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Which Side of Panel for Mixture Control?

Jasperfield

Registered User
NC
My airplane is Experimental. Piper placed the mixture control on the left side of the panel for (I believe) one reason; The cable doesn't have to bend near 90° at the firewall where it turns down toward the carburetor. Also, I recognize that if a fellow gets in a bind on the ground he can keep his right hand on the stick while pulling the mixture off in order to kill the engine before a prop strike.

Nevertheless, a right-handed person (like me) is much more coordinated and tactile using the right hand to operate this control. This is why I want the control on the right-hand side of the panel. I can use it on either side, but I prefer the right side.

If mounted on the right side of the panel, is the bend of the cable at the firewall too much of a problem to work with? I'm routing my cable towards the upper left corner of the firewall per Piper's firewall penetrations drawing.

Tell me what you think. Thank you,
Jasperfield


 
I like it on the left side so you can easily go full rich with your left hand on a go-around while keeping your right hand on the stick.
 
I agree with Mike......another reason: If you ever have to hand prop, you can prime the engine, then pull mixture to idle cutoff. Swing the prop, and when it catches, reach in and move the mixture to full rich.

Of course GeeBee will now join this thread .....:roll: :lol:

MTV
 
I have both heat and mixture on the left. Carb. heat is directly ahead of the throttle and mixture is about 4" to the right of that, with the primer in between.
 

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Left: Engine controls, instruments, electrical monitoring

Center: primary flight instruments

Right: communication systems, timers, Emergency systems
 
I went with everything engine on the Left and really like it. This puts one place (and one hand) to look for engine problems including primer so that the fuel plunger is away from the ignition/mag switch which is on the far right.
 
I like it in the lower left corner like Piper used. Push it in with left hand and hand goes right to the throttle. Cable is along the side of fuselage and doesn't hinder under panel access. Where ever you put it or any other push pull control think of where it will be when pulled out and will it be in your way.
 
Separate the carb heat and mixture controls. Turning base over rough terrain prior to a tricky LZ isn't the time to pull mixture when you were reaching for carb heat. Anyone else done that? Mixture within easy reach of the right door for hand propping. Carb heat directly in line with throttle so one forward motion leads to another. MCS Mike has many happy customers that will attest to that arrangement.
 
McFarlane is sending me one of their new Vernier Assist cables so I can check it out. If it does what I think it'll do, it'll be slicker than owl snot. I'm excited.
 
Mixture should have "sharp points" (red) on the circumference. Carburator heat smooth knob (black). If on amphibs, gear handle looks like (feels like) a small tire.

Good to differentiate with feel rather than have them hard to reach.
 
Mine is original, in the lower left corner.

An additional thought: When you go to full throttle doesn't the carb automatically dump extra fuel? With that thinking....does it matter where the mixture is when you push it to full throttle?

Tim
 
Mine is original, in the lower left corner.

An additional thought: When you go to full throttle doesn't the carb automatically dump extra fuel? With that thinking....does it matter where the mixture is when you push it to full throttle?

Tim

Believe me, advancing the throttle with a leaned mixture will stop the engine due to fuel starvation. You can also cause an engine failure by descending without enriching the mixture.
 
Believe me, advancing the throttle with a leaned mixture will stop the engine due to fuel starvation. You can also cause an engine failure by descending without enriching the mixture.

Ok... Lets put a bit of numbers here. Flying at 2000' MSL you adjust the mixture for 80 deg ROP. You descend to land at 1200'MSL. You forget the mixture when landing and go around. Does the engine quit @ full throttle?

Tim
 
Ok... Lets put a bit of numbers here. Flying at 2000' MSL you adjust the mixture for 80 deg ROP. You descend to land at 1200'MSL. You forget the mixture when landing and go around. Does the engine quit @ full throttle?

Tim

Maybe. Your question leaves a lot of unknowns. Every engine is different. Your engine might actually run better at full throttle with just an 800' descent. There are a lot of factors involved - density altitude, power level when you lean, instrument accuracy, individual fuel mixtures at each cylinder, carb mixture settings, etc., etc..

Maybe I should have used the word 'probably' after 'will' in my first statement.

The point is, if you don't maintain a mixture appropriate to altitude and power, the engine will not function well.
 
Tim
you are correct depending on the carb. A properly set up carb on a 160 hp lycoming will enrichen the mixture once you go over 2500 rpm. If you have a 4 cylinder cht/egt you can watch your CHT's drop at full power due to the enriched mixture.
Randyk
Is correct about engine failure by not enriching mixture when descending. I have done that myself.
However , I have been able to lean my cub ROP/LOP and have it run at all RPM's once leaned without a problem (CHT/EGT temps are another issue.)
DENNY
 
Separate the carb heat and mixture controls. Turning base over rough terrain prior to a tricky LZ isn't the time to pull mixture when you were reaching for carb heat. Anyone else done that? Mixture within easy reach of the right door for hand propping. Carb heat directly in line with throttle so one forward motion leads to another. MCS Mike has many happy customers that will attest to that arrangement.

I had a panel already cut with the mixture and carb heat next to each other. A friend came by and made such a good case for separating them that I changed the drawing and had another panel laser cut. I think that is a very important consideration.
Panel 02a.JPG
 

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I'd go left if I were you. Keep your throttle related controls on same side and non-stick hand. Forget to enrich your mixture before takeoff (I always lean while taxi), advance throttle... cough..cough...oops easy to fix with left hand. If on right side, now you are in predicament to reach or switch hand from stick.
 
McFarlane is sending me one of their new Vernier Assist cables so I can check it out. If it does what I think it'll do, it'll be slicker than owl snot. I'm excited.
It arrived today by a uniformed messenger. I ordered a standard MC-600-72 mixture control cable (less end fittings) and this new Vernier Assist control cable to compare.

The Vernier Assist cable is going back. While it is exceptionally well made and finished, it's a bit stiffer (but, still smooth) to operate than the standard vernier control cable. The comparison between the two was to help determine which side of the panel on which to place the mixture control. I believe I'll place the standard MC600 control on the left-hand side. I was looking for very smooth operation with a good bit of vernier travel per handle rotation. The Vernier Assist cable does not afford as much cable travel per handle rotation as the standard cable.
 
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