Overhaul time!

122 posts in this topic

Posted

Fully committed today and pulled my motor and brought it home. I also committed to my side radiator delete project. I will try and keep this thread updated. The plan is to use a Kitfox filler neck, move my overflow bottle and voltage regulator to accommodate it and then fix up my firewall and glass in my old B model B cowling. It's going to be a pretty big project. My goal is to totally refresh my firewall fwd. All new hoses, new motor mounts, fuel pump, as well as a zero timed motor from Rotax Rick. Engine had 350.1 on the top end and 452TT on the crank. It was still running just fine after my electrical snafu a few weekends ago but figured that was a good excuse to get it sent in and rebuilt. This projectr will also include a tailwheel rebuild, my new gear swap and to fix a couple of other minor squawks that I've had for a while. Hoping to be back in the air by 4th of July.

 

Sad to see her like this but its time

 

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Side radiator pulled. I couldn't believe how heavy it was. I still have to drill a few more rivets to remove the holder that it sat in.

 

side%20gone.jpg

 

In the back of the truck headed home.

 

boxed.jpg

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Posted (edited)

Joey,

     Hoping you have exactly what you want by the 4th.  I see in your photo what the big E drive looks like.

Side questions:

1.  What is the gray material on your firewall called?  Why is it not on the backside of firewall?  Is firewall aluminum?

2.  Your spar covers from wing to WS - are they aluminum?  What keeps them from rubbing WS?  Are they Detachable?

Appreciate answers.

Good building,'

EDMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

wow Joey, you're going to have a whole new plane by the 4th of July  :flag: Any reason you're not going to change over to the Mk IV cowl to delete the side radiator? 

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Posted

I would bet that he cant part with the cowl paint job....?

EDMO

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Posted

Subscribing to this thread.  Going to be a good one :news:

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Posted

please put that tk-1 gear set up on there too. also a good time for the Ronald Davis 670 ha.

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Posted (edited)

Have you seen the new 670 for sale on ebay?  583 on there too - going soon...90 HP?  at what rpm?

EDMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

Joey,

     Hoping you have exactly what you want by the 4th.  I see in your photo what the big E drive looks like.

Side questions:

1.  What is the gray material on your firewall called?  Why is it not on the backside of firewall?  Is firewall aluminum?

2.  Your spar covers from wing to WS - are they aluminum?  What keeps them from rubbing WS?  Are they Detachable?

Appreciate answers.

Good building,'

EDMO

 

Ed,

   Dean Wilson did my FWF. I believe its actually a firewall blanket. It's glued to both sides front and back and sewn across the top. On the backside it just goes down to where the bend is at. After drilling on my firewall yesterday I'm wondering if it's stainless. Either that or my drill bit was dull as hell. I only opened up a small piece of the blanket to drill the rivets that hold the side radiator bracket on. Probably adds some weight but it sure looks nice and I bet it deadens a lot of sound. I put 1/4" thick sound deadening foam in front of my rudder pedals and on the sides inside the cowl where I could.

 

The spar pieces are aluminum and are riveted on. There is just enough clearance to the windshield that it doesn't rub. They originally had some rubber trim around the edges but I didn't put them back on when I put the wings back together.

 

wow Joey, you're going to have a whole new plane by the 4th of July  :flag: Any reason you're not going to change over to the Mk IV cowl to delete the side radiator? 

 

High country the cowl I have is totally raw. It has none of metal bracing in it or fasteners. It would be a pretty time consuming job to build it up to fit, sand, paint, etc. I would also have to hack on it to accommodate my E box and muffler set up. I have 3 B model cowlings now to play with that are much further along. My current one has the scoop as a separate piece. I will just have to glass up a 12x14 square and spray it and I'll be back in business. Someday I'd like to swap over to the MK4 cowl but with the belly radiator set up it would just be cosmetic and not actually functional.

 

I'm going to attempt to build a crate today. Having the Box down below the engine when it's upright complicates thing a little bit. I've been talking to Rick and he's assured me my engine will get the full treatment. It'll be brand new when it get's back. He does great work. I'm waiting for him to try to convince me to get a 670. I would love the HP for takeoff but I just can't give up the reliability and proven set up of my 582.

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Posted

Thanks Joey,

      I have some of that material off of a Kitfox firewall - Just don't know what it is, or where to order more if I want some.

My new firewall will be stainless, so really don't need it on the front side.

EDMO

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Posted

I believe the firewall material is a form of Fiberfrax blanket, though I haven't found a source for the quilted type.  I have the same on my Model III.  It's a non-asbestos ceramic insulation.

 

-- Sed

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Posted (edited)

 

 

I'm going to attempt to build a crate today. Having the Box down below the engine when it's upright complicates thing a little bit. I've been talking to Rick and he's assured me my engine will get the full treatment. It'll be brand new when it get's back. He does great work. I'm waiting for him to try to convince me to get a 670. I would love the HP for takeoff but I just can't give up the reliability and proven set up of my 582.

 

Joey -

 

When I bought my plane a few years ago, the 582 was in an unopened box from the rebuilder.  They had flipped/rotated the C-Box 180deg leaving it mounted so that it would fit more compactly.  I guess if this was a viable option on yours, you would have thought of it.  But looking at your picture above it looks like you have already :dunno:

 

I think going to a reed valve set up (eg. 670) is worth considering if it will reduce maintenance but not alter reliability.  But I agree, the 582 Rotary seems to be bullet proof.  

 

One way I try to resolve these decisions is to factor my usage to an hourly cost.  You have a good idea of that now and should be able to factor pretty accurately if going up to a 670 would be worth the price of admission given how and how much you're using your aircraft.

Edited by allonsye

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Posted

The C and E box are quite a bit longer than the B box which is what the cowl was designed around.

It's not really about the hourly cost it's more about the fact there's not a single person out there with an inverted 670 set up on an Avid who flies it halfway across the county over 10,000 ft mountains. The place where a 670 would really shine is WFO at takeoff which in the grand scheme of things is a very very small percentage of your flying. I don't buy the 2 gph burn rate either. My 350 hp classic mustang will get 20mpg too if you drive it at 50mph down the shoulder of the freeway but who does that?? Certainly not this guy!

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Posted

The C box will fit the same cowling as the B box with no mods.  The E box is a different animal :lol:

 

:BC:

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Posted

Speaking of HP improvements: What about going to a tuned exhaust on the 582?  I just did a search and didn't see anything off the shelf.  Perhaps a tuned exhaust out of a Seadoo or sled could be utilized?

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Posted

Tuned exhausts get really "peaky" while you may get great take off performance the rest of the throttle range sucks. R&D and airscrew performance tried tuned pipes and no one was very happy with them.

:BC:

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Posted

Tuned exhausts get really "peaky" while you may get great take off performance the rest of the throttle range sucks. R&D and airscrew performance tried tuned pipes and no one was very happy with them.

:BC:

Answers my question as to why I don't see them marketed for the aviation market.  Thanks.

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Posted

Looks like you have bitten off a bunch of work Joey! It is going to be great when you get it done though! I can't wait to see the gear!

Good luck,

Ron

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Posted

Don't worry the rocket scientist is at work!

post-40-0-80551800-1431733587.jpg

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Posted

is that the new engine back or are you getting ready to send it off

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Posted

Been an insane week prepping for my DC-10 checkride. I built the base of the crate today. Hoping to get it off to Rotax Rick next week. Hoping the shipping doesn't kill me. Having the gearbox on makes it a pain to build around. Thinking it may be time to invest in a Rotax puller.

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Posted

The start of my shipping box.

post-40-0-95655300-1431741864_thumb.jpg

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Posted

Don't worry the rocket scientist is at work!

 

 

Dr. Frankenrotax ...

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Posted

It's real easy to make a puller for a C or E box. A piece of 1/4" thick plate big enough to drill the three holes that match the holes that go through the rubber donut. Unscrew the bolt that holds the flywheel onto the crankshaft, slide a socket into the hole where the bolt was, probably about a 3/4" 1/2" drive socket, run 3 # 10 MM bolts through the 1/4" plate, screw them into the flywheel, tighten them against the socket, and "POP" off comes the flywheel. 1/2 hr or less job if you have everything at hand. When you take the gearbox apart, make sure you put everything back in the exact order that it came out in. If you need me to post a pic of the gearbox parts from a LEAF catalog, let me know. That will help to understand what I'm trying to say. Jim Chuk

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Posted

You shouldn't have to use a puller just to take the gear box off mr! Well, you don't need one on the a,b or c box.. :BC:

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Posted

You are right Leni, I just was saying how to get the flywheel off without buying an expensive Rotax tool. Jim Chuk

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