Toobuilder

Well Known Member
My new SDS ring gear carier was waiting in the mailbox last night.

Very nice looking piece and saves a bit of weight too. Almost a shame to hide it under the cowl!

2vwii49.jpg
 
Now that is jewelry I would be willing to spend some coin on... not some diamond ring nonsense.
 
Alternator pulley is a $29 deep groove unit from the aviation department of Summit Racing. It spent a bit of time on my lathe and drill press to remove some excess weight.
 
My new SDS ring gear carier was waiting in the mailbox last night.

Very nice looking piece and saves a bit of weight too. Almost a shame to hide it under the cowl!

2vwii49.jpg


Just curious. How much of a weight difference between that and the standard Lycoming ring gear and if you don?t mind me asking, what does it cost? Also, why the large diameter alternator pulley?
 
Just curious. How much of a weight difference between that and the standard Lycoming ring gear and if you don’t mind me asking, what does it cost? Also, why the large diameter alternator pulley?

Ross claims just under a pound saved and my questionably accurate fish scale confirms this. The price is running in the low to mid 600's, depending on options. Best to contact Ross directly at SDSEFI.com to get a "to your door" price. http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=151617&highlight=SDS

The large alternator pulley is an attempt to slow it down and let it live a little longer. Most alternators are turning way faster than needed in aircraft, so this will rectify that.
 
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Thank you for the info Mike.

For comparison, the Sky Dynamics one weighs 4.1 pounds with the alternator pulley and the standard Lycoming ring gear support weighs about 6.75 pounds. that's savings of 2.65 pounds but at a cost of $975. It's an expensive weight loss program in either case! I think I'll just pull a little harder on the stick.
 
It's a tough sell on weight savings alone, no doubt. I think the main market is for new builders who dont want to scrounge for a used piece or pay the extortion price for a Lyc part.