Alternator all Wired Up!

The Plane Power 60 alternator. 12volt- 60amp w/ internal voltage regulator and overvoltage protection.

Rear view. The small red wire is the Alternator Enable(field switch). The small white wire is the optional "Alternator Out" lamp wire that I will run to the panel. The larger 6mm stud is the output terminal. I will place a rubber nipple over the stud and torque it to 50 in. lbs. soon.

Control Cables Pulled and Connected

I used control cable eyeballs here.

The throttle connection and linkage on my forward facing induction.

Mixture connection and linkage. Lots of tweaking to get the throws set correctly.

Electric Fuel Pump and Filter Installed

Electric fuel pump.

Fuel filter.

Rear Seat Throttle Installed.

I decided to modify the rear throttle kit a bit by placing the mounting plate on the outside of the bulkheads. You may also notice my custom black lever from Chris Welch out of Cali. The lever is a perfect match to the deluxe throttle quad up front. There is some fab and Mod work to do with the optional RST kit, so be prepared. *You will need a dremel tool with a small cutting disc and rotary file.

The Engine is Hung!

The Engine is Hung! Another milestone complete! Wow, it feels like an airplane now....
*Special Thanks to AI/A&P/Super Tech Udo Reif.

Get all of the nuts,washers,bolts, and bushings lined up. Now Tighten and Torq..

Ease it up slowly...

The engine is hoisted off the crate.

Master Relay and Starter Solenoid Wired

I left the top 2awg positive cable off the battery for now.

The Master Relay and Starter Solenoid are all wired up. I added a hot wire for the fwd aux plug, as I want to be able to reverse charge the battery from the pilots outlet. I also added a wire for a Starter Engage annunciator. The only other extras are the surge protection diodes, shown here covered in yellow and blue heat shrink.

MT Prop Governor Installed

Here, the MT prop governor is installed and positioned correctly. I will safety wire the arm,where it connects to the governor, soon. It had to be temporarily removed in order to get the bolt and rod end bearing in position.

Well, I mounted the MT prop governor today only to find out the control arm is in the wrong position. After a little head scratching and web research I figured out that by loosening the six outer rim screws you can rotate it to the correct 2 o'clock position.

Fuel Pump Cooling Shroud Installed

Pictured is the Show Planes cooling shroud installed over the engine driven fuel pump. This should help prevent vapor lock, as a blast tube will be connected to the top neck. There was a small amount of trimming to get the shroud fitted,so be ready. I will safety wire the hex bolts later. Yes, I'm glad I installed this before the engine was mounted... See the Vans FWF plans for the various fittings installed here.

BTW-I'm using a light coat of EZ Turn/Fuel Lube on all fuel line connector threads and TCM approved Loctite 565 thread sealant for all oil line fittings.

Manifold Pressure Transducer Installed

Here is where I mounted the electronic GRT Manifold pressure box. It must be mounted aft of the firewall. The special restrictor fitting ,(in the lower left of the pic, taped up), is where the tube will connect and pass through the firewall.

This is where the manifold flex line connects to the #3 cylinder.

Throttle Quadrant Fitted

I had to refit the left console to make the Throttle Quad lay flush. The problem here is that the Vans prepunched holes, are in the wrong place. Do yourself a favor and check this out before you attach the control cables... You will need to redrill the nutplates in the side plate of the console , the cable pass through holes in the gearbox, and the two nutplates in the F804C Channel. *Thanks to Jim for this heads up!

Transducer Manifold Mounted

Here you can spot the Fuel Pressure transducer on the bottom and the Oil Pressure transducer in the middle. I not sure if the top port will be used yet, so I've just taped over the holes for now.

New Battery Box Installed

I found a light weight aluminum battery box for my Odyssey PC680. No need to drill out lightening holes, like the guys with the steel boxes... Plus this one has a nice protective black powdercoating on it. There was a bit of F&M (Fab and Mod)to get the box fitted, but it all work out. Get yours at http://www.tnrbatteries.com/ item-HD680B.

ELT Antenna Installed

I chose to mount the ELT Antenna in between the vertical and horizontal stabilizer. *Tip- If you decided to go this route, try to mount the antenna to the rear bulkhead before the tail or aft top skin is attached. Getting the washer,nut, and BNC fitting connected afterward, proved to be a real challenge in the tight environment. The gap, shown here, will be covered by the fiberglass empennage fairing.

Easy Drink Holder Mod

I bought a black anodized aluminum cup holder from Rex Marine (shopping.rexmar.com). I used a fly cutter and a little RTV to install it. I think it looks nice and should work out well for those cross country trips..

Cabin Heater Cable and Box Installled

Yes, it was a serious pain running this cable through the gear box, but It worked out great!
Pull the knob to introduce heat into the cabin, Push the knob forward(as shown) to turn the heat off. I also ran a matching Alternate Air knob/cable, in the exact same place, but on the opposite gear box. *You may also notice my little flash light mod that I stole from Jay Pratt in Ft. Worth. Thx Jay!
This is how I ran the cable wire to the box. Works Great!

Here is the heat box on the forward side of the firewall. I prosealed it to help retain as much heat as possible.

I Started Mounting Things To The Firewall...

Here you can spot the transducer manifold on top,followed by the heater box, hydraulic fluid reservoir(black), cable pass throughs(blue), and fuel port on the bottom. The FWF items have arrived and I've inventoried the kit. I decided to scrap the battery box I built for a Concord, due to the fact that I've bought a smaller and lighter Odyssey. I also bought some braided grounding straps from B&C and a few other nicknacks.. Lots of progress should be coming soon!

My Seat Belts Arrive...

My son, Ford(3), test out the Crows in his play chair. He has the routine down!

My Crow Enterprises 2" belts have arrived! They look great and they're an affordable alternative to the Hookers. The only small snag is the bolt attach brackets. The hole size is too large for a 1/4 bolt, but with a little drilling and pneumatic pressing you can get two AN4 washers to fit inside the existing holes. No Biggie! http://www.crowenterprizes.com/ Ask for Fred Crow when you call. He will set you up!

Oil Cooler Arrives...

Well, after an exhaustive amount of research, I decided to buy a 9 tube Niagara (Stewart Warner Style) oil cooler directly from Niagara Air Parts. Part#20003. Why?
1)Because I have a NEW IO-375 pumping out nearly 200hp, I live in a Hot summer climate zone, and I've been warned about a Positech.
2)Many builders have also reported overheating issues, in hot climates, with the 7 tube one Vans sells. I also looked into buying the 13 tube one offered, but it's mainly for IO-540s and won't fit on the baffle.
3)All of my research has lead me to belive that the Niagara oil cooler is nearly as good,if not as good, as a true Stewart Warner cooler at half the cost.

Back from Vacation...

Firewall Forward Kit is on order from Vans! I also ordered my seat belts from Crow Enterprises and the short 2.5 prop extension from Saber Manufacturing. The extension is necessary for the RV8 James Cowl I'll be installing soon! As soon as the FWF Kit arrives, work will resume, hopefully with lots of progress! Stay Tuned!

The Engine Arrives!

The Aero Sport Power IO-375 MIB *For details go to www.aerosportpower.com

Upgrade to the Canopy Latch Handle

Still waiting on the engine............So, I decided to tweak the canopy handle. I started off by rounding the edges with a belt sander and scotchbrite wheel. Then, I followed up by polishing the piece with a small dremel buffer and a little Nuvite "S" cream. Finally, I upgraded the cs #8 screw with a #10 socket head cap screw.

Here is the "BEFORE" pic of the handle.

And here is the "AFTER" pic. As you can probably tell, I'm very pleased with the end result.

While Waiting on the Engine to Arrive...

I decided to put some finishing touches on the canopy. After a little more sanding and priming, it was time to take the top plastic off! It looks gorgeous! Here is the final product...*Note-I'm waiting on the final exterior paint.

Canopy Lock Installed

While waiting on the engine to arrive, I decided to install a canopy lock. I also found this solid aluminum canopy lock stop block nearby at HD(aka square cabinet knob)... It's held in place by two #8 screws from underneath the side rails. *I dressed the backside up with a piece of 3/4" plastic conduit and a piece of heat shrink.

Upper Intersection Fairings Trimmed and Fitted

Go to www.aerosu.com for details.

Installed Sliding Canopy Taxi Latch

Latch in the Open Position. Turn the knob 90 degrees, slide it back to any predetermined hole, and it springs into the locked position. This will be especially useful when I want to taxi solo with the canopy half way opened. -No more reaching way back to find the canopy before takeoff... Latch in the Locked Position. This mechanism is available from Rod Bower Aviation.

Here is a demo of the latch after the installation.