Yamma-Fox

I like the paint job.  Cool!

But did laugh at the 8x6 "tundra tires" !

What motor is hanging on there?

That's pretty nice!  Production quality jig.

Let me know when you start making RX1 mounts and I'll buy one!

(If ya just had an rx1 motor laying around.. then I could send ya the soob mount and you could build off that...)

Yeah.  Predicting cg is gonna be complicated:  going to floats, tailwheel and gear off, ventral fin, water rudder.....

Luckily its full lotus, where you can easily "slide" the floats fore or aft to help a little in the end.

Unfortunately gotta pull my soob off.  Might end up switching out to the Yamaha Genesis  (RX1). 

Wondering if you guys have any tips on how to align and locate (prop flange coming out of cowl in the right place) a new engine.

I had a crazy idea (they all are...) to build an alignment jig out of 2x4.  Bolt it above cockpit to wing center section, run a 2x4 out front of the nose up high, then another down to touch the center of the soob prop flange.

When new motor goes on just get the new prop flange touching jig at same location, set angle, then tack the motor mount together.

Never done anything like this before...  I'm sure there is a better way!

Aw.....  Crap!

Went fishing in the remote oil reservoir with a telescoping magnet (my soob is a dry sump system).

Found some more junk.   All appears to be part of the same component.  Strange but the largest curved black piece appears to be painted!

The other pieces are malformed quite a bit... like they've been crunching around awhile. 

I can't see any way around a full tear down and inspect.  I gotta know what is going on in there.

Wish it were an airboat, then I'd just run the hell out of it and see what happens!

I know that feeling!  

10yrs ago in my KF2.  Took off with 4 gall in the "lap" tank behind the instrument panel, flipped the gravity drain valve open for the (full) aux wing tank.

Fly along a bit and I only have 2 gall in lower tank!?? (Later found xfer line was airlocked).

Made it to the airport... but eyeing roads and fields even more than normal.

But I really found it interesting how much I was talking myself out of a precautionary landing on a quiet country road....  Not good ADM!

Besides, it was my perfect excuse to exercise emergency authority and land on a road (something I have always wanted to do!)

Since that day, I have a new way of looking at the precautionary landing decision.

Thanks for all the input guys! 

Good advice.

And for an Update:  

Yesterday i pulled the oil pan and drained the remote reservoir (retaining old oil for analysis if necessary).

There were absolutely NO other visible objects in the oil or the pan.  Next I will run a magnet down in the remote oil reservoir and see if anything is down there (those two chunks in the picture were magnetic).  I will also put the dial caliper on those chunks and compare that to the filter wall thickness where the holes were punched.  They seem similar... but they are not perfect punch blanks either.

I will still send the untouched filter and those two chunks to my a&p to open up and inspect.  I would rather have another set of eyes look it over.  He is out in deer camp now, so I'll get that done next week.

So for now, things are looking promising.

Great,  this plane hit the skies in 1997, so hopefully i am in the new rules (concerning magor alterations).

The airplane is 15 mi away.... but now that you mention it, i think the op lims were in the plane docs when i checked it over prior to purchase.

I did order up another copy from the faa just now as well.

I'll update the post once i get a look at the details.

I learned a ton here.  Thanks guys!

Great.   Got it.  Yeah i went through the big box of docs that came with the airplane but have not come across the big copy of oplims. (But I did learn alot about my bird paging through the builders manual / logs!)

Thanks a ton guys!  I'm a new guy when it comes to the eab stuff (and new to eaa). This info will help when i meet the local chapter.  Now I'll at least know my head from my tail!

Sure glad to be free from the bleeping certified side!   (I was almost becoming "certifiable".... couldn't even stick on a 1oz plastic GoPro mount without a bleeping field approval!!)

Thanks guys!  Are the operating limitations spelled out in entirety on the special airworthiness certificate?

And it looks like I'll definetely be going to phase 1 then, for the float install and wing extensions.  And also if I go with the Yamaha Genesis conversion.

So what would be the easiest way to jump through all those paperwork hoops?

If I understand  what you are saying Ed, I should get my op limitations changed to the new type before I go to work.

This topic has been hashed before I am sure, but what are your guys interpretations on the A&P signoff requirement.

Lets narrow this down:  Non-builder (no reapirmans certificate) does work on his EAB aircraft (above and beyond routine mx... say, rebuild his non cert engine) (a scenario near and dear to me )

I ran across this post in the eaa forums and found a knowledgeable and seemingly reputable member post this:

-----------------

Clarification: The work does not have to be specifically signed off by an A&P...it is not necessary to gain A&P approval before returning the airplane to service. Rather, during the next Conditional Inspection, the A&P will assess whether the aircraft is airworthy, INCLUDING the work that you'd done.

I'm in exactly that situation: I extensively modified the electrical system of my Fly Baby, and have been flying it with no problems for the past two months. My Condition Inspection is due, and I've told my A&P about the modifications and warned him that the annual might take a bit more time as he examines my work.

--------------

No one in the post raised objection to that comment.  I hope it is accurate.

What do you guys say?

(Source:  http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?2088-I-m-confused-about-the-maintenance-and-annuals-on-an-experimental-I-purchase  )

Wouldn't take much money at this point in time!!

I might be the guy to help you fulfill that wish Ed!

And the local aero shop has the filter now, I'll have them check for the "hanging chad" (filter punch blanks) possibility.

Logbook just shows regular changes done by owner.  Nothing specified about any f.o.d. or filter inspections.

You guys are right, for sure it would be quickest and cheapest to long block it or diy overhaul.  From what I've seen so far it looks like signs of early failure (although I wonder what bigger pieces might be "grinding away" on the other side of the oil pump).

Below is a crappy pic showing two chunks of something wedged in the two holes upper and left of the "6c" stamp.  I will bring the filter out to the fbo here and have them pull it apart and do a more detailed inspection.

It just wish I would have gotten to fly it a bit, and gain some of the "sooby love" that others speak of who have the engine.

But without that warm fuzzy I look at that motor like it's the guy that wants to take my daughter out on her first date... and now that i look closer i see he's got tattoos with bad insignias (like an oil filter with metal chunks in it)

Might be a great guy after a little fixing.... maybe.... but do I REALLY want to go down that road!

Thanks guys.  

Yeah, it's a tough one.  It will depend a lot on what kind of guy the seller is!  Best argument I can make to him is simply "how would you feel if you were in my shoes".  I know that I would feel responsible to help in a reasonable way....  we'll see if he feels the same.

As far as rebuilding the soob, i wish i could have flown it a bit to see how well it worked!!  I likely would go through it it if was putting out the nsi promised 118hp, but i am unsure after talking with may dad who rode along for the short test flight.  And finding other nsi components to keep it running over the long haul gives me pause as well.

Yeah I know... your first instinct will say "buyer beware", but this is a little different. 

Short story:  Look over airplane and logs, go up with owner on test flight, all seems good. Pay, load up, trailer home.  Decide to do an oil change on the Subaru nsi e81, pull oil filter......  find big chunks of metal on filter input ports (will pos pics tomorrow).

Head hangs low... close my eyes and shake my head.

Plan to call seller this week.

Question is:  How would you treat a buyer if he found that on something you sold.   He seemed like a really honest guy, and I am sure he had no knowledge of the problem.

Keep in mind that I never even started up the motor.  Didn't even turn it over once!  In my mind it would be a totally different deal if I was running it or flying it around  (even a few hours).  Then it would be difficult to determine under who's watch the damage occured.

What do you guys think?

Why not the rx1 snowmo muffler?

Put mine in that assembly line too!!

Got my RX1 all tuned up and ready for snow testing yesterday.  Service manual calls for oil filter change every 12,000 miles ( 350 snow hours)!  Mine still had factory filter on it, which will be nice since i can dissect it and see whats been in the "bloodstream".

Yeah, send some info on the powerplant and prop when you can.  Nothing better than having beta range!

Glad Steve made it home OK!

Few thoughts to add into the think tank:

1.  Make sure to check the output shaft bearing on the engine.  If it starts to go bad, the clutch would wobble and vibrate, putting alot of stress on that gearcase bearing.

2. Some people have reported clutches that were out of balance (think they weighed each puck to see if they were the equal).  If a snowmo clutch is out of balance far enough it can take out the engines pto bearing (or in this case a gearbox bearing)

3.  I think steve had a prop harmonic issue a while back with another ratio.  If that was bad enough do you think it could have damaged the gearbox?

Also, If you guys haven't talked to Tony at Twisted Metal Racing, it would well worth your time to add his expertise.  He designed the clutch 20 yrs ago and has been selling it (and the c box) ever since.  He has told me of successful applications over 200 hp, and other applications (commercial airboat) that take a LOT more abuse than in airplanes.

A "few new cuss words".....  

Understatement.

X2 on circlip installer.

Me had a one of em damn things fly away like akflyer says.

Looked around the shop for 40 min, couldn't find....

Yeah... you guessed it!

And YES, I did have the opening to the crankcase plugged!

How?   I will never know!!

Ran for 3 min.....   tick, tick, tick,  kaboom!

Guess that gives me a lot of "authority"

I carry a antigavity pocket start to boost with if needed...  guess from now on  I'll be packing it over a void with only fabric underneath.  If she lights up, quick burn through and look out below!

Ok.... A lot of info there.   But, back to this topic, I guess the info above does validate the clutch designer's claim on the 670 HP, which is a good thing.

It means he is not exaggerating, or stretching the facts in that part of his statement, which adds validity to the rest of his statement.

I will edit out my above comment questioning his claim that the power output of the 670 is equivalent to the Yamaha Genesis.

The above quote from the designer seems to support the idea that the clutch will hold a considerable load as long as it is fully engaged (higher rpm).  

It would be interesting to know more details on the 200+ HP applications.

I can only assume that this guy has many many years of his life wrapped into the design, sale, and follow up with this clutch.  Unless he is overestimating it for some reason, his confidence in it is encouraging.