----- Original Message -----
From: storchpilot
To: Rebel contact Web server
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 5:49 PM
Subject: Subaru engines
Hi, I would like to add some info to the Subaru automotive engine
conversions. First a large factor that has seemingly been ignored is
the factor of MONEY. It is far cheaper to go the automotive conversion
route. Period. Eggenfellner's set-up (and I have no special relation
with his outfit) does firewall foreward. Think about that. I have had
his vacuumpump special gear/small belt drive on my Rebel and the
aviation type pump has been chucking along fine. Next it is also
possible to use the Warp Drive props, again without any problem as far
as I know, on the 2.2 and 2.5 liter versions of the Legacy engines.
Those are considerable savings in money. The 2.2 liter engine in my
Rebel runs far smoother than any Lycoming aviation engine. I have a
friend in France that bought a brand-new Continental, new design. 125 hp
engine, for twice what he could have had a Subaru 165 hp (2.5 liter)
set-up for, for his Glastar. You should see the faxes he received over
the years from Continental, he had to ship his engine back to that
factory from France and the second time a special mechanic came over to
his place in France to straighten out something. On and on. Ask the
Europeans about the "reliability" of the new Lycoming engines and you'll
get an earful. Let us face it, any US (Canadian?) aviation publication
carries very large and profitable ads from the above manufacturers. Talk
about subdued criticism, obviously one does not bite the hand that feeds
one. Still, in all fairness one can sell a Lycoming powered Rebel for
more money than an automotive powered one, whether this should be so or
not.
A small item under recent discussion regarding the Ross Aero drive( or
for that matter any reduction drive used with the automotive
conversions), the usual drive oilsystem is twice as "dirty" as the
engine oil system. Therefore I had to place an extra in-line filter in
the returnline of my drive system, thereby cutting down on returning
dirty oil back to the engine. Eggenfellner and maybe others have a
completely separate (self-contained) lubricating system for their drive
with a seperate reservoir. Neat. I always have to laugh at the concern
of the average lightplane owner, 1000 hours versus 2000 hours between
overhauls, this from folks that will rarely get near the amount of hours
under discusion and in case of an automotive engine, the cost is going
to be so minimal you might as well get a "new one".
Finally the true "age" of your used Lycoming engine: are the molecules
still holding hands? How about those not legible signatures in the
logbook? What year was the engine initially manufactured, 30, 40, 50
years ago? Those things make me shudder. I have an old Legacy engine,
1993. Most of the Legacy engines now available are at most a couple of
years old.
These are just some of the points I wanted to get off my chest, sorry
for having been so lengthy, Geert Frank
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