techie49

Hi OK,

I looked at the Rotec unit today on their website. Coincidentally they seem to setting up at Tyabb where the Zodiac lives. I waiting on a price but I've been told around $700 which seems a little pricey .

Sell it to me with some more info.......

Paul

Hi Everyone,

You may remember earlier in the year I was looking for an EJ22 engine or similar.

I looked at the EA81 in the Zodiac and thought how difficult it would be to change to an EJ22, so I've managed to get another EA81 which has come back now from the local engine reconditioner. It's got a nice new set of pistons, reground crank and new bearings all round, including the piston pin end of the con rods, gudgeon pins or piston pins depending on where you come from. The heads have been skimmed and rebuilt too. So all in all it will be almost like starting from new.

What I really need now is some practical help on choosing a carb. John, Bushcaddy 105, I think told me he runs an SU carb on his EA81 but I don't know from what vehicle. It needs to be as large as possible to get the maximum fuel / air mix into the cylinders. I've looked at Weber carbs but they are quite pricey at around $500. If I have to spend that kind of money well fair enough but has anyone out there any practical suggestions based on experience?

Paul.

.

Still on the lookout for a reasonably priced EJ22 or EJ25. Currently looking at scrappers with rear end damage.

Paul

Hi Spacesailor,

I've sent a PM re. the engine.......................

Paul

I can get a 2.5gen3 engine, just had 100,000 service done (runs smooth) Daughters car was rearended ,make an offer before the greedy insurance takes it away

spacesailor

Sounds good. Can you PM me with some more details please. What vehicle, year, and engine type if available and a price range please as I don't want to insult you by making a silly offer. I need to id the engine type as I've been warned off a particular one where if the timing belt breaks, the engine sustains serious damage.

Paul.

Hi PaulI have a full firewall-forward EA81 installation for sale. It's currently operating in my Aeropup and runs beautifully. Have a look at my ad in RAA Online Classifieds and either call or email me to discuss.

Cheers

 

Geoff Pinfold, Scone NSW

Paul

Hi PaulEJ22 is a lovely, bullet-proof Subaru (just as the EA81 is). Problem is it's weight compared to the EA81 when fitted to RaAus registered aircraft. For VH rego, it is relatively easy to fit and program an aftermarket ECU using just the sensors available. I would have gone this path had I been looking at VH rego. I now have 570 hours of proven EA81 flying and expect many more!

Yes I think the same. Fortunately my Zodiac is VH experimental. Have you any idea of the weight of the EJ22?

I was thinking of using the Megasquirt although I've never even seen one, but they seem to be a standard. I'm just getting the bits together to put the Ford EDIS on the EA81. This is why I wanted the spare engine. I'm getting the Megajolt unit for it and a trigger wheel, etc. The other fly in the ointment is the fact the EJ is EFI. Means I'll need a header tank for the fuel system as I can't put in return pipes very easily on the two wing tanks. Think I'll start looking for a Liberty engine. Do you know if people are using direct drive or fitting a PSRU? I could see DD being ok if you keep the revs down but of course you wouldn't be getting the power so you may as well stick to the EA81.

Incidentally John what's the carb system on your EA81? I've got twin Bings but am considering a single Weber. One less to go wrong or fall off .

Regards,

Paul

Hi Everyone,

Is anyone flying anything other than the EA81 1.8l engine?

I've been trying to get hold of a spare EA81 to play with and test mods to the ignition and timing,etc but they are a little scarce.

I've recently looked at the EJ22 from the Liberty. It's a 2.2l fuel-injected engine giving about 135hp @4800rpm. If you can get it to run without the OEM ECU, which needs every sensor going, I wonder if it would be a viable conversion.

Anyone any practical knowledge or suggestions??

Paul

Hi PhilOuch!!! I bet that hurt :-)

 

Others have presented a fair cross-section of responses and I too like a passionate (heated?) discussion.

 

But really, we have a system here that was foisted on us by you Brits when you still treated us mere cannon fodder for your wars and a place to send the black sheep from your aristocratice families. It's not that long ago that you sent the residents of your prison hulks here.

 

Our Australian Constitution is as much a creature of the British Parliament as it is of ours. Your ancestors saddled us with lots of things that today add to the complexity of our national governance -- including the states and the extraordinarily difficult process for changing the rules set down in 1901.

 

It's a tad ironic that today is Anzac Day in Australia. It gives us cause to remember the tens of thousands of Australians sacrificed by incompetent British commanders at Gallipoli and elsewhere. Our population then was less than 5 million but half our young men enlisted and one in six of them died. More than 10,000 at Paschendale alone http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/battlefields/passchendaele-october-1917.html

 

Anzac Day reminds us of how our troops, sailors and airmen fighting in Europe to defend the British "homeland" during WWII were not released by the British heads to defend their own country when it was so seriously threatened by the Japanese advance. It brings to mind the stand of our guys at Tobruk, holding Rommel's army at bay and preventing the Axis powers from reinforcing Europe and taking the Middle East oil fields from the south.

 

Oh, Australians took Tobruk and held it until relieved by the British who then lost it again. It was finally retaken by the Brits under Montgomery but he had 220,000 troops to do it with and even then it took a few goes before they succeeded.

 

So we are probably a tad touchy when criticisms are thrown around from abroad... But don't take it personally...no offence taken and none meant :-)

 

Kaz

As far as Montgomery was concerned, you should read the 'Enigma' story. Even with all the intelligence fed to him he still tried desperately to stuff things up in North Africa and finally managed to do so in Holland.

Paul

I'm after a Subaru EA81 engine if anyone's got one for sale - see classified section

Paul

I'm using a Vertex handheld in a streak shadow, and have no problems with others hearing my transmisions when on the ground, even when taxying. When I'm flying, I can hear others quite well, but it seems others cannot hear me.i'm using a coax feed from the radio to a whip antenna, and the antenna grounded to the metal boom tube (so technically not a good ground plane, i suppose).

Anyone have any ideas what the problem might be? I may replace the antenna with a dipole type, but the bottom section of the new antenna would be next to the boom tube, so dont know if that would be satisfactory.Any thoughts?

If you solved this one please ignore this reply.

If people can hear you on the ground ask them to report on your voice level (modulation).

If that's good the problem can really only be the fact your signal in the air is not going where you need it to go.

If you're using a quarter-wave whip without a decent ground plane (metal plate or whole fuselage), the signal is probably heading for space instead of horizontally or downwards.

As has been suggested by others, a SWR meter at the HH end will give you an idea of the state of feeder and aerial. If the swr is poor (more than 3:1) ratio, your radio may be shutting down the output stage to protect it. This will reduce the signal transmitted. If you don't have a good groundplane, a dipole may be the answer. Again though you need to set it up with a SWR meter to ensure a good match and adjust it to be as clear of metalwork as possible.

Paul Toone

Just a thought - what ignition system are you using? Is it over-advancing in this rev range? Some years ago I experimemted with timing on my EA81 and found that it needed both centrifugal and vacuum advance control, just like in a car. It runs a Bolly 3 blade through a belt redrive and is silky smooth from 1000 to 5000 engine rpm. It runs a single big SU carby, torquey cam and 1mm off the heads. Now done 550 trouble-free hours.Another thought - what flywheel do you use? In my experience, EA81's need a bit of weight in the flywheel to remain smooth. I use a lightened steel one - are you using a superlight aluminium one?

Otherwise, it sounds like you may have a torsional vibration issue brought about by the relative rigidity of the Rotax gearbox and what sounds to be a very modified engine. Torsional vibration will quickly break critical parts - beware! I wouldn't dare think of running up to 6500 rpm, even if I could! 1500 rpm idle sounds very high for an EA81, even a modified one.

 

I trust these comments will give you some ideas.

Ignitions are two home brew electronic units. Both totally different deliberately. One is cap discharge and the other a transistor coil driver. Using two independent coils and a MSI coil combiner.

The engine is straight from a Cobra Arrow, from Tom Wickers, who designed it. The flywheel is standard and everything is EA81 apart from the twin Bing carbs on a specially made manifold. There are supposedly at least 60 of these set ups out there.

I'll have a play with the idle adjust on each carb as suggested in #15 above. I've already tried to match the throttle cable actions as closely as possible but trying to do any adjustment with the engine trying to shake itself off the aircraft is very difficult. The idle adjust is under the carb which doesn't help.

Paul.

I believe this may have been my engine! If so, it was from my Cobra Arrow initially. It was professionally rebuilt(at a performance workshop in Adelaide, and would have had around 100 hours on it) and was very smooth at everything from 1500rpm (that's where my idle was set) up to 6500rpm.It was running through an AMAX belt redrive when I had it.Peter

Interesting.

When I got it from Tom about three years ago, it had two small radiators and a home made air box. It came with a Rotax gearbox too. I have replaced the rad with a conventional one slung underneath. Can't understand what's going on at present. At 1500 it shakes the whole aircraft when the prop is on ...........

Paul

do you have a damper between the engine and the gearbox?

Paul

I would look at borrowing a prop if possible, just to rule out or confirm harmonic vibes. Also try to balance the carbs with a manometer or vacuum gauges, the extra load of the prop could bring out carb balance issues that are masked without load.Good Luck

Paul

hi have you checked the pitch is the same on all three blade and that there is no run out also something could be breaking down under load you could try setting the pitch a lot finer and see if it runs smoother under less load

The whole situation is peculiar as at speed it's smooth. Just at idle rpm I'm having problems..............................????????

Paul

rubber damper failing?

1. Have you balanced your carbs?2. If it's in that one rev range, it could be harmonics.......and that could be nasty, do you have a wood prop you could test it with?

Both carbs are set as near as damn it identically and the engine runs ok without the prop.

No - wish I did have another prop to compare with. I'd thought of that one as well. I was thinking of trying a two-blade prop.

Paul.

Hi All,

Is there anyone out there that can assist with a problem I have setting up the engine in my Zodiac 601?

The engine is a Tom Wickers conversion with twin Bing 64 carbs. Prop is a new Bolly 72 x 60 three blade.

The prop is set at 13 degrees pitch. The problem I have is that the damn engine almost shakes the airframe apart at anything under about 2500 rpm. I've carefully dismantled the carbs to check for crap in the bowls - clean. I've removed the idle jet in each and made sure they're not blocked. I've checked the setting of the idle adjuster and set both to 1 1/2 turns out from fully clockwise. Still no good. Yesterday I took the prop off and ran the engine. I slightly adjusted the timing to give smooth running at 1500 rpm which gives a prop speed reduced by the rotax gearbox to about 700 ish rpm. Without the prop the engine runs ok but putting the prop back on causes the shaking. It's only at low speed though. My logic suggests the prop is ok as at high speed it's ok with little vibration. Anyone got any ideas? This three year build is tantalisingly complete but for this problem. Don't suggest buying a Rotax - had I the cash I would have!

I'm about to check the prop balance although the Bolly figures supplied suggest it's balanced perfectly.

HELLLLLP !!!!!!!!

Paul

Step 1. Measure the inside diameter of your O-ringStep 2. Measure the thickness of your O-ring

Step 3. Consult this chart (http://www.everyoring.com/pages/oring_sizes.html) to determine the dash number of the required O-ring.

 

Step 4. Ask for an MS28775 (dash number) O-ring.

 

These O-rings are less than $1 each.

 

OME

I'll certainly keep the 'everyoring' for future reference. One point is of course how big is the original o ring?

I finally paid the silly price at BF but found the new one smaller than the old. It's on the carb now but if I had taken the size of the old one it may have been an incorrect fit.

Paul.

I'd also consider going to a place like repco and going thru their o-ring tray. Cheers

I' m going to Bert Flood tomorrow as I emailed and they apparently have the correct ones . Thank goodness though I didn't need anything complicated !

Thanks all for the good suggestions.

Paul

Jabiru do sell parts as well and you may get compatable parts from motorcycle shops [also most modern o-ring materials are compatable with the use of ethanol] . Cheers

Considering Bing 64's are fairly well used, there's no one, or at least I've not discovered them, that advertises the parts.

Paul

Anyone know of a source of Bing 64 carb parts. I'd guess most would suggest Bert Flood but is there anywhere else ? I can't believe how difficult it is to get an O ring for the idle adjuster. A simple part but essential.

Paul Toone

As the proud owner of a new IPad, bought by my lovely wife for my birthday. ( Can you let go of my arm now dear), can anyone using the Oz Runways package give me an unbiased opinion as to whether it's any good.

The website makes it look very good but a user's view is a little better. What is good? What if anything is not so good?

Paul Toone

I'm sorry I posted this king thread....

If so what was the problem?

If you haven't and want some help, give me a shout

Paul