Category: Firewall Forward

I consider this a big milestone, but it wound up being pretty easy to mount the engine. The engine is attached with just four rather large M10 bolts. I purchased a second-hand Harbor Freight engine crane for $100, and a new load leveler bar for $40. Not too bad,...

I wrapped up a productive weekend with attachment of the major engine accessories to the firewall: oil reservoir, voltage regulator, main battery, fusebox, shunt, fuel pump assembly, gascolator, and fuel lines. This work is much easier to do before the engine is attached. I am placing a DC contactor...

I was about to spray adhesive for the Thermotec insulation I chose for the firewall, when suddenly I questioned how well it would insulate the cabin from engine heat (and noise). So, I performed a short test using 4” square test pieces of 26 ga. galvanized steel: one bare...

In light of my last post regarding the heat barrier, I realized I made a mistake in materiel choice for the patches I made for the firewall. I used aluminum sheet stock, whereas I should have used galvanized steel to match the material of the firewall. Aluminum melts at...

This kit uses a sheet of galvanized steel as the firewall and is further covered by a heat barrier to insulate the cabin from the engine heat (and noise). The galvanized steel is good as a fire protectant (per FAR 23.1191), however, I have seen several other builders dismiss...

One minor issue with my engine was that it came from the factory fitted with an optional cooling baffle. This baffle is primarily for installation in an aircraft with a pusher prop configuration, but since my plane is tractor config, I need to remove the baffle to ensure proper...

Continuing with mounting items to firewall. I had to make a decent-sized doubler (160x120mm) to cover all the holes originally provisioned for the 914 fuel pumps. Instead, the gascolator (fuel/water separator) gets mounted at this location near the bottom of the firewall. Meanwhile I’ve also started on all the...

I started mounting components to the firewall. There is a little bit of extra work for me to do since my firewall was pre-punched for a Rotax 914UL engine, but I’m installing a 915iS instead. This means I have some new holes to drill, some holes to cover up,...

My Airmaster propeller arrived! I now have all the parts needed to build up everything forward of the firewall, just need time 🙂 Thanks to COVID-related delays, including lockdowns and sea freight shipping problems, it took over a year for the prop to arrive (the normal lead time is...

When I bought the engine way back in December 2020, I planned to bring my plane to the airport to install the engine. I found space inside a community hangar at the Nashua airport, which I where I will perform final assembly. The hangar manager graciously allowed me to...