Heeeeellpppp. What Engine IO360-????

[fl-mike]

Greg's words are iron!

Hartz BA is faster and cheaper, by a lot. But, comes with a weight penalty.
Ian pushed something into my BA prop when the hangar doors came off. Scratched the paint. That's it. If I had an MT or a Hartz CF blades, I'd probably be looking at repairs or replacement ($$$)

Unless you are within driving distance of an MT service center, think about what shipping that three blade is going to cost. Lots of shops can service a Hartzell.

But I agree with Greg. Parallel valve of your choice and a Hartz BA is the value (!) best bang for the buck combo. A Senn FP is no slouch either, considering the huge savings in cost and maintenance. Just a dumb chunk of aluminum.

I will say the MT is smooth and the higher blade frequency (noise) is less fatiguing. Same for the Whirlwind 300.

[sahrens]

Greg's advice is perfect, if you are looking for a new engine and propeller. There are other options to consider. I purchased an O-360-A1A off a flying aircraft, it had about 1100 hours since overhaul (SMOH) and over 5000 hrs total time. Five years later it is still running strong with compressions in the mid to upper 70s. I paid $9500.00 for it. I purchased my CS propeller from Vans.

I saved a significant amount of money over buying brand new. AND Vans is nice enough to still allow me to purchase a new engine should I want to. You get to buy one per kit. So at some future date (when I can afford it) I can still buy that shiny new Lycoming. Or get the one I have completely overhauled and keep flying it.

To be clear you have to be careful buying a used engine. If you are not familiar with what you are getting you need excellent advice from someone very knowledgeable. There is risk going down this road but the reward may be worth it.

[greghughespdx]

Originally Posted by sahrens

To be clear you have to be careful buying a used engine. If you are not familiar with what you are getting you need excellent advice from someone very knowledgeable. There is risk going down this road but the reward may be worth it.

Absolutely. A solid used engine and/or prop that's verified to be good-to-go is a great way to build an RV and keep the costs down, especially with engine prices being what they are these days.

[GregMac]

Thread Drift I know, I’m refurbishing a damaged 7a and had my mind set on the standard IO-360 and Hartzell CS (this kit is eligible for this combo from Vans)…………. However….. Now a trusted overhauled IO-360 L2A has become available, this is a engine standard on a lot of Cessnas, will not accomodate a CSU, and because of the sump used on these engines the throttle body induction is vertical. My question is …. has anyone successfully fitted that engine to a 7a ? Realise I may have to get creative with the fab box extension etc but I’m prepared to do that, as long as the engine will in fact fit. Any available info greatly appreciated

[RV7A Flyer]

Originally Posted by DocBret77

I have to figure out what engine I'm going to use before I buy the 7A kit. My uncle thinks I need to go buy one now but that isn't in the budget.
I know I want 180 HP stock and want CS prop. Maybe cold air ind.?
I also don't want to reinvent the wheel....
something that is TO maybe. A rebuild??

Isn't this getting a little ahead of yourself? You haven't even bought a kit yet, and likely have a few years ahead of you before you have to make any decision here. Also probably not a good idea to start jumping around doing stuff because "somebody said I should do X".

Buy the empennage kit, start building, learn as you go, and decide all that stuff way down the road.

Patience, grasshopper...

[Walt]

I'm really happy with my TCM IO-370 (PV/9.6CR) with 200+hp.
Love Hartzell but the 370 really needs the 3 blade MT9 which is what I have.

I was also very happy with my previous O-360 with Hartzell BA, not much to complain about their either.

Definately recommend sticking with the PV engine, cheaper and lighter.

[John Tierney]

Originally Posted by RV7A Flyer

Buy the empennage kit, start building, learn as you go, and decide all that stuff way down the road.

Patience, grasshopper...

I agree completely with this. Some people build fast, some build slow, and life gets in the way. It took me 15+ years; you don't want an engine sitting around very long.

My recommendation is go to some of the big airshows, like Airventure, and talk to the engine builders, besides Lycoming, like Aerosport Power, ECI/Titan, Barrett, Superior, etc. They know the airframes and what they can build for you. It is often a free learning experience.

[andyhudson]

Doc,
The best advice I ever got on this was from the famous Paul Rosales (Rosie) in Southern CA. That is... determine first what your MISSION for the plane is. This cannot be more vital to your decision process.
If you want a cross country ship, then the constant speed prop will be an absolute must. If you are just doing aerobatics all the time, then fixed pitch would be great and simple.
If you're concerned about re-sale later, then CS is definitely a better seller down the road.
Example: My mission was cross country, with as much fuel saving/speed combination as I could get. Result? IO-360 (180)hp Constant Speed running lean of peak on my trips. Sacrifice a few knots of speed for significant fuel savings.
Also, what area of the country will you be flying in? What weather do you expect to deal with a lot? Things like this.
Determine your mission, and you will not regret making the proper decision on this one.
Just my 2 cents. (But it came from Rosie, so it's worth a **** of a lot more)