O-340 on Barnstormers

[John Courte]

There's an O-340 on Barnstormers (or there was yesterday) for 10.5k. Is this a viable option for an RV-7? I know the Lyc O-340 is a bit rare, and usually came attached to the front end of a Cessna 170, and puts out around 170hp. It has a conical mount (which I believe Van's sells) and looks pretty straightforward as an aircraft engine. Now, for the specifics.

Can I buy one, retrofit a cold-air induction system and ECI or other fuel injection system on it and be able to trust it? Could it share a lot of parts with the IOX-340? When converting from O- to IO- configuration, how do you get fuel into the cylinders, do you cannibalize the primer ports or do you need IO- specific cylinders?

Yes, I was going to hang an Egg Sube or other Subaru H6 on this airplane, but I'm now leaning towards a traditional AC engine. This may change. Also, my workspace options are limited at the moment, so I was thinking of getting the engine first. I have space for that.

thanks,
-John
RV-7 QB, Empennage
http://stjohn.openbar.com/airplane

[godspeed]

I have a few ECI items on my 0320 (very old engine) the bore and stroke
may be the same, but thats about it.. I would steer clear of that motor
conical ect.. I converted mine to dynofocal ($400) get something newer
if you want to match up with the new eci io0340.. my plane is very close
to completion, and I am wishing I would have bought a new engine instead
of overhauling.. and yes I can't afford a new motor either.. but don't try
mixing and matching to get the quality of that engine.. by the way
I would love a new eci io0340, its a good motor setup..


Danny..

[Stephen Lindberg]

I had one of those engines on the front of a Cessna 170B about 35 years ago. Lyc made only a few around '55 or '56, so any such engine you find is half a century old. I think they also showed up on re-engined Apaches but were never put on any certified airplane as original equipment that I know of. Mine was a good running engine but it tended to lead foul the plugs. Fine wire plugs solved the problem but they were very expensive. It is a narrow deck engine that uses hold down plates over the cylinder flanges and those weird internal hexed cylinder hold down nuts, which I hear are super expensive. I would avoid this engine unless someone gave it to me, literally. I would be surprised if any of the mods you mentioned would fit. Personally, I would defer buying an engine until I needed it unless a super good deal fell into my lap and I could afford to tie up the cash.
In addition to which: Yes, the IO and O cylinders are one and the same, but the 0-340 of bygone days was only made with a carb. You would be breaking new ground putting fuel injection on an old 0-340.

[John Courte]

Thanks for the info, folks. Always better to know ahead of time than to learn during an expensive fix.