Lyclone + Vans FWF = pain?

[amilder]

I was wondering how much extra work it is to install a Lyclone vs getting the Van's Lycoming. If I were to get a relatively common clone like Mattituck IO-320, how many of the hoses would need to be redone? Is there extra work on the baffling? I'm just curious at this point what the penalty is for not going with the easy route (Vans engine + Vans FWF)?

[hecilopter]

I used a Superior XP-360 (carbureted) with Van's FWF and everything fit perfectly.

[Jim P]

I did the XP-360 from AeroSport on a -7, using the Vans FWF. Most hoses were too long so I have new ones done. Other than that, it worked well. Baffle had the usual headaches, but nothing bad.

[N941WR]

Andrew,

I installed an O-290 in my -9 and used the Van's FwF kit which is designed for the O-320. Most of the stuff fit and worked fine. The few things that didn't were easy enough to either make or buy.

I wouldn't worry about the differences between the Lyclone and a Lycoming, they are close enough.

[beechrv9a]

Originally Posted by amilder

I was wondering how much extra work it is to install a Lyclone vs getting the Van's Lycoming. If I were to get a relatively common clone like Mattituck IO-320, how many of the hoses would need to be redone? Is there extra work on the baffling? I'm just curious at this point what the penalty is for not going with the easy route (Vans engine + Vans FWF)?

I am probably going with the Mattituck IO-320 also. Plan on going down to Sun n Fun next week and asking the same questions you have. I was actually considering the Sam James cowling as another alternative as well. If I get any good info I will post upon my return.

[Ironflight]

My Mattituck O-360-A1A fit with the Van's FWF kit like they were made for each other....

Paul

[gmcjetpilot]

Originally Posted by amilder

I was wondering how much extra work it is to install a Lyclone vs getting the Van's Lycoming. If I were to get a relatively common clone like Mattituck IO-320, how many of the hoses would need to be redone? Is there extra work on the baffling? I'm just curious at this point what the penalty is for not going with the easy route (Vans engine + Vans FWF)?

They are identical in most ways. May be some diff in FI if they have a different FI from the Precision Airmotive (aka Bendix). There are two other brands, AFP and ECI.

[Jconard]

Just as a data point,

I got the Van's FWF kit, but ended up fabbing alot of my own hoses. First many were not long enough, I think because I have the long mount...which Van's sold me. For example, the line for the FP to the FW mounted pressure transducer was too short. Ditto on the fuel feed lines. I made my own oil cooler lines because Vans lines were too short, in my application to get a nice stress free installation. In addition, I wanted my oil lines firesleeved because bare braided steel is a great abrasion source for anything near it, and also, if a small fire were to break out, I did not want it to become and oil fed fire. Once you get the tooling for the SS band clamps, doing the firesleev is really pretty straight forward.

I am not sure I would go the FWF kit route again, I would probably just make my own hoses from the git go. The electrical cables are nice though, and frankly I think it is a huge pain to make the big cables for things like the starter. Other than the large cables, the wiring harness kit was a not cheap way to end up with alot of tefzel wire in my case because I ended up with different wiring and routing needs than it was designed for.

The baffles are nice, plans to make them yourself are out there, and I toyed with the idea of making them out of a more tolerant aluminum...to avoid cracks. In the end the baffle kit was just too easy to use and I used it. I will watch for cracks but I wonder if it might make sense to construct the rear baffle pieces out of a thicker piece of 5052 to take advantage of that alloy's fatigue resistance.

I did not end up using the Van's oil cooler. It is great I am sure, but in the end I wanted the quality of a Stewart warner. If you ever look at them side by side they just seem to come from two different planets. I am sure the Van's Niagra unit is fine, but for a few hundred buck, I just felt more comfortable with the Stewart warner, and I had saved the money in other places.

Strangely, I also had to re-order control cables, because the ones in the kit were too short. Again I chalk this up to using the longer engine mount for an O-320, but I was a bit dissapointed that I got the wrong stuff when Vans was aware of the setup.

The control cable mounts for the carb and prop governor were awesome, and I cannot imagine an easier way to mount the controls on the business end.

I know scores of folks who have successfully used the kit on a more traditional O-360 or IO-360. Seems not to matter if it is a Lycoming or ECI or Superior. Most of the engine shops, and for sure Mattituck and Lalonde, know which servo arms and other setup variables you need to work with the Van's control cable brackets, so if you tell them what you are doing they can configure your engine for ease of use.

You may want the exhaust to be a bit different too. If I did it again, I would get the muffler/heat system. Those who have it report ultra toasty heat...and I live in Minnesota. I hope that my dual muff crossover will be adaquate.

I would think you would want to make your exhaust, wiring, and other decisions, and then see how much of the kit you still want. Vans will let you add and delete items.

[flytoboat]

Originally Posted by Jconard

You may want the exhaust to be a bit different too. If I did it again, I would get the muffler/heat system. Those who have it report ultra toasty heat...and I live in Minnesota. I hope that my dual muff crossover will be adaquate.

John,
Good info here on what to look out for. Do you know who supplies the muffler/heat system?
Thanks

[Jconard]

Vetterman supplies it, I just think it is different than the normal system you get in the FWF kit. Essentially I believe it is the same crossover system, but with the mufflers and heat muffs instead of the straight pipes and heat muffs.

Larry (Vetterman) would be a great one talk to about the system choice.