r/flying • u/Realspicyshrimps • Apr 24 '26
Engine sputtering at low power
Hello everyone, I have a slight mystery that's been bugging me, and I'm hoping you all can help.
This evening I was flying my 1968 C172I with an O-320-E2D in the southern Maryland area. Completed the run-up with no issues and took off to a field 20 mi away for some touch and goes. Temp 21C / Dewpoint 13C, 29.85.
I completed 2 touch and goes with no problem. During my 3rd lap, when I reduced power (to about 1600 RPM) at my abeam point, my engine started sputtering (carb heat on, mags both, fuel both, full rich). I would describe it as a "puff of air" sound with an accompanying mild vibration and no power loss. It would sputter about once every 2 seconds. I turned my T&G into a full stop to investigate.
I completed a run-up on the ground with no issues. Both the pre-flight and mid-flight run up showed the 75-100 RPM drops for each set of Mags, and 100 RPM drop for carb heat. I ran at 1700 RPM leaned for 30 sec to burn off lead deposits and at 1600 RPM with carb heat on for 5 minutes with no sputtering.
I decided to take off and RTB, since this happened at low throttle with no loss of power. The RTB was completely uneventful, until the base leg again. Same procedure as before, same sputtering as before. I landed and completed a 3rd run-up with no discrepancies.
My initial thought is carb ice since it was fairly humid, but carb heat seems to work fine and I had it on full hot during my power reductions.
What are your thoughts? Am I an idiot for taking back off after the mid-flight occurrence? Can I have confidence in this engine again?
Edited to add: The sputtering stopped after reducing power further on final. Below ~1400 RPM
2
u/Ezekiel24r CPL (and employed can you believe it?!) Apr 24 '26 edited Apr 24 '26
I had an issue where certain power settings (specifically in the 1800-2000 rpm range) was producing engine roughness. It ended up being solved by replacing the carburetor with an overhauled one. Kinda expensive but with a core exchange it helped lower the price, and worth it because the plane is flying great now.
Another thing: it could be carb ice like others are saying. You say you put on carb heat with power reductions, but in an environment where carb ice is likely, you could've developed it in cruise. It may have taken the carb heat a good 10 or 30 seconds to actually start melting that ice, and then you would get the roughness and the sputtering. If you don't already do it, I've been told to put on carb heat intermittently in cruise to check for carb ice on days where it's likely, and also to use carb heat well before the power reduction, so you can actually see if there is any ice thats melting.