R

RScott

Well Known Member
A friend building a GlaStar says he pulled his engine several times once initially installed so he could get easier access behind the engine and to route stuff.

Is that needed on an RV-9A? I am only asking because HF will have a 1 ton engine hoist on sale this weekend for $97 and if I will need to pull the engine a few times, it would be a good time to buy it.
 
I know I pulled it off at least once, to paint the fuselage. Left the mount on the engine and took the mount loose from the firewall. I would never remove the Dynafocal bolts if I didn't have to.

Karl
 
That's my plan. Once the initial engine fitting is complete, I'll pull the whole engine and mount off so that I can put the fuselage on a rotisserie and paint it.
 
I mounted my engine once, never removed it, and painted the fuse with the engine attached (and bagged). All I had to do was prop up the tail and crawl up under the belly to paint it. Funny enough, the paint on the belly is probably some of the best on the airplane.

I can't see how removing the engine, using a rotisserie, etc. will reduce the time or effort involved in painting or systems installation.
 
Same here. Mounted it once and don't have any plans of removing it. Getting ready for paint and will just bag the engine in plastic and mask everything firewall forward.

Steve Eberhart
RV-7A, finishing up, wow, didn't think this time would ever get here.
 
Richard,

Some plans don't give you the location for all the firewall penetrations, thus you need to put the engine on, figure out where things need to go, remove it, do some work and put it back on, only to find you need to remove it again.

I talked to one early -6 builder and he said he had the engine on and off a number of time.

With my -9, once it went on, it never came off, the plans are that good.
 
I never saw a need to remove it and did all of my FWF penetrations (except for heat) after the engine was hung. There's absolutely no need to remove it to drill holes in the firewall. I marked where I wanted holes, used an angle drill and punched a center hole, then used a unibit or greenlee punch to make the final hole. It's no big deal to drill those holes from the inside.

Don't waste your time pulling the engine if you don't have to. Get 'er done!
 
removed once so far

realized that the governor was rotated the wrong way and the screws were not safetied so I pulled the engine from the firewall to fix. Very easy actually.
 
We pulled the engine on my dads RV-8 after it decided it didn't like the oil that we gave it (spit it all out of the prop seal). One overhaul later it runs great. All I can say is when building your aircraft, look at it like a mechanic more than an engineer. Easy maintenance all depends on how you route and place things on the firewall.
 
Pulled mine twice but only had several wires to remove at the time. 6 bolts and it's off in 10 minutes. Took longer to get the hoist positioned and connected than to remove the engine. Easier to do things with the engine out of the way. If you have a hoist handy (don't need to wait for for 3 weeks or drive 50 miles etc.) it is easier to use it to fit and remove than to work behind it when you realise you either forgot something (most of us are 1st time builders and we are learning and recreating as we go) or you just have sequencing issues.

Me, I wanted to fit my cowling before riveting the firewall. I'm lucky I chose this path because I dicovered some interference issues with my planned camlock strips and changed to hinges for the bottom cowl. If I had riveted it together before hanging the engine, I would have been forced to remove it and drill out the firewall.

Now, once you start making your connections, the story changes. More work to remove. And yes, best to remove it from the firewall, not the Lord mounts.

Jekyll
7A, IO-360 vertical draft
 
Last edited:
Kyle Boatright said:
I can't see how removing the engine, using a rotisserie, etc. will reduce the time or effort involved in painting or systems installation.
Click to expand...

My HVLP paint gun is gravity feed. It doesn't spray up very well (actually not at all). I flipped the fuselage upside down to paint the belly, then flipped it upright to paint the top and sides.

It was the only way without buying a new gun... not going to do that.

Karl
 
Beyond the easier access rationale, there's the goin' to the airport rationale if you aren't building where you will make the maiden flight.

I've moved three. The first had the drive train installed. It required a good sized tilt bed tow truck to load up, and even though you think it's lashed tight, the huge undamped mass on a spring - the gear legs - bobbles up and down with the truck's movement, and sometimes there was coupling between the trucks suspension and the fuselage's movements. It moved around and was plenty scary.

The last two were sans drive train. #2 I loaded onto a car hauler myself using muscle power to pull it up the ramp. #3 I had help; we set the tail wheel onto the bed first (another advantage of TWs :D, then we each grabbed a gear leg and lifted/rolled the mains onto the trailer. Some cinches and done. Took 15 minutes and solid as a rock rolling down the road.

John Siebold
Boise, ID
 
You must log in or register to reply here.