Cont. A-40 or A-50?

I'm curious if anyone can comment on what the parts availability for
these two engines is. Are they becoming too rare to maintain
adequetely? Anyone have any experience flying behind one?
I saw a Heath Parasol at OSH that had an A-40 and a Porterfield with
an A-50, and I recently picked up the book: "Flying with 40 Horses" by
Chet Peek and was curious if anyone out there still flies with these
engine, or have they all gone with C-65's?

Thanks,
Ryan in Madison

" wrote in
oups.com:

I'm curious if anyone can comment on what the parts availability for
these two engines is. Are they becoming too rare to maintain
adequetely? Anyone have any experience flying behind one?
I saw a Heath Parasol at OSH that had an A-40 and a Porterfield with
an A-50, and I recently picked up the book: "Flying with 40 Horses" by
Chet Peek and was curious if anyone out there still flies with these
engine, or have they all gone with C-65's?


There's a good few still flying of both types. With all engines of this
vintage you have to get a bit creative with parts, though. Things like
rings and valves can usually be gotten from some other engine or if they're
only close, then modified to fit. For instance, there's a Ford tractor
ring that fits the a-50 perfectly. It's not a certified part, but it is
exactly the same ring that the manual calls for, just without a tag.
Mags and carbs can be dealt with easily and there's not a lot else to the
things anyway. You'll end up with a garage full of parts engines if you're
smart, though.
Look at it this way, a lot of OX-5s are still flying. It's all do-able as
long as you're dedicated and not afraid of the work and $$$.


Bertie

Bertie,
Thanks for the reply. What have you worked on/flown/owned that had one
of these engines? I'm curious the particular aircraft that people have
had experience on/with.
Is the A-50 dual ignition?
Can one use a non-certified part (like a ford tractor ring) on a plane
with an ATC? Or is it a matter of don't ask, don't tell?
I'm not an A&P, so I'm coming at this from the perspective of an
enthusiast pilot, who doesn't necessarily know what the devil is in
the details (yet...).

Thanks again.

Ryan

" wrote in
oups.com:

Bertie,
Thanks for the reply. What have you worked on/flown/owned that had one
of these engines? I'm curious the particular aircraft that people have
had experience on/with.


I've flown a J-2 and owned an early Luscombe 8. Flew a chief with an a-
50 once as well.

Is the A-50 dual ignition?


Some are some aren't. I'm not sure of the designation differences,
though or if it was converted after or what the story is there.


Can one use a non-certified part (like a ford tractor ring) on a plane
with an ATC? Or is it a matter of don't ask, don't tell?

Uh, bit of both, really. I have a Le Blond at the moment an Le Blond
owners are using all sorts of stuff on their engines to keep them going.
Valve springs in particular are like hen's teeth, but there's a guy
who's remanufacturing them now. Up til then people were using O-200
springs.
It's all done pretty openly, basically because there's no other way to
keep the things running.By the way, the tractor rings are actually the
same rings, just not certified. same TRW part number, just no tags.

I'm not an A&P, so I'm coming at this from the perspective of an
enthusiast pilot, who doesn't necessarily know what the devil is in
the details (yet...).


I'm not one either, but if you can work on a lawnmower you can keep an
a-40 going. Just for instance, if it's running rich, you take the carb
apart and bend the float valve arm down about 1/16th of an inch at the
end and then try again... They're pretty agricultural.

Don't get the idea I'm expert with these things. Place you want to ask
is rec.aviation.homebuilt. There're people there that could strip either
one of those engines blindfolded.


Bertie

Is there a TBO for the A-40 or A-50?
I've been trolling around the internet, and can't find a whole lot of
background info on the engines in contemporary use today.

Thanks for the responses!

-Ryan

In article .com,
" wrote:

Is there a TBO for the A-40 or A-50?
I've been trolling around the internet, and can't find a whole lot of
background info on the engines in contemporary use today.

Ryan, you might check a Continental parts catalog.
I think I was told that many of the O-200 parts will work or have the
same part number as the old A-65's.