Oil Lines Part 2
I completed most of the engine oil lines in early November but when I started to build the oil radiator supply line I discovered that the fittings I had for the oil tank and for the oil pump were the wrong size. A visit to the illustrated parts manual confirms that earlier 915iS engines used -8AN fittings, and newer ones have -10AN size. My FWF kit included AN10 fittings, so I had to order some fittings of the proper size.
While I waited for those fittings to arrive, I wound up taking a hiatus from the airplane for a few weeks to accomplish other projects around the house. First was replacement of a 20+ year-old hot water heater, changing from a gas-fired storage heater to a tankless heater; that took a whole weekend. I followed this with installation of a ductless split HVAC system for my finished basement, upgrading from an old inefficient gas furnace. This was a more complex project since I had to take out some of the old ductwork and repair a drywall ceiling.
Getting back to the engine – having received the proper sized fittings, I built the two remaining oil hoses. To get the correct length for the line that goes from the oil tank to the radiator, I temporarily attached the lower engine cowling. After wrapping the oil lines with heat shield, I’ll be ready to move onto the next subsystem: either water cooling or induction air system.
