A little progress XL H-58

[Dan_]

It's looking really really good Chuck.  Fun times ahead for you.  You earned it!

[Chuck in Indiana]

Came back from SoCal with the Covid (!) so haven't been getting much done. I've done some wiring and plumbing, though..

Pretty much have the instrument panel.. such as it is.. figured out.Throttle on the left, Mixture enrichment for starting on the right. Rummaged around in my "good" junk pile and found a piece of canvas bakelite and a little piece of copper to make up a buss bar. 3/8" round bakelite for stand offs.

A guy on a motorcycle forum told me about these "hose" clamps and cushion stuff. Marine grade, stainless, and not expensive.

That helps take the sting away from the weekly $100 little box of stuff from Aircraft Spruce.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Still have to mount the instruments, oil tank, and I'm calling this engine mounting done. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Another little "gotcha" is this. The Verner comes with an oil pressure switch for an idiot light. That's probably fine..but.. I really prefer a real gauge. The problem is the thread is M10X1. Every gauge I've found is 1/8 pipe. With enough research (the internet can be a wonderful thing) I found a M10 male to 1/8 female adapter. That will let the oil pressure bulb screw in and barely miss the oil line.

Finished up the home brewed electrical system today, and it passed the smoke test.

Not shown is a 12V lighter receptacle on the right side for my heated vest. "Vintage" tach (how could it be.. I bought it new for Mouser a (ahem) few years ago and didn't use it..apparently will work, volt meter shows battery voltage, oil pressure gauge goes to zero, and the engine cranks when you push the big button.  Lever on the right is for mixture enrichment on cold start.  Second switch is ignition and fuel pump. That stuff works, too, but I don't want to run the pump without fuel.
Still need to make placards, but I'd say this job is done.

[Wayne Munich]

Years ago I mounted an oil pressure sending unit on a rotax on a light sport. He took off for south cal  and  halfway there the the sending unit broke off at the engine, lost a lot of oil, made a landing in a field. no engine damage. since then I have mounted all oil pressure sending units on the firewall with a hose to the engine. The sending unit is pretty heavy. just food for thought.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Ok, Wayne.. I'm munching on the food for thought as we type. The reason I went this way is I was wanting to avoid the weight and complexity of AN fittings, a bulkhead fitting, etc. Hmmm. I could machine a slug with a 1/16" diameter hole that presses into the M10 adapter.. thanks for your experience.
I've always said that having the right tool is 2/3 of the job.  The cnc mill made short work of drilling holes in the prop bolts for safety wire.

And.. engraving the placards.

A couple of small bites off the elephant.  That last 10% that takes 90% of the time is getting shorter. 

[Wayne Munich]

Not too much weight difference, you can use -2 hose and fittings and adel clamp at fire wall.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Thanks Wayne. I'll give it a hard look.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Ok, I'm out of room on the firewall, but I could mount it on this gusset.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Mounted the oil tank for the last time, fuel filter, torqued and safetied the prop. When it's horizontal and the Verner logo is right side up, the top cylinder is at TDC. This (supposedly) will mitigate oil draining into the bottom cylinders.

Haven't decided for sure whether I like the "bullet" or not. I'll wait until the wings are on.

Naturally, I had to sit in it and make airplane noises.  Visibility will be awesome. This is taken from eye level.

Time to make a punch list..

[Chuck in Indiana]

Working on the punch list.. there's about half a page.  I *never* make lists until the project is about done.. if you do, you'll get overwhelmed and quit on it. Just one thing at a time.
Exhaust stacks on the list today..
Fixtured for tacking

Welded and mounted. Still have to paint them of course, but that is farther down the list.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Finished up the punch list except for installing the wings, etc.
Moved oil pressure bulb.
Bolted seat in.
Installed breather hose for oil tank/engine.
Moved the whole works out into the hanger for the last time. 
Painted exhaust stacks.

[Tom H]

Chuck, our oil pressure sender is still on the engine block, no problems, yet, but your re-mounting is food for thought.
The Verner will shake "authoritatively" around the crank axis at low rpms.  I would be attentive to the possibility of the copper line cracking near the pressure sender.
The airplane looks great.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Chuck, our oil pressure sender is still on the engine block, no problems, yet, but your re-mounting is food for thought.
The Verner will shake "authoritatively" around the crank axis at low rpms.  I would be attentive to the possibility of the copper line cracking near the pressure sender.
The airplane looks great.

   So I solved one problem and caused another? I *did* put a gentle loop in it..

Thanks for the reply,Tom, that's another thing I'll have to be watching like a hawk.
Moved it into the hanger for the last time. Yay. It will have to get a *lot* warmer before I even think about getting my lovely assistant (tm) to help me put the wings on, though.
Edit to add gratuitous picture:

[Chuck in Indiana]

Fittings and struts installed, waiting for wings and a warmer day.