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Thread: Corvair in a Kitfox

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    British Columbia
    Posts
    6

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    Matt
    Good choice, tested and proven. It will be interesting to see the carb heat plumbing when your completed.
    regards Joe

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Sprague River, Or
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    As soon as we begin (December 18?) I will start posting pics. All of those issues will be addressed. This will be a direct conversion from an O200 to a corvair.

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Sprague River, Or
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    Quote Originally Posted by jwhetnall View Post
    Matt
    Good choice, tested and proven. It will be interesting to see the carb heat plumbing when your completed.
    regards Joe
    The original filter box will be used and the exhaust muff comes as a kit to be welded on site. I'll be posting this. The Corvair is very flat and the carb is in the back. A YouTube video titled "Corvair powered wagabond" shows my likely cowl mod required for this placement. For now I intend to do minimum changes to get in the air as close to original as possible. Later I hope to design a whole new cowl to accomidate the newer engine more properly. SPA provides a good nosebowl to get started with.

  4. #14

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Sprague River, Or
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    Engine assembly has begun. Joe at LSA aviation is starting to test fit pieces and is prepping for paint.

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Sprague River, Or
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    Got started today. The work begins with replacing the windshield. I removed the old one. The new one has to be fitted before assembly as it was intended for a 7 but according to the website I think it will fit the 5 as well. That will hopefully happen tomorrow.

    Until I get word back from Joe to proceed on that I will start with step one of the new installation. Clearing the firewall. All of the connections wires cables and tubes have to be removed from the firewall for new locations for the new motor. I will start posting pics on that if I work on it tomorrow as that directly relates to the conversion. All the other work that doesn't relate will be skipped so as to not complicate the conversion process.

    Joe is still test fitting the engine but I believe the assembly might begin tomorrow. He gave me a small task of stripping the two valve covers for paint as they came in rough black and we are going for shiny smooth red. I'm excited to get any task on the engine as it saves me money and gives me some time and investment in my own motor.

    During the day the aircraft will be in a temporary carport tent outside where I can work on it. In the evening when Joe gets home we will return it to the main heated hangar where work will continue. Temps are currently around 5-10 in the morning rising to the high teens to low twenties. Snow is about 16 inches so far. I will be employing a few heaters and some of my ranching clothes to complete this project. One thing I haven't thought of yet is the fact that that snow is also on the airstrip here. I won't cross that bridge until I get there.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Sprague River, Or
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    One little additional note. I mentioned in a previous post that I had visited Jpitkin and learned a lot from his project. On a test stand he used plenums to break in his motor and I really liked how that looked. Not realizing that it is only intended for use on a break in stand I planned on using that idea in my aircraft. Upon reading more on the flycorvair website I realized that this had been tried to some disastrous results. Looks good, been tried, doesn't work. High speed aircraft have had some success but we really want to make sure this installation is by-the-book. I will be making baffling for this conversion and unless William Wynne or Dan Weseman says it's ok I won't be diverting from the manual.

  7. #17

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Sprague River, Or
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    Ok a day of progress. This is the starting point
    Attached Images Attached Images

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Sprague River, Or
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    We start by clearing the firewall. In this case we are going to replace the top half of the firewall to help eliminate some holes and get a cleaner installation. When I was done it looked like this.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  9. #19

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Sprague River, Or
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    Quote Originally Posted by jwhetnall View Post
    Hello Matt
    I have been following you post about the Corvair engine with much interest. Just a question, do you plan on installing a fuel hand primer pump to help in the starting of the engine? and if you do will it inject the fuel into one or both intake tubes?
    Regards Joe
    I did get to see about how the priming situation while I was working. The O200 had a primer but the Corvair will be using the accelerator pump off the carb for priming.

  10. #20

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Sprague River, Or
    Posts
    52

    Default Re: Corvair in a Kitfox

    Currently I am reworking the wiring. The Corvair change requires a couple of wires. I will start out by only having one cht and one egt. This is the most basic requirement. Oil pressure will be electric sent by the original equipment used on the 0200. The oil temp is basic. Using the old style screw in probe and the original display instrument. The tach is a little more involved. The original was mechanical fed off the O200, whereas the new tach is fed off a Hall effect sensor counting teeth on the ring gear. This requires a new tach. While not the cheapest my choice is the mgl RV-1 rev counter digital tach which can read a Hall effect counter.

    An additional three position (on off on) switch will provide the selection between 2 different ignition systems built into one distributor. Also an additional 2 position (on off) switch will be used for the fuel pump this will be run through a 5a breaker.

    While doing this additional work I found some substandard work and am replacing some wiring (like all of it and all wrong sized breakers). In the meantime my mount and motor are running a little later than expected so it's a good time to work on it seeing as I'm home for the next two months.

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