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T-Bolt Hanging

Bart

Well Known Member
About a year after ordering, my Thunderbolt rolled into the hangar on Friday. Great excitement followed by a whole Saturday of my wife and I muscling that beast into the 4 engine mounts. Hi temps and hi humidity - lots of cursing - but got it hung! For some reason I just don't remember the IO-540 being so difficult but that was ten years ago! :)
 

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About a year after ordering, my Thunderbolt rolled into the hangar on Friday. Great excitement followed by a whole Saturday of my wife and I muscling that beast into the 4 engine mounts. Hi temps and hi humidity - lots of cursing - but got it hung! For some reason I just don't remember the IO-540 being so difficult but that was ten years ago! :)

A LOT of things weren't as difficult 10 years ago!

There's an old saying that I just made up: "The only thing worse than getting old is NOT getting old!"
 
Was it really that hard to hang? I found it one the few things that went well and without issues. I just followed the article in the Van's Airforce main page. I bough those little alignment bullets, but did not need them. The bolts just slid right in. I had another person helping (thanks Bill R), but I think I could have done it solo.

Either way, congrats.
 
Ken, I'm sure it was me. The engine is not my strong suit with this build. Lots of new things I'm learning. But yes, was a long event in the middle of the Texas summer to get everything in place. I didn't look at any videos or pictures just did what the plans called and used some memory from when I built the -10. If I had to do it again I'm sure it wouldn't take any longer. But really...this is for sure the last one I'm going to build.....maybe.
 
Talked to smart fella this morning about my engine mounting trauma....he advised do the upper easier to get to bolts first then take a strap and put it over the crankshaft on the front, get it to hang just off the floor and use your foot pull down that little 1/8 inch movement to get it all to line up. As soon as he said it I wished I had talked to him beforehand...genius!
 
I agree a 540 is easier to hang. One thing to remember is to pull each bolt down that you get installed, that makes more room for the last 2 bolts as it pulls the engine to the outside as each bolt is torqued.
 
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