---------------------------------------------------------- Kolb-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Fri 11/23/07: 10 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 03:13 AM - zoom-zoom (tc1917) 2. 04:33 AM - Re: zoom-zoom (Jack B. Hart) 3. 05:02 AM - Re: Re: Mark II is an airworthy ELSA (robert bean) 4. 06:18 AM - Re: Re: Mark II is an airworthy ELSA (Dana Hague) 5. 07:56 AM - Re: zoom-zoom (Aaron Gustafson) 6. 09:00 AM - Redrive VW Engine Details (Richard & Martha Neilsen) 7. 09:47 AM - Prop Sizing for Redrive VW powered MKIII (Richard & Martha Neilsen) 8. 09:56 AM - 15% off BRS repack and rocket (Lanny Fetterman) 9. 11:54 AM - Will Tathem contact info? (Denny Rowe) 10. 04:52 PM - Re: Mark II is an airworthy ELSA (cristalclear13) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 03:13:14 AM PST US From: "tc1917" Subject: Kolb-List: zoom-zoom Just wanted to let my fellow Kolbers know that my little SlingShot is doing well with the 912UL I just installed. Really cooks. Does an easy 1200 fpm climb out without any strain at all. After many tests, seems I am getting about 3 gal per hr burn at 82-85 mph indicated. (same same on the ground if no wind). Now, I STILL have a problem though. Went through the archives and see many have had or have the same problem. I have a warp three blade with nickel edges. This set up makes the dog gonnest harmonic hum hum or whatever you want to call it. drives you crazy. Just loud enough to irritate the heck out of your ears. you can feel it on the back of the helmet even. I have tuned and tuned, just did a vaccum tune and everything is just about perfect from idle to 3500 + rpm. I have moved the exhaust collecter from right exhaust to straight up. dont want to exhaust towards the fuel pump on the left. I have set and reset the blades, sanded down the edge on the back side of the blade where the nickel comes in. I even redid some of my center gap and lower wing gap seals. Does anyone have the answer? Does not appear the the engine is actually rolling, just making an agonizing harmonizing sound. Can anyone out there give me the answer? Ted Cowan, Alabama Happy Thanksgiving! ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 04:33:25 AM PST US From: "Jack B. Hart" Subject: Re: Kolb-List: zoom-zoom At 05:12 AM 11/23/07 -0600, you wrote: > >agonizing harmonizing sound. Can anyone out there give me the answer? Ted >Cowan, Alabama Happy Thanksgiving! > Ted, Could it be that your wing struts are the cause? Before I streamlined the struts on the FireFly they strummed. The noise would ware you down after and hour or so. Jack B. Hart FF004 Winchester, IN ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 05:02:13 AM PST US From: robert bean Subject: Re: Kolb-List: Re: Mark II is an airworthy ELSA I never use a gauge (on an airplane) inflate until it feels unyielding to the heel of your hand when pushed hard. Works ok on these cheap flimsy tires, maybe not so good on those heavy multi-ply (expensive and unnecessary ) real airplane tires. BB MkIIIc dormant ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 06:18:26 AM PST US From: Dana Hague Subject: Re: Kolb-List: Re: Mark II is an airworthy ELSA At 08:01 AM 11/23/2007, robert bean wrote: >I never use a gauge (on an airplane) inflate until it feels >unyielding to the heel of your hand... When I was into offroading we had to run pretty low pressures in oversized tires, I think I ran 3 psi offroad and 12 psi on the street. The typical tire gauge is very inaccurate at those low pressures, I made my own with a 15psi industrial pressure gauge and a tire chuck. Offroad pressure was as low as you could go without the tire coming off the rim, for the street you still couldn't use the OEM pressures so you'd see how evenly a chalk mark on the tire would wear off. I go by feel, then use the low pressure gauge to verify they're equal. -Dana -- Balance the budget--declare politicians a game species. ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 07:56:11 AM PST US From: "Aaron Gustafson" Subject: Re: Kolb-List: zoom-zoom >>agonizing harmonizing sound. Can anyone out there give me the answer? Could be that Warp!!! Not quiet and efficient like an IVO (ooops, should I say that?) Don't blame me for saying so, I'm just a dumb and happy flier. Ha ha. Aaron do not archive ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 09:00:35 AM PST US From: "Richard & Martha Neilsen" Subject: Kolb-List: Redrive VW Engine Details I promise a few people that I would post this so. Here it is..... Reduction Drive VW Engine Details Custom Built 2180cc VW Engine: New engine case with shuffle pins, chromoly studs, Scat chromoly 82 mm crank and H beam chromoly rods. Engle 140HE hydraulic cam with Scat 1.25 rockers. 92mm Cima pistons with Total Seal 2nd ring, 044 heads with 37.5mm and 42mm valves with single heavy duty valve springs, 30mm oil pump, Compression ratio app 7.8 to 1, 12 lb. 8 dowel 6 volt flywheel. Great Plains Aircraft now sells nikasil cylinders, they transfer 4 times the heat and weigh 10 lbs less. Reduction Drive: Valley Engineering Series 3 Belt reduction drive 1.7 to 1 ratio. Electrical system: Direct drive 20 amp alternator that is made for the Diehl accessory case. Great Plains Aircraft carries these parts. I also use a 12 AH battery (TSC or Wall mart) it starts the engine down to about 50 degrees then I have to give it some help with a charger. Fuel System: The reduction drive mounts were the fuel pump would be so I installed a primary electric pump and a backup electric pump in series. I use a Facet low pressure pump as the first in line after the gascolator as the back up pump and then mounted a high quality rotary pump that has a built in pressure regulator as the primary pump. I also have a gascolator with a Curtis drain valve mounted at the low point of the fuel system with the drain valve sticking out the side of the fuselage. I also have an automotive fuel filter mounted between the gas collator and the back up fuel pump. The Primary pump can be purchased at California Import Parts. Oil Cooler and Filter: 24 plate Mesa style oil cooler. Its mounted on the back of the fuselage cage and it works almost too well. The kit is available at most VW stores Oil Filler: The reduction drive also covers the oil filler so I drilled a valve cover for a Stemco plug. The plug is a truck brake drum dust cover and can be purchased at a truck parts store. Crank Case Breather: The reduction drive comes with a crank case breather but the big VW engines need to breathe more to keep the engine from blowing oil. I installed a three port dune buggy breather kit that has breather ports in each valve cover and port for the reduction drive breather. Can be purchased at most VW stores. Ignition System: Compu-Fire Distributor less Electronic ignition system with a VW 009 distributor as the timing source. Great Plains and most VW shops carry it. Tachometer: Originally I used a 4000 RPM electronic analog tachometer but found that the operating range was just too close to the max on takeoff and the pointer would just go to the peg. I now use a 3.5 inch digital from Summit Racing. Prop: PowerFin three blade 72 inch model F. I having it cut down to 71 inch but PowerFin is recomending a 70 inch now. Engine Mount Adapter: The Diehl accessory case has four mounting points but the top two are cut off because they aren't used. Use the Diehl accessory case with the 12 o'clock starter mount to clear the engine mount and exhaust system. Great Plains Aircraft sells the Diehl case and a rear drive adapter. The rear drive adapter is used for the other two mounting points, but the alternator mount is cut off. Exhaust: I purchased a dune buggy four into one system with J pipes as a starting point. They are already configured for best performance so why re invent anything. I cut it and tack welded it together to fit around everything. I got a muffler shop to bend a single pipe to fit and tack welded it to the three bolt muffler flange. I didn't use the muffler because it is too heavy and it really isn't that noisy. I sent the exhaust system to a welding shop to have it done right. Later I sent the system to a shop that ceramic coated the system inside and out. Carburetor: I installed a pair of 44mm Webers with aluminum manifolds. Now the better choice is a Progressive Webber with a four pipe intake system. With this intake system you will need a carburetor heat system. Great Plaines Aircraft carries the carburetor. Engine Oil Sump: I added a mini oil sump to lower the oil pickup point. I was concerned about sucking air on high angles of attack like take off. This is the only lowered sum that will fit using the Kolb/VW mount. I drilled and tapped the mini sump for a oil quick drain valve, it is offset towards the rear for engine mount clearance. Most VW shops carry the sump. Summit Racing has the oil quick drain. Flywheel & Starter: The Diehl accessory case will need a flywheel with a ring gear for a 6 volt starter because the only starter that fits the Diehl accessory case is a custom 12 volt starter with a 6 volt type gear. Also the Diehl alternator requires a centering recess turned in the flywheel face and 5 bolt holes drilled and taped. Great Plains Aircraft carries these parts already configured. ________________________________ Message 7 _____________________________________ Time: 09:47:50 AM PST US From: "Richard & Martha Neilsen" Subject: Kolb-List: Prop Sizing for Redrive VW powered MKIII I have been thinking about prop sizing lately. I have a 72 inch Powerfin F model prop. It performs very well but doesn't give me the best engine RPMs. I have it set for best cruise at 3200 RPMs but this doesn't work for the best RPMs on climb. When climbing I only see 3500 at full throttle but the best climb RPMs should be 3800 to maybe 4000. I talked to Powerfin and they now recommend a 70 inch prop with the figures I have given them. As a interim I'm sending them the prop to have it cut to 71 inches because you really get the best thrust with longer props and they are willing to cut it more than once for free. Powerfin recommends longer props for the best climb performance but also recommends shorter props for compromise of better climb and cruise. I'm also going to try a Culver prop next spring. They recommend a 74 inch two blade for my set up and it will be very interesting to get the results with that prop. They are saying they will send me one for free just to try. Based on the Magic that the Jabiru folks are getting with their props I looked at Prince Props. Wow a prop for a Rotax on a Kitfox which is as close to a redrive VW as they stock normally is $1,300 with out leading edge protection and $1,400 with. In a Kolb it would likely be longer and more expensive yet. I wouldn't even consider one till after trying the Culver prop to get a sizing starting point. The idea of some automatic pitch changes is attractive. Also when I hear about the performance differences between what John W. saw and what the UK guys are getting with the Prince props the results for us VW owners and Rotax guys could also be as dramatic????? Does any one know how resistant the Prince props are to damage? They make wood core carbon fiber props. Rick Neilsen Redrive VW powered MKIIIC ________________________________ Message 8 _____________________________________ Time: 09:56:00 AM PST US From: Lanny Fetterman Subject: Kolb-List: 15% off BRS repack and rocket FYI, BRS is giving 15% off on repacks and rockets for the next few months. I needed a repack and rocket and saved quite a few dollars. Just thought I should pass this info on. Lanny N598LF Do not archive ________________________________ Message 9 _____________________________________ Time: 11:54:08 AM PST US From: "Denny Rowe" Subject: Kolb-List: Will Tathem contact info? Kolbers, Does anybody have Wll Tathams new contact info since he moved? Denny Rowe ________________________________ Message 10 ____________________________________ Time: 04:52:15 PM PST US Subject: Kolb-List: Re: Mark II is an airworthy ELSA From: "cristalclear13" I don't know if I want to try to go by "feel". I'm a weakling. :D -------- Cristal Mark II Twinstar Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=148125#148125 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message kolb-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/Kolb-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/kolb-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/kolb-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.