" 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