED THE PROB.

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EXPERIENCED RAPID PWR LOSS INFLT. DECLARED AN EMER AND HEADED FOR MKE AS SURFACE AND LOW LEVEL WINDS WERE STRONG EASTERLY. FULL RICH MIXTURE REMEDIED THE PROB WITHIN SEVERAL SECONDS; BUT WE PROCEEDED TO MKE FOR MECHANICAL REVIEW. GRAPHIC ENG MONITOR SHOWED CONTINUED PROBS IF ANY ATTEMPT TO LEAN MIXTURE. DIAGNOSIS UNCERTAIN AT MKE. NO PROBS FOUND. LATER BECAME CLEAR THAT T210'S HAVE A VAPOR LOCK PROB. THOUGH I KNEW THIS; I'D NEVER SEEN IT IN YRS OF FLYING. NO REAL THREAT WAS PRESENT. NEXT TIME I'LL BE BETTER PREPARED AND LESS CAUGHT OFF GUARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS IS QUITE A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THE T210 CESSNA. IN FACT; HE HAD JUST TAKEN A SYS CLASS LAST FALL AND WAS AWARE OF THE PROB. HOWEVER; WHEN THE ENG LOST PWR HIS FIRST INSTINCT WAS TO GIVE FULL RICH MIXTURE WHICH SOLVED THE PROB. HE HAD LEARNED THE BEST SOLUTION WAS TO SWITCH TANKS AND THAT HE REMEMBERED WHEN HE WAS DISCUSSING THE SIT WITH THE MECH DURING A POSTFLT INSPECTION. THE PROB OCCURS BECAUSE THE FUEL SYS IN THE T210 HAS VERY SMALL DIAMETER FUEL FEED LINES WHERE THEY ENTER THE ENG. THIS IS FUEL INJECTED AND WHEN ALL THE FUEL IS NOT USED IT COLLECTS IN A FEED TANK JUST PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO THE ENG. BECAUSE OF THE SMALL DIAMETER OF THE LINES THE VAPOR DOES NOT RETURN TO THE FUEL VENT. AS IT COLLECTS IT CREATES THE VAPOR LOCK. SWITCHING TO THE SECOND TANK GIVES TIME FOR THE VAPOR TO BLEED OUT WHEN THE TANK IS NOT IN USE. ONE T210 OWNER WITH WHOM RPTR SPOKE SAYS THAT HE HAS THE PROB ABOUT 30 MINS INTO EACH FLT. THE FUEL SYS SITS ON TOP OF THE ENG AND IT GETS VERY HOT CREATING THE VAPOR LOCK PROB. THE CESSNA PLTS ASSOCIATION CONDUCTS CLASSES TO INFORM OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF PROB AND THAT IS WHO SPONSORED THE CLASS RPTR TOOK. THEY ARE A WEALTH OF INFO REGARDING ANY CESSNA ACFT.