Model IV Edge Performance EFI, Panel, and Other Miscellaneous Upgrades

Good day all! I want to document this small project so others can get some ideas of what to do or not to do.

SpiritFox is a model IV -1200, 912 ULS, with a 72" IVO Prop. I've had some issues with the carburetors and decided to upgrade to EFI, and while I'm doing that I decided to do a whole bunch of other items as well. They are as follows:

Engine:
1. Edge Performance EFI
2. New coolant, fuel, and oil lines
3. Relocate the oil tank to the port side vice on top of the engine
4. Reduce the oil tank height by 23 mm
5. Relocate the expansion tank to the starboard side
6. Service the gearbox (completed)
7. 36" McVernier Throttle cable

Prop:
1. 72" Luga prop

Panel:
1. Garmin G5 (hooked up to the Aera 660)
2. GTR-200B with music input (hooked up to the Aera 660)
3. GTX-335
5. Garmin Aera 660
6. Vigilus FlyBox
7. iPad mini (mounted with a Guardian iPad mini mount and power supply)
8. 30A Tyco circuit breaker switch (for backup battery)
9. DigiKey switches
10. Klixon 7277 circuit breakers
11. iLevil 3 AW (Wifi to iPad and Aera 660, ADS-B in, and will use WingX Pro app)
12. Red LED fuel low light

Fuselage:
1. Replace starboard flaperon push pull tube in between the flaperon horn and mixing assembly (found slightly bent)
2. New fuel lines
3. Relocate radiator further forward (may do this in preparation for the Shock Monster Gear upgrade later on, but don't know how much of a pain it will be to move it.

Electrical:
1. All new wiring
2. x2 Shorai batteries (LFX18A1-BS12) [2.19 lbs]
3. Aveo Powerburst Daylight Light Set
4. Landing lights

Additionally, I'm going to be re-basing the conditional inspection as well as 100 & 200 hour inspections on the 912. This way when I get up and running I can fly without having to worry about breaking everything down again.

The attached pic with the panel cutout is not the final panel. Calling myself out on this one, as I screwed up and placed the circuit breaker holes 1.5 mm too close to one another and the screws on the backside will not allow the installation of any terminals.

I'm hoping this helps out someone later on down the road. Stay safe all, and I look forward to the conversations and inputs in the future.

Where do you keep your airplane, Ferguson? I spent a few months in Gulf Shores this winter, and did a flight review in the Legend cub there. Nice field other then the low airspace when you take off toward the south. Stay busy on the Fox, maybe I can look you up next winter. JImChuk

Interested to see how you do this. Please post lots of photos.

is there anywhere to buy a blank instrument panel for the IV or did you fabricate it yourself?

Good luck!!

What did it weigh before? What do you think it will weigh after?

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Originally Posted by avidflyer

Where do you keep your airplane, Ferguson? I spent a few months in Gulf Shores this winter, and did a flight review in the Legend cub there. Nice field other then the low airspace when you take off toward the south. Stay busy on the Fox, maybe I can look you up next winter. JImChuk

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I’ m at 2R4. There are a lot of airspace idiosyncrasies here because of all the flight training we do. Anytime you’re in the area message me and I’ll show you around. Barring we are past this whole pandemic thing! Stay safe out there.

Basic weight is 756 lbs. Weight savings will come from the panel, EFI, and LED lights. The panel is already 5 to 6 lbs lighter, minus about 6 to 7 for EFI (educated guess), and 2.1 lbs for the LEDs. So around 13 lbs on the conservative side.

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Originally Posted by ryflypeterson

is there anywhere to buy a blank instrument panel for the IV or did you fabricate it yourself?

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Kitfox sells the blank panel for about $165. I opted to have my panel cut using sendcutsend.com. Excellent company with quick turnaround.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Av8r3400

Interested to see how you do this. Please post lots of photos.

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Will do! I will definitely be asking lots of questions and hoping to answer them as well. I look to the Mangy Fox and others for inspiration no doubt! There are going to be some decisions that I’m still on the fence about and hopefully with some expert advice we can get through them and on to flying. Long time before that happens though!

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Originally Posted by Podunc

Kitfox sells the blank panel for about $165. I opted to have my panel cut using sendcutsend.com. Excellent company with quick turnaround.

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Thanks for the Info, do you by chance have a cad file of the panel?