Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. akflyer added a post in a topic Brakes for use with ABW 26" tires   

    I talked to Matco yesterday and George got a good laugh out of me trying to stop the 30" airstreaks with the single pucks.  for 260 bucks they will send you a kit with new backing plates that allow you to put two single puck calipers on each wheel like the highlander has.  I figured while I am at it I will put new pads on my existing calipers and see how that does.  Just for shits and grins I plan on putting a pressure gauge on the end of one of the hoses just to confirm that I am getting enough pressure to the calipers with the updated pedals and the MCMC4D masters.
     
    I filled the brakes from the caliper to the reservoir so there is no air in the system and the masters are nice and tight.  I was pushing on the pedals so hard that I hobbled around for 3 days after the flight due to a pulled hamstring
     
    Using the MCMC4D masters I had to make some mods since they wont bolt on to the older style rudder bar on the Avids.  I don't have any pictures of it but I will try to draw something up to show what I had to do to make them fit.
     
    Edit:  added drawing to help muddy the waters on installing the MCMC4D masters.
     
    With the updated pedals having a lower mount point to get the correct leverage, I had to modify the clevis on the top of the master to make it as short as possible.  I also had to cut a few threads off the shaft of the master so it would not hit on the pedal mounting tab.  I ground off the corners of the pedal mount tab to give me more clearance as well.  The base of the master is rounded with holes drilled in it 90° apart.  I used a hack saw and cut down the center of the master to give me slot to slip over the mount tab on the rudder bar as the mount tabs on the rudder bar are too close together to just bolt the master on to it.  I had to make the slot about 1/4" deeper in the master as the hole drilled in the base of the master was flush with the bottom of the slot.
     
    I will see if I can pull up a stock picture showing the base of the master so you can get a better visual on what I had to do.  It would be easiest to just cut one of the tabs off the rudder bar and move it out and not have to modify the master, but if its already in a flying plane and you don't want to pull out the rudder bar, modifying the master is your only choice.
     
     
     

    mcmc4d install on avid.pdf
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  2. EDMO added a post in a topic Soob ignition maintenance   

    I was told that the belts should be changed every 500 hours, or as needed.
    Thanks for posting the good info Randy.
    EDMO
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  3. akflyer added a post in a topic Soob ignition maintenance   

    how large is the picture file your trying to post?  what is the error you get when trying to post pictures.  Some internet providers will time you out if its taking too long to upload a picture or file.  If your on DSL this shouldn't happen, but when I used to be on dial up at work it would do it too me all the time. 
     

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  4. EDMO added a post in a topic Rotax 912UL - REVISED Service Bulletin SB-912-063 UL Revision 2   

    Doug,
          After making the comment about spending big $$ for Rotax parts, I felt badly about what I had said - I was thinking experimental, where you can innovate without problems - then I realized that you may have been talking about the factory-built LSA, and you may not have the options of variations on it. 
          I still like the dual Facet electric pumps, and you can order them with check valves in either or both directions - I would opt for the check valve to prevent reverse flow, but none to check gravity flow.
          For 27 years as a toolmaker, I cut, bent, welded, made, about every crazy design tool that would do the job - Leni had a good suggestion about cutting, bending, a wrench and welding a socket on it - I have done that ten thousand times.  Low-hydrogen rod, and no quench works good for an arc welder, and either welding or brazing with OA works good too.  Just grind the chrome off first.  You probably know all this, but someone else might not.
    EDMO
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  5. ChrisBolkan added a post in a topic Summer Shoes   

    I like your new shoes!
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  6. akflyer added a post in a topic Summer Shoes   

    Nice!  I never got a chance to get out and do anything other than 4 laps around the Soldotna airport last time home after I got the new shoes on my bird.  I think I have all the moving done now and I will be able to get some fun flying in when I get back in two weeks.  My next time off is the last chance I will have to fly till I get back from the Houston, New Orleans, work trip from May 27th till July 15th... once again, 2/3rds of the summer is shot for me...
     

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  7. akflyer added a post in a topic Rotax 912UL - REVISED Service Bulletin SB-912-063 UL Revision 2   

    Any chance you can heat up and bend an 11mm wrench then weld a socket to the end to hook to the tq wrench?  You could then to the math to figure out the additional leverage you now have.  One thing I have done i nthe past on problem bolts ot to use the tq wrench on a bolt I can get to, then put an end wrench on same bolt and "feel" the amount of pressure I have to put on the wrench to get it to slightly move.  I then use that "feel" to tq the other bolts.  If you really want to be anal about it, you can use a digital fishing scale on the end of the wrench and use it to pull to see how much pressure you have to put on it to achieve the desired tq. 
     
    As far as electric pumps, they are pretty damn steady in the pressure they put out, and you can always jump a pressure regulator in line and set it at EXACTLY the pressure you want at the carb.  I had to do this on my snogo as the Arctic cats like 41-42 PSI on the fuel injection and from the factory they were running around 48.  This led me to have shit for power and I left a nice big black streak in the snow when ever I would stop for a moment then take off again.  I installed the pressure regulator and set it and have not had any issues in over 6000 very hard ridden miles.
     

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  8. dholly added a post in a topic Rotax 912UL - REVISED Service Bulletin SB-912-063 UL Revision 2   

    Never thought about doing that Leni. In fact, I've never even heard or read about anyone else removing the mechanical pump on a 912 either. Which makes me wonder if something specific precludes the use of electric pumps only. I do know the 912UL and ULS both seem very finicky regarding fuel pressure, that was one reason I asked in another thread if anyone using the MGL E-1 had wired in a fuel pressure sender. That fluctuating fuel pressure issue can usually be traced to a failing pump or the fuel system plumbing. Other than the recent fuel pump weep issue I experienced, I've had no problem with fuel pressure with my 80hp 912 in the KF4 (at least, that I know of) but I do want to monitor it now. Leaning toward installing a FACET backup in this plane. Also, a low fuel warning light is on the To-Do List, probably when I replace the current high mount header with a behind the seat aluminum header tank. IMHO, that location makes for better plumbing and provides a tank fitting for the low fuel sensor.

    There are notes in my Aerotrek log that fuel pressure has been problematic. It had one replacement pump even before the Rotax SB. No engine outs but widely fluctuating pressure and several instances where the needle went to zero. That plane has a 912ULS and is plumbed with a return line to the header tank so I think the replacement pump was likely a bad pump too. I already installed another new (pre-SB) pump that came with the plane, but haven't tested yet. In any event, I took advantage of the special Rotax pricing after the SB and bought two, so I still have one new, improved spare pump sitting on the parts shelf if that one proves to be problematic too.

    Ed- I am aware of the issues requiring a conversion calculation when torquing on an angle, or if an extension points straight out of the torque wrench. However, if you attach the crowsfoot at a 90* degree angle to the torque wrench, then bolt torque equals the wrench torque setting regardless of how long the crowsfoot is. So if I can actually get to the bolt with the crowsfoot at exactly 90* degrees, no such conversion calculations are necessary. I can't use the 'standard' short crowsfoot to get to the bolts, so I'm looking for a long 11mm crowsfoot to fit either a 3/8" or 1/2" torque wrench head.
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  9. IFMT added a post in a topic Soob ignition maintenance   

    I'm still trying to figure out why I can't post a pic. Computer settings?
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  10. Luked added a post in a topic Looking for info on landing gear options   

    I didn't know the plywood reinforcement was enough for the WIB gear. That's good to know. Earlier in this thread, IFMT suggested a beefed up truss like the one he bought from Airdale because he had bent his original. I wonder how his replacement truss compares to the plywood add on.
     
    I did some calculations on some different truss designs with different tubing sizes. The problem is that I don't know how much force the truss should be able to handle (how hard of a landing to design for). The best I could do was try to reverse engineer the existing truss, and then design a new one that can handle more force at the bungees. I hope I can at least proportion the members in the truss to match each other so that I'm minimizing the weight. I guess I'm just over thinking this. Thanks for the information though.
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  11. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Brakes for use with ABW 26" tires   

    Ron,
     
    I tried to put mine where I thought they were least likely to be damaged but on top might be better if you can make it work.  The Matco calipers are on the inside of the disc so don't stick out where they can scrape on the tire like the Cleveland calipers. Sounds like Chris has the best advice for those.
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  12. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Soob ignition maintenance   

    I have a RAM dual ignition on mine.  The first one I got from them did not want to run on one of the ignitions so I sent it back and the second one has worked flawlessly with no issues.  I never can remember if it is the Nippon denso or the Hitachi ditributor though.  (I have to sketch the distributor cap so I can make sure I get the correct parts).  It has dual ignition pickups in the distributor and goes to dual coils then to a coil joiner.  I only run one ignition at a time since prolonged running of both ignitions will overheat the coil joiner; but it gives you a backup ignition to switch to if the primary fails.  The Stratus secondary ignition runs from a second trigger on the crank and uses the dual coils and coil joiner so still operated one at a time.  Both are run through the distributor so single system from the distributor to the plugs.
     
    Stratus recommends changing the distributor cap and rotor every 300 hours, the plugs every 200 hours and the plug wires every 1500 hours.  I am sure it is very much on the conservative side since I just changed my cap and rotor with about 320 hours on it and looked almost new.  Jack just helped me pull the redrive apart last weekend and repack the drive bearings, everything was in great shape; smooth and tight.  The belt is recommended to be changed at 300 hours but it still looks nearly new with no visible wear.  I decided I will go a little longer with it and just keep inspecting it closely.
     
    Mine turns 4800 rpm on takeoff with the stratus redrive 2.2:1 with a 72" IVO prop at flat pitch if that info is of any use.
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  13. SuberAvid added a topic in Avid fox flyers pics and vids   

    Summer Shoes
    I always enjoy changing from wheels to skis atthe start of winter and skis to wheels in the spring.  Just got back on wheels last weekend and had a chance to get out and play on the gravel for a couple of hours.  The landings orientation is a bit different so had to clean some rust off.  This is the perfect time when the river is low to land in places normally under water.



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  14. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Looking for info on landing gear options   

    The Airdale recommended reinforcement of the seat truss was to cut pieces of the 1/8 microlam plywood to fit in the open areas of the seat truss and glue them in place with T-88 epoxy.  I did this when I installed the WIB gear on my MKIV and never had any problems with it.
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  15. SuberAvid added a post in a topic Valdez fly in   

    I am going to give it a try this year if the weather will cooperate; it's beautiful at the moment and supposed to last for a while but that means this comming weekend looks good.  Another good period the following weekend might be too much to hope for but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
     
    Do you live in Valdeze?  I have never been there yet, even by road, so really looking forward to it.
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  16. eatwildgame added a post in a topic Valdez fly in   

    well we did have over 200 inches of snow this winter, that was about half of normal.  Also last may we received about 36 inches of snow.  That's right in May.
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  17. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Valdez fly in   

    30s & 40s here with rain and snow.
     
    I should move to Alaska where it's warm…  
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  18. eatwildgame added a post in a topic Valdez fly in   

    I am hoping for good weather and some great planes, was really hopeful I could check out an avid. right now its 60 here just like the rest of South Central, we will see if it holds.
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  19. EDMO added a post in a topic Soob ignition maintenance   

    Here is a photo of a Dave Johnson redrive conversion EA-81, like mine.
    I don't like the black paint, and will change that to something light colored before installing it.  Better to see leaks and other stuff when inside the cowl.  
    Note:   My engine mount is different - it attaches to engine and to redrive.
    EDMO
    WTF - I deleted the last post and it shows up - put photo here and it is gone!  Guess I am doing good to even get on here?  And, now the photo is back??

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  20. EDMO added a post in a topic Soob ignition maintenance   

    Here is NOT a photo of a Dave Johnson redrive conversion EA-81, like mine.
    Well, screwed this one up - see the next post. 
    EDMO
    Why cant I delete my own post?
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  21. EDMO added a post in a topic Rotax 912UL - REVISED Service Bulletin SB-912-063 UL Revision 2   

    Doug,
          There are formulas available for calculating the change in torque values when a crows foot or box wrench extension is used.
    I don't know where mine are right now, but you should be able to find the conversion charts.
         I am with Leni - If I had one of these engines, I would think seriously about running 2 facet or other electric pumps instead of paying the outrageous prices they want.
    EDMO
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  22. akflyer added a post in a topic Rotax 912UL - REVISED Service Bulletin SB-912-063 UL Revision 2   

    Can you just make a block off plate and run an electric pump?  The prices of these things are stupid when you can run and electric pump for about 20 bucks.  hell even put 2 in there so you have a back up. 
     
    I'm not a 912 driver so I don't know if you can put a block off plate on it like you would a chevy V8, but from the picture it looks like it will operate the same basic way.
     

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  23. EDMO added a post in a topic Valdez fly in   

    Unfortunately, the King spends $1000 for every $1 you pay in!   How long and how much will it take to pay off $17+TRILLION?
    My biggest question is:  WHO got all that money?  I haven't seen where even $1 Trillion bought anything!
    Even his $100 Million golfing weekends don't add up to that much!
    And, he has the nerve to cut the pensions of the retired military that he never served in!
    edmo
    Sorry, guess I corrupted the Valdez post - Hope they have a good time there and post photos.
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  24. akflyer added a post in a topic Valdez fly in   

    unfortunately, I pay more than I care to.. as in I could but a 180 ever 2-3 years for what I pay the SOB.
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  25. akflyer added a post in a topic Calaveras flight video   

    nice vid.  Good decision.  Too many times in the past I let the get there itis take all options away but forging ahead and sucking the seat up my ass.  I like tree top flying, but not when its my only option
     

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