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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
I was thumbing through a catalog from Speedway Motors. They advertise
a magneto-type distributor. Assuming you didn't come across a thrashed race engine with magnetos, couldn't someone put together an engine worthy of aircraft use, by simply 1) ordering an aftermarket engine with fuel injection, such as the chevy "RamJet" crate engine, 2) adding a dry sump lubrication system to it (not too strange addition to high perf cars nowadays), and 3)-adding the magneto from Speedway. Use direct drive to keep the RPM low and reliability high. I doubt that today's hi perf crate engines lack the torque to turn a prop at 1:1. If this is unsafe, specifically why? I know someone could fly within 100 miles of a t-storm and have the static electricity play with the ignition system, but stop a magneto? If you were struck with lightning, your auto-engine might stop, but then your resin might burn and melt, leaving you with some loose fiberglass to negotiate a crash. Point I'm making is, experimental planes near t-storms have bigger probs to worry about, don't they? BTW, that magneto appears to be offered just for big and small block chevy's. Aside from that, the models they carry are "nostalgia engines"...1950 hemis, flat head fords and the like. Another caveat: they cost $1100...but even with that and a $1200 dry sump system, we are still way under the cost of an O-540. |
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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
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#3
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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
On Aug 25, 4:25*am, Philippe wrote:
wrote: Another caveat: they cost $1100...but even with that and a $1200 dry sump system, we are still way under the cost of an O-540. * *and you are over the weight of an O-540... But *it will fly -- Volem rien foutre al païs! * * Philippe Vessaire *Ò¿Ó¬ ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com** not if it's an aluminum aftermarket racing block. i don't think GM's ramjet crate engine is offered with aluminum blocks though...but in all honesty, there are a dozen shops that could make an alloy ramjet chevy engine in their sleep. i suspect an alloy chevy small block weighs less than an O-540, and an alloy chevy big block weighs a little more...so you get to choose. i assume you need a radiator, but not a psru. given the output of the big block in the neighborhood of 500hp, maybe it would be fair to compare it's weight/fuel consumption to a TSIO-540 or normally aspirated O-720 or PT6 turboprop. my reason for starting this thread is simple...i've read a lot of "mad scientist/decades of refinement" auto conversion stories...only to see this magneto option in a consumer catalog as a 2 wire bolt in! i realize magnetos are in $18,000-48,000 corporate-sponsored race engines, but then you'd just as well buy a 220hp Franklin for the same money. |
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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
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#5
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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
nope...you'd have a tough time getting fuel injection / dry sump in a
corvair motor too. if you don't mind carbs, and like the 1960s engines, you could also consider a buick aluminum ...in fact, you could look for a shop that specializes in making range rover V8 w/EFI work outside of their OEM environment. range rover was essentially a small aluminum buick v8....but i think it was discontinued around 2000. still, the range rover engine is probably a lot easier to find than the buick version. but you'd probably end up with 33% more weight than the corvair On Aug 25, 8:35*am, Gig 601Xl Builder wrote: wrote: BTW, that magneto appears to be offered just for big and small block chevy's. *Aside from that, the models they carry are "nostalgia engines"...1950 hemis, flat head fords and the like. *Another caveat: they cost $1100...but even with that and a $1200 dry sump system, we are still way under the cost of an O-540. Did they have one for the Corvair? |
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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
On Aug 25, 3:48*pm, "
wrote: I was thumbing through a catalog from Speedway Motors. *They advertise a magneto-type distributor. *Assuming you didn't come across a thrashed race engine with magnetos, couldn't someone put together an engine worthy of aircraft use, by simply 1) ordering an aftermarket engine with fuel injection, such as the chevy "RamJet" crate engine, 2) adding a dry sump lubrication system to it (not too strange addition to high perf cars nowadays), and 3)-adding the magneto from Speedway. *Use direct drive to keep the RPM low and reliability high. I doubt that today's hi perf crate engines lack the torque to turn a prop at 1:1. If this is unsafe, specifically why? I know someone could fly within 100 miles of a t-storm and have the static electricity play with the ignition system, but stop a magneto? If you were struck with lightning, your auto-engine might stop, but then your resin might burn and melt, leaving you with some loose fiberglass to negotiate a crash. *Point I'm making is, experimental planes near t-storms have bigger probs to worry about, don't they? BTW, that magneto appears to be offered just for big and small block chevy's. *Aside from that, the models they carry are "nostalgia engines"...1950 hemis, flat head fords and the like. *Another caveat: they cost $1100...but even with that and a $1200 dry sump system, we are still way under the cost of an O-540. How about this one: http://www.vertical-aviation.com/press.aspx?pr_id=53 |
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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
On Aug 25, 9:06*pm, JohnO wrote:
On Aug 25, 3:48*pm, " wrote: I was thumbing through a catalog from Speedway Motors. *They advertise a magneto-type distributor. *Assuming you didn't come across a thrashed race engine with magnetos, couldn't someone put together an engine worthy of aircraft use, by simply 1) ordering an aftermarket engine with fuel injection, such as the chevy "RamJet" crate engine, 2) adding a dry sump lubrication system to it (not too strange addition to high perf cars nowadays), and 3)-adding the magneto from Speedway. *Use direct drive to keep the RPM low and reliability high. I doubt that today's hi perf crate engines lack the torque to turn a prop at 1:1. If this is unsafe, specifically why? I know someone could fly within 100 miles of a t-storm and have the static electricity play with the ignition system, but stop a magneto? If you were struck with lightning, your auto-engine might stop, but then your resin might burn and melt, leaving you with some loose fiberglass to negotiate a crash. *Point I'm making is, experimental planes near t-storms have bigger probs to worry about, don't they? BTW, that magneto appears to be offered just for big and small block chevy's. *Aside from that, the models they carry are "nostalgia engines"...1950 hemis, flat head fords and the like. *Another caveat: they cost $1100...but even with that and a $1200 dry sump system, we are still way under the cost of an O-540. How about this one:http://www.vertical-aviation.com/press.aspx?pr_id=53- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - that's a nice engine. everyone says "ooh -- auto...dangerous" but no one can explain exactly why. let's shrug on exactly why that gm engine will get us killed, and just pay $38,000 for a 180hp engine. ...or let's pay 6000 for a 2 stroke 80hp engine and hope people dont laugh. i can appreciate the engineering/advantages of aircraft turbine engines, but the piston engines are overrated. given the choice of a 2 stroke rotax airplane, or a VW 4 stroke conversion, most mechanics agree the VW engine is safer!!! |
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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:07:46 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote: everyone says "ooh -- auto...dangerous" but no one can explain exactly why. 1. Ignition systems with insufficient redundancy. 2. PSRU failures. 3. Difficulty in implementing efficient liquid cooling systems. Ron Wanttaja |
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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
On Aug 27, 1:14*am, Ron Wanttaja wrote:
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:07:46 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: everyone says "ooh -- auto...dangerous" but no one can explain exactly why. 1. Ignition systems with insufficient redundancy. 2. PSRU failures. 3. Difficulty in implementing efficient liquid cooling systems. Ron Wanttaja The ignition system redundancy is surmountable but doing so will increase weight as does the PSRU. However PSRU and liquid cooled engines predate the current trend of using high preformance automobile engines. This however does not infer that problems and short service life of the PSRU and engine have not always been an issue with avaition engines. Joe |
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A Simple Auto Engine Conversion
Ron Wanttaja wrote:
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:07:46 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: everyone says "ooh -- auto...dangerous" but no one can explain exactly why. 1. Ignition systems with insufficient redundancy. 2. PSRU failures. 3. Difficulty in implementing efficient liquid cooling systems. But doesn't the Rotax 912 have reduction gearing and liquid cooling? It is getting put into an awful lot of aircraft models - particularly LSAs. |
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