JustNorm

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About JustNorm

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  • Gender Male
  • Location Carstairs AB

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  1. JustNorm added a post in a topic Two airplanes again   

    I love myKitfox model IV.  I hope you have the same luck with yours.

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  2. JustNorm added a post in a topic Old UL with Silver Box Ignition   

    Fantastic.  That is sort of the next thing I was about to try.  As you did I trimmed all the plug wires and put the boots on fresh.  I did not check the impedence on each of the plug boots but will try to do that with a wire replacement.  Thank you for the feedback and it is good to know my next step worked for you.  Aircraft spruce has it in stock.  I'll check for it locally tomorrow else I will order.  Thanks again Flywise.
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  3. JustNorm added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Old UL with Silver Box Ignition
    I have an older 912 that I bought for my KitFox IV when I did the rebuild on her 5or 6 yrs ago.  My Fox had a 582 Greyhead and I was able to find a 912UL for about $3000.  It seemed like a no brainer to me and I was able to sell my 582 for just slightly short of $3000.  The motor had 1000hrs on it and was a 600hr TBO motor.  Still I fly in the flatlands of Alberta and never worried about having a high time engine.  Desert FoxIV told me he had an older 912 with the Silver Box ignition on a Model 3 and last he heard it had 3000hrs and still running well.  
    I did a complete restoration on my model IV including things like a wide body mod, Arizona baggage compartment, and the 912 swap.  It took me three years but I was super happy with the end result. 


     
     
    When I first ran the 912 it ran rough on one mag.  The issue was easily solved by moving the plugs on the top of number 2 and number 4 cylinder.  I could not find any info anywhere on the Silver Box ignition so it was a hit and miss and try this approach to troubleshooting.  I put 450 hrs on my new to me 912 including a trip across the Prairies and into the Canadian Shield to the town I grew up in.  I was a pretty happy Camper.  Yes it took me some effort and a few dollars but I was flying the plane I wanted to fly and it brought me to my old home and back.   
    This past fall my plane lost power and started to run rough.  I did some trouble shooting and after compression and leak down tests, I determined that it was time to pull the jugs to inspect.  An inspection of the rings with feeler gauges confirmed the end gap was three times the gap of factory spec.  I talked to my buddy Hal at Zipper big bore and he offered me a complete set of jugs, pistons, and rings that were takeoffs and minimal wear.  Indeed up to factory specs.  Great just what I was after.  But then he threw a wrench in the works and offered some ULS pistons, Jugs and rings for not much more.  It might give me 90 to 95hp.  I thought about it for 2 seconds and said yes let's get a little more power.  Hal machines the pistons so that they remain a low compression piston as is the UL and then machines the Jugs to fit the UL heads.  Hal sent the Pistons, and parts to me and I sent him the check.  My parts arrived to me the same day Hal got my check in the mail.
    The weather had been good as we moved into January but when I began work the temps dropped to -30C or -22F.  To cold to be working in an unheated hanger but pilots are a hardy bunch especially when it comes to getting our wings back in the air.
    With the hard work done and some breaks in the weather it was time to do some testing.  The results were mixed.  There seemed to be incredible power but the motor was not running as smoothly as the old combination. It could be the power increase was the cold air or maybe the old motor was that tired.
    Still it would backfire at low speed and run poorly at times.  Some research led me to go for a complete carb teardown install all new O rings and diaphragms, and change the Jets to the standard Jets for a ULS rather than a UL jets.  Well that took care of a lot of issues.  The motor no longer backfired when I was taxiing to the hangar, it started easier, just overall ran better but I still had an issue.  By the way I could see 5800 on take off now where as previously I would see 53 to 5400 at most.
    The only issue left was it seemed to miss at cruise.  Just flying along it would give a miss; run rough, just not a motor I was sure of.  I ran it like that for about 10 to 15 hrs thinking it maybe needed to settle in but it was not running as smooth as I wanted.  I stayed mostly in the flatlands in case something went very wrong.
    My mag checks at 2000rpm showed nice drops on both sides of maybe 75 to 100 rpm.  So I was sort of stumped.  Then about a week ago I did a mag drop at 4000 rpm and found a significant difference between mag 1 and mag 2.  I decided I would investigate further.
    In the last 3 or 4 years I have been able to come across the wiring diagram for the old Silver Box Ignition and I am including in this post to help others that may have this ignition and want to keep it running.  The only assistance I was offered when looking for information on this box was "that box is no longer supported by rotax change to the new system"

    I took my papers to the hanger and got ready to trouble shoot one step at a time.  What I found was one ignition CDI box was feeding all the top and the other CDI box was feeding all the bottom.  The book says one box should feed two top and two bottom.  The other box should feed the other two top and other two bottom.  That would certainly cause a larger drop and the bottom plugs could tend to foul more I suppose.  But I was not done yet I decided to check every line back to the coils and make sure every wire was going to the plug as suggested by the book.   AHA another Eureka moment.  I had the top plug of number 3 and number 4 exchanged. I corrected that and went for a couple of quick circuits.  It seemed better.  The guys on the ground both commented on how much better it sounded.  The comment was "It used to sound like a Volkswagen, now it sounds like a Rotax."  
    I went for another flight this morning, more like a half an hour between the rain showers and yes it is smoother,  no more misfires at cruise.  

    Interesting 450hrs on the old setup and it seemed to run ok.  It really wasn't.  That was just the old two stroke guy in me accepting less than this motor can deliver.   I do look forward to going for a good couple hour run someplace and enjoy the airplane the way it was meant to be enjoyed.  I do have one issue that is unresolved.  The mag check at idle is great but mag checks at the 4000rpm range do give a big drop.  I will continue to work on that.  If anyone has a suggestion I'm listening.

    Sorry for the long post but I hope this can help someone else that might be experiencing similar issues.
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  4. JustNorm added a post in a topic MK4 Engine swap   

    No I chopped it up to make the first exhaust I used on the Kitfox.  The new one is much nicer and quieter
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  5. JustNorm added a post in a topic MK4 Engine swap   

    The Exhaust system can be a real tough thing to overcome.  If you have a dual exhaust system it could be easy to modify.  (Easy is a relative term)  I used an exhaust from a SeaRay that I modified when I put a 912 on my KitFox.  It never really worked the way I wanted so this year I had some extra Covid time and decided to rebuild the entire exhaust.  I got 450hrs out of the old system but it was basically a straight pipe system.  The secret to the new system is the Ubend pipes I bought off Amazon.ca 
    https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000S0I9MS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1   This is an 1 1/4 pipe and I cut it as necessary to fit in place.  The muffler is also custom built to fit in place because I used a bed mount and had to do something different.  With the dual cans you may be able to build a nice little system.

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  6. JustNorm added a post in a topic Rotax 912 ignition modules on barnstormers   

    How did the one module work?
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  7. JustNorm added a post in a topic Leading Edge Slats   

    I see you have wheels on the original Avid floats.  Did you do that modification
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  8. JustNorm added a post in a topic covering process   

    I have been told that Polyfiber is a chemical bond and Latex is a Mechanical bond.  Not sure how good stick will be.  At this point maybe spray your final with PolyFibre
     
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  9. JustNorm added a post in a topic covering process   

    If you use Stewart's system glue you just apply the patch right over the hole (hope it's not to big) then paint over the patch as above.
    Sand if necessary, carefully, n second coat.  Done carefully you may not see the patch.
     
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  10. JustNorm added a post in a topic covering process   

    I started with Cub yellow and added some orange to make the color pop.  I wish I had a little more orange in it but it is pretty good.  I am away from my hanger til the middle of the month but I can get the paint codes off the can if you want. Honestly go to lowes n have them mix a color you like. Then add to it til it's perfect for you They will do it in small test sizes till u get it right for you, then buy the gallon. I think the point test paint was less than 5 bucks.
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  11. JustNorm added a post in a topic covering process   

    Allen I have used Latex on a couple of different planes with some success.  I have also use the polyfibre system and except for the fumes like it a lot.  My latex system is to start with Stewarts glue for attaching the fabric. (Same glue is available from 3m)  Follow the youtube videos for laying the fabric and tape and the blue paper towels will give an nice smooth edge with all the sheered edges well stuck and staying flat.  Once the fabric is applied I roll Kilz premium primer on the surface.  It will cover the green glue and give you a great white base.  The Kilz primer is applied with a white foam roller.  They are only about 4 inches but are very closed cell and apply the Kilz smooth.  Available from the dollar store.  The Kilz is also somewhat sandable and you can correct any small errors.  The coats of latex are sprayed in a conventional manor.  If you are used to Polytone, then you will not have an issue spraying latex.  I use blue windshield washer fluid to thin the latex to the correct consistency to spray.  On one plane I added back to the Kilz to add UV protection,  so much like the Stewart's, but on another I did not.  My thinking is the latex has UV blockers if it is an exterior good grade house paint. (I so dislike the term house paint when used in the same paragraph as airplane.)  Plus the only time my plane is in the elements is when I am flying it.  On my Kitfox I sprayed a coat of white first then I sprayed the yellow.  I am not sure if the white was necessary but it sure looked good when I put it on.  The yellow looks good too.  The other advantage of latex is you can get any color you want.  I tried to give my plane a little brighter looking yellow than the cub yellow by adding more of an orange tint to it.  I could have gone a little more orange tint and been a little happier with the results.  Still I like what i have. 
    Like Tjay I used Valspar on this plane.  I was sold by the demo of the paint on a rubber ball that was painted by Lowes and after lots of bouncing the paint was holding.  They also had a piece of siding that people had used keys and quarters to scratch and it was holding up well.  
    (Disclaimer  I had used Behr on a previous project and I think I like the Behr  better.)  
    How does it hold up?   Well I have only had it on for 2 years and about 300 hours but so far it is acceptable.  I just applied my first coat of Carnuba automotive wax and it brightened the shine.  Added 20 mph to the cruise too. (Just Kidding)  I did get some av gas on it and the finish lost some color where the fuel spilled.  Do Not spill Av gas on latex.
    Is it worth the effort.  I think for our style of planes (experimental) that it is well worth it.  We probably want to inspect and redo if necessary in 15 to 20 years and I am sure the finish will last that long.  I also believe that it depends on the plane.  If I were building a new model 7 that had a market of $80 to $120 then latex might be the wrong choice but on an older rebuild like we are doing, my choice is to use latex and be happy with the results. 



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  12. JustNorm added a post in a topic 1st flt Avid - impressions   

    Leni That is the best description of landing an Avid or a Kitfox I have ever heard.  With your permission I would like to reprint that in our club newsletter.
     
    One of the things I find many of my students do is dance too much on the rudders.  Just yesterday one of my students was punching the rudder hard one way and then hard the other.  I try to explain that the rudder dance is gentle and easy pressure is all that is needed to keep the airplane straight.  Think of trying to keep a balloon in one spot by tapping it.  If you tap it too hard one way then you have to tap it hard the other.  Soon you are working so hard at pushing it back and forth you get behind it and that's when the problem starts.     Easy pressure usually works better.   By the way once I got the student settled down and using easy pressure his takeoff was smooth and easy.
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  13. JustNorm added a post in a topic Engine Failure yesterday   

    Congratulations on  a job well done.  I had a similar experience in my Speed Wing and your numbers were similar to mine.  Drop at 1200fpm and land at about 60mph.  I also clipped trees as I crossed a road to the field I had picked but dare not pull back as it would have stalled from the 30ft hieght.  Serious injury or worse.  I did have a bit of damage and after repairs immediately sold my Twitchy little Bit$h.  I now fly a Model IV and love it.  No more dropping out of the sky like a lead balloon.
    Again Congratulations on a job well done.  I am glad we are able to offer back patting rather than condolances.  
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  14. JustNorm added a post in a topic Kitfox Model IV - 1050 Prooject   

     
    I was searching old threads and noticed Randy's old post selling his Kitfox.  I am the guy that bought it
    and happy to report it hit the air the end of Sept 2016.  About 2.5 years after I got it.  I did a complete 
    rebuild and added a few options.  First a 912UL with an in flight adjustable IVO. Then speedster tail mod
    and a wide body mod.  Also bubble doors so lots of room in the cabin. I am loving the way it flys and the
    performance.  I put 60hrs on her the first 60 days.  Still flying her lots whenever the weather permits.

     
     
     
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  15. JustNorm added a post in a topic Inexpensive Tiny Tach Substitute with replaceable battery   

    I bought a few of them.  Had one on a 582 and even use one on my 912.  Fairly accurate but not perfect.  Can miss count once in a while but only for seconds.  I did have one go bad but I also had a tiny tack go bad.  For the money buy two and then you have a spare is one goes bad or put one on each mag and you will have a double check.
     
     
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