Activity Stream

Activity Stream



  1. danko7 added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Avid MK4 thrust line
    Hi group,

    Can anybody advise if the thrust line on Avid MK4 models has a fixed location, or it can be offset up and down depending on the engine type.
    Where is the point where the thrust line intersects the MK4 firewall,and does the line run perpendicular to the firewall ?

    I have no cowl and mount yet. My manual does not say anything.

    Thanks,
    Dan
    • 6 replies
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  2. C5Engineer added a post in a topic Flight testing   

    The engine swap is complete. I put an hour on my bird today doing some testing. This engine pulls way harder than my old one. I'm getting the type of performance I expected out of my Avid the first time around now. I was doing pattern work in 12 knots of wind today. From a dead stop my takeoff rolls were less than 5 seconds. My bird is 533 I'm 180 and I had 15 gallons on board. I was very impressed. Climbs to pattern altitude were pushing 1200fpm. The winds were helping me out quite a bit. It seems to cruise about the same however the hole I opened up in the front of my cowl changed the way the air flows and it seems to be louder in the cabin now. I'm going to have to build a cover or something to cover that up. It's always something with these things...the projects and mods never end.... I love it!
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  3. C5Engineer added a post in a topic Needle Tachs suck!   


    Randy I just stayed right over the top of the airport for about 20 minutes so no good numbers yet. I did open it wide open to be sure it was not going to over rev in flight. I was staring at the tach and egts and realized it was getting really loud and I glanced over at my airspeed and it pegged at 100mph so I chopped the power. I'm getting about 6400 straight and level wide open and 1100 degrees on the EGT's. I'm still getting a little toasty at 4800-5000 which is where I cruise a lot when down low and slow so might drop the needle down another notch. I'm not exceeding 1200 but it's getting right up there. Some guys say you should run them like that to prevent carbon build up..what do you guys think? I'm trying to stick a tad on the lean side down here at Sea Level so it's not slobbering rich when I head up to the 3-4000ft MSL strips in the hills I plan on flying to alot this summer.

    As far as the blue head vs silver head a lot of guys think the blue head is making a few more horsepower. I discussed this with the guy that built my engine yesterday and he agrees. He uses the same gearbox/prop to do all his break ins and he said a blue head just seems to pull harder and run better overall. I've never seen anything to back this up though. I can tell you that this engine is way smoother than the other one. I always thought my prop was slightly out of balance because I've always had a slight vibration. That is totally gone now and I'm still running the same prop and gearbox. I did replace all my prop mounting hardware and clamping blocks and I tore my gearbox totally apart..maybe that did it??? I'm thinking it's the engine itself though.Maybe I had a crank bearing on it's way out or something. I asked for a full report on my old engine when he tears it down just to satisfy my old curiousity.

    Like I said I was using my needle tach exclusively on the old engine so I'm thinking I have been running the RPMs low for a while. I was getting 900fpm solo before so it could not have that low but I saw 12-1400 yesterday here at Sea Level, 50 degrees, and a 12kt headwind. I know this engine has more power but I don't think it's that much more. I'm thinking I was only running 6000 rpms or so before.
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  4. akflyer added a post in a topic Joannes High EGT's   


    I will go take a look at one tomorrow. I know the caps screw on, and every other coil I have seen screwed the wire into it and that is all that holds it on.
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  5. akflyer added a post in a topic Needle Tachs suck!   

    Been there done that. Every needle tach I have seen is way off on the top end. I have seen, just as you have, a perfectly good kitfox or avid turned into an anemic piece of shit due to turning 750 to 1000 RPM low on take off.. hell, that is barely a good cruise RPM let alone trying to take off.

    Glad you got it figured out! I used the hole my needle tach was in for the fuel flow meter. Best trade I ever did


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  6. akflyer added a post in a topic GPS   


    I use a Garmin 295 color and while it is a great GPS, I used my brothers 495 and now am kicking rocks at mine. The screen, terrain avoidance etc kick the crap out of the 295. He found a place to lease the 495 for 10 months at 150 a month, then it's yours. Makes it a little easier than putting out 1500 up front when you could be using that for gas to fly!


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  7. akflyer added a post in a topic Hello?   


    I am back from the trip.. was good flying most of the time, but the trip up sucked when I got separated from Mark in a snow storm and his radio was on the fritz (ended up being a loose antenna wire). I ended up making the cabin the first night, but Mark had to set down on the river about 20 miles from the cabin and spend the night at a lodge. Weather cleared up the next morning and he made it to the cabin. Spent 3 days burning lots of expensive gas, having waaaayyy to many toddies at the Cabin and lodge down the lake.

    Hopefully the pics and vids came out so when I get done downloading them I will edit and post the up.


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  8. horsepower added a post in a topic Needle Tachs suck!   

    Awesome, now its time to have some fun.Do you have a better cruise now or is a just more on the takeoff.I was just curious if the bluehead has more power because its the old one was worn out or do they put out a little more zip than the greyheads? Probably a little of both.Good job on the swap. Randy
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  9. C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Needle Tachs suck!
    On my first full power run after my engine install I thought I was seriously over revving my engine so I added pitch until it read 6600 rpm on my needle tach. I installed a Tiny Tach when I did the engine install too and it was consistently reading 5700. I was 100% sure my engine was turning more rpms than that so I called Steve at Tiny Tach and tried all their tricks to get it to read correctly.. None of them worked. Steve and I was convinced I got the wrong model so he sent me out a new one.

    In the meantime I tried to fly my plane and it was running like crap. It did not accelerate like it should and if you saw my other thread at around 50ft it would start losing RPM's. I was convinced I had a fuel starvation issue and have spent the last three days trying to track it down.

    Fast forward to this morning. The first thing I did was swap in another fuel pump I had that I knew was good... Didn't change a thing. The next thing I did was pull my Tiny Tach off my Powered Parachute that I also knew was good. I hooked it up to the other coil so I'd have two different sources... at this point I had THREE tachs in my plane. I fired it up and went to full power and lone behold it read 5700...exactly the same as the other one. MY ENGINE WAS ONLY TURNING 5700RPM!!!!!! No freakin wonder it was running like crap it was severely overloaded. I took 4 degrees out and got it so that it was turning 6500 rpm static on the tiny tach. NOW were making some horsepower!!

    I put the cowling on and taxied out. We had a 12kt wind straight down the pipe. I threw the throttle open and almost went through the back of my seat! I was airborn in 50ft and the engine purred like a kitten at 6300 throughout the climb. It climbs WAY better than it did with the old engine and never missed a beat. I flew it for 30 minutes.

    LESSONS LEARNED... If you overload your prop enough a 582 with a 2.62:1 gearbox wont pull it. It's the same as lugging your truck...eventually it just starts shutting down. That's why I was losing rpms.. in the climb is when you have the greatest load on your engine. At 5700 I was barely in the powerband. When it was all said and done my needle tach reads 7100rpm at WOT!!! It's pretty much worthless now. I'm pretty sure I've been running my RPM's low this whole time, even with the old engine. I had to adjust my idle even after taking all that pitch out to slow it down.

    Gotta love trying to troubleshoot a two stroke sometimes.. I went down a completely wrong path because of a faulty instrument. I should have trusted the Tiny Tach from the beginning. Anyways what a relief..this was driving me insane.
    • 6 replies
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  10. akflyerbob added a post in a topic Hello?   

    Leni and Mark flew off into 37--40 inches of powder, I'm sure there will
    be some good vidio when they return
    Their up around Skwentna, @ 75 miles NWest of Anchorage
    Haven't had a "Spot" alert so they must be good.
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  11. akflyerbob added a post in a topic Parts Suppliers for Avid and Kitfox   


    ADD on
    Parts arrived in good shape
    Hinge Rib tails (12)
    Root ribs (2) for the Catalina
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  12. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Video   

    Thanks. It's a helmet cam, but it is mounted on the front carry-through tube, at the top of the windshield inside the cockpit.

    I think this is very similar to my camera. Mine is model ATC18-08.
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  13. horsepower added a post in a topic Video   


    Pretty cool,I was always going to mount a camcorder on the roll bar of my race car but never did.That way you could get the full effect of video and audio.The music definately helps a bunch also.Is yours a helmet cam?Or is it mounted up above you? Randy
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  14. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Video   

    I put up another new http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k2dvtyvkAs. Added some sound this time. Tell me what you think...
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  15. Trackwelder added a post in a topic Hello?   

    Probably too busy flying and having fun "tis the season" yep the season that puts a dent in my lesson and building time, can't cover at 15 degrees in an unheated garage and "presents" have taken my flight capital
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  16. Av8r3400 added a post in a topic GPS   

    I have been thinking about the Garmin 196, mostly due to reputation and cost. I've heard some good things about the Lowrance, but now I see they are going to stop making aviation units. This is the problem I have with the Magellan. It's an unsupported orphan.

    The latest AOPA rag has a write up about the new Garmin aero 500 series touch screen portables. It sounds like Garmin is going to stop making the tried and true 196 and 495/6 chassis to push the new touch screen units and the 695/6 units.

    Grrr.
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  17. flattie45 added a post in a topic GPS   

    I use a Garmin Pilot III portable GPS. I am pretty happy with it. It is quite basic, with a small monochrome screen and basic functions. For my VFR flying it fits the bill. It has a small mount that Velcros onto the top of the instrument panel. Although I don't have an external antenna on it, it gets good reception.
    My Searey came with a Garmin 295, with a panel dock and external antenna. I haven't used it beyond turning it on and playing around with it. It has a larger screen, in color, than the Pilot III, but the other features are about the same, i.e. no XM weather, no terrain color coding, etc. Just basic functions. I know they don't make the Pilot III anymore and wouldn't be surprised if the 295 is unavailable as well.
    -Nate
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  18. Av8r3400 added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Hello?
    I'm starting to hear crickets around here again.


    Where is everyone??
    • 16 replies
    • 1,966 views


  19. horsepower added a post in a topic Mikuni Fuel pump issues   


    Joey it sounds like the jetting is right,you say it doesnt accell like it used to, I would put the new pump on and run it on the chocks long enough to get a spark plug reading or maybe do it before the new pump so you can compare the two readings.Check your float levels and eliminate that problem.As far as your tank venting goes doesnt seem likely that one tank would cause that if you are running off of both.My Skyraider uses the plastic tanks that the newer Avids use. The caps are vented but you are supposed to epoxy in a 3 inch tall 1/4 inch alum. tubing.I havent got that far yet but Tim from Skyraider told me to only drill through the first part and epoxy from the out side.When the cap is off and your looking at the inside you should not see the tube.Dont know if yours is like that but you may want to check out.My cap is a Kelch brand. www.kelch.com
    They have a website but dont know if they would know anything on aircraft venting.If the fuel pump change doesnt do it then I would get on the horn with the engine guy to eliminate any thing else such as a crankcase pressure leak or a rotary valve timing problem. Good Luck Randy
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  20. C5Engineer added a post in a topic Mikuni Fuel pump issues   

    Randy the carbs are new but they were jetted per the Rotax jetting chart. I'm 20ft and the temp has been right at 60 so the conditions are perfect for the uncorrected chart. I have all the numbers for my old carbs. I was running a 158 main jet and now I'm at a 165. Even before it starts to quit it's not making the kind of power my old one was. It just doesn't accelerate like I used to. I'm a 4000x75 paved strip so more than enough real estate to land on. Like I said this is getting really frustrating. If it did it on the ground or I had high EGT's it would be one thing but to run perfect in the chocks and then crap out while climbing adds a bunch more variables to the equation.

    While laying in bed thinking about it last night I thought of one other thing I changed. I have the aluminum tubes in my fuel caps per the Avid AD. I've been having issues with one side leaking. I used some grey RTV on the inside of the cap to cover up 4 little holes that surrounded where the aluminum tubes come through the inside of the cap. I think they were for the original vent portion of the cap. Does air have to be able to get back out of the fuel system??... That and the fuel pump are the only differences to the fuel system since it ran perfect with the other engine.
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  21. horsepower added a post in a topic GPS   


    Mine is a Lowrance Airmap 600 handheld type, my plane is sitting in my garage with no covering on it so couldnt tell you how it works.There are a couple guys here that use them and they say it works good for the money but if you read the reviews some people complain about the cockpit lighting not being the greatest.From what everybody says its hard to beat a Garmin.The 600 does have terrain awareness but I dont plan on flying my plane when I cant see whats in front of me. Randy
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  22. horsepower added a post in a topic Mikuni Fuel pump issues   


    Are your carbs new or are you using your old ones?Maybe they are not jetted for your field elevation, but does sound more like a starve out condition than lean.Its too bad it wouldnt do it on run up so you wouldnt have to be a test pilot to see if its going to starve out.I would definately start at the beginning of your runway and hopefully its longer than Orofino's.Float levels would definately do that so your guy may be on track. Good Luck Randy
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  23. C5Engineer added a post in a topic Mikuni Fuel pump issues   

    Just got done talking to the guy that sold me the engine and his theory is the float bowl level is low. If the new pump doesn't solve it I guess that's where I'll go next.
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  24. C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar   

    Mikuni Fuel pump issues
    I'm having some serious issues after my engine swap. It will run all day long at 6500rpm in the chocks but everytime I try to take off it starts losing rpms at about 50ft agl. Three times I've had to set it back down on the runway. One of the only variables left is my fuel pump. I'm about positive this is a fuel starvation issue at WOT. It always picks right back up when I pull the power.

    When I had things apart I rebuilt the pump with a Mikuni rebuild kit. I'm pretty damn sure I put it back together exactly how it came apart. I was trying to trouble shoot it and I have a few questions. Today I set the power at about 3500 rpms and then shut off my fuel at the shutoff valve which is on a little panel on the front of my seat. The engine would only run for about 30 seconds and I never saw any bubbles in the line nor did I notice a decrease in the flow on my fuel flow gauge. The lines from the pump to the carbs were dry but the line from the shut off valve to the pump was still full of fuel. When I turned the fuel back on you could watch it refill lines to the carbs (gravity). My theory is that it's only gravity feeding and at WOT with the nose in the climb attitude it's starving. Maybe I screwed something up when I rebuilt it? It has a brand new pulse line with hose clamps that are all tight.

    Wouldn't a Mikuni pump suck the line dry from the shutoff valve up to the pump?? I ordered a brand new spankin pump from CPS today to eliminate it as a culprit. Anybody else have any theories?? I ran it wide open forever today tied down in the chocks and it never missed a beat and my EGT's were at about 1050. It idles smooth as glass and accelerates just fine on command. If this doesn't work I'm going to be at a total loss as to where to go next. This is getting pretty frustrating and I've now missed out on two awesome flying days.
    • 4 replies
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  25. C5Engineer added a post in a topic GPS   

    Garmin 196 here. I got it for pretty cheap from a guy off of Studentpilot.com It does everything I'll ever need. The 296 and up had color displays but it really slowed down the refresh rate.
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