My Kis Cruiser - Initial Engine Fitting

N247BR

Firewall Engine - Initial Fitting

The first step for my engine mounting process was to locate the electronic ignition sending units according to the instruction manual provide with my AeroSance FADIC system. The location of these units needed to be within certain limits but clear of the engine and engine mount. The best location for many reasons was high on the firewall. The cross braces on the engine mount made the location very difficult. I finally determined that 1 inch spacers would be required for the engine mount to give proper clearance for the electronic units as well as the other accessories on the rear of the engine.

I did a preliminary mounting of the main sections of the baffle for determining how everything would fit.

The engine mount was then mounted to the rear of the engine. This is much easier to do by mounting to the engine first then mounting to the firewal. I am using a remote oil filter and have replace the standard filter with the adapter for the oil hoses. I quickly found that this was NOT going to work and the adapter will hit the nose gear strut. I will need a 90 degree fitting for the adapter.

The initial mounting of the engine, once the engine mount was attached to the back of the engine was very easy and things were moving quickly. Too quickly I was going to learn.

Using the engine hoist made the moving and mounting of the engine simple and a one man job. I have taken the engine off and remounted several times and have got it down to just minutes. Its a good thing too, I will probably be doing it a dozen times.

The engine is mounted with the 1 inch spacers in place. The baffle is in for determination of how it will fit with the cowling.

Seems we have a minor problem with the baffle. The baffle was design for an RV-6 and as can be seen doe not fit with the Cruiser cowling. It is clear that the baffle will need substantial trimming so I removed it for the time being and will work on getting the cowling fit.

With the engine in place, I mounted the top and bottom of the cowling using the scored line on the cowling as a guide. The purpose of this step is to determine alignment of the cowling to the engine.

Houston, we have a problem! The view from the front shows a problem with the verticle alignment. The engine is setting about two inches too low to the indicated position of the cowling.

You can see the misalignment could be partially adjusted by repositioning of the cowling. The nose of the cowling appears to be a little bit high. I did the adjustment but the engine was still slightly low to the cowling. I then checked the alignment of the engine to the level line of the fuselage. There was a slight downward slant to the engine.

The original oil filter mount and filter was attached
to the back of the engine and jutted straight out and
would have hit the nose gear strut. I decided to use
a remote ADC Oil Filter. The adapter for that remote
attached to the rear of the original oil filter adaptor.
The oil hoses would not have had room to attach and
make a clean turn. Partly for that reason and in order
to have room for the FADEC Control Units I added
the one inch spacers between the firewall and the
engine mount. Even with the one inch spacers, the
clearance for the oil lines would have been minimal
and a tight bend would have been necessary.

Instead of dealing with a tight bend in the oil filter
hoses I swapped out the original oil filter adapter and
installed the B & C Specialty Products 90 degree filter
adapter shown. I then mounted the remote filter adapter
to that. This combination will allow for an easy bend in
the oil filter lines to the remote filter. The filter is now
in an easyly accessable location with a vertical
orientation that will mean NO SPILLS when changing
the filter.

To realign the engine, I inserted a wide washer under the spacers I used for spacing the engine forward of the firewall.

The spacers can be clearly seen along with the washers.

Following the addition of the washer to lift the front of the engine, the cowling was repositioned to again check the alignment.

This view shows an improvement in the alignment and the remainder can be adjusted by the fitting of the cowling. I am waiting now for the prop and spacer that I will use for final installation before going farther.

	The first step for my engine mounting process was to locate the electronic ignition sending units according to the instruction manual provide with my AeroSance FADIC system. The location of these units needed to be within certain limits but clear of the engine and engine mount. The best location for many reasons was high on the firewall. The cross braces on the engine mount made the location very difficult. I finally determined that 1 inch spacers would be required for the engine mount to give proper clearance for the electronic units as well as the other accessories on the rear of the engine.
	I did a preliminary mounting of the main sections of the baffle for determining how everything would fit.
	The engine mount was then mounted to the rear of the engine. This is much easier to do by mounting to the engine first then mounting to the firewal. I am using a remote oil filter and have replace the standard filter with the adapter for the oil hoses. I quickly found that this was NOT going to work and the adapter will hit the nose gear strut. I will need a 90 degree fitting for the adapter.
	The initial mounting of the engine, once the engine mount was attached to the back of the engine was very easy and things were moving quickly. Too quickly I was going to learn.
	Using the engine hoist made the moving and mounting of the engine simple and a one man job. I have taken the engine off and remounted several times and have got it down to just minutes. Its a good thing too, I will probably be doing it a dozen times.
	The engine is mounted with the 1 inch spacers in place. The baffle is in for determination of how it will fit with the cowling.
	Seems we have a minor problem with the baffle. The baffle was design for an RV-6 and as can be seen doe not fit with the Cruiser cowling. It is clear that the baffle will need substantial trimming so I removed it for the time being and will work on getting the cowling fit.
	With the engine in place, I mounted the top and bottom of the cowling using the scored line on the cowling as a guide. The purpose of this step is to determine alignment of the cowling to the engine.
	Houston, we have a problem! The view from the front shows a problem with the verticle alignment. The engine is setting about two inches too low to the indicated position of the cowling.
	You can see the misalignment could be partially adjusted by repositioning of the cowling. The nose of the cowling appears to be a little bit high. I did the adjustment but the engine was still slightly low to the cowling. I then checked the alignment of the engine to the level line of the fuselage. There was a slight downward slant to the engine.
	The original oil filter mount and filter was attached to the back of the engine and jutted straight out and would have hit the nose gear strut. I decided to use a remote ADC Oil Filter. The adapter for that remote attached to the rear of the original oil filter adaptor. The oil hoses would not have had room to attach and make a clean turn. Partly for that reason and in order to have room for the FADEC Control Units I added the one inch spacers between the firewall and the engine mount. Even with the one inch spacers, the clearance for the oil lines would have been minimal and a tight bend would have been necessary.
	Instead of dealing with a tight bend in the oil filter hoses I swapped out the original oil filter adapter and installed the B & C Specialty Products 90 degree filter adapter shown. I then mounted the remote filter adapter to that. This combination will allow for an easy bend in the oil filter lines to the remote filter. The filter is now in an easyly accessable location with a vertical orientation that will mean NO SPILLS when changing the filter.
	To realign the engine, I inserted a wide washer under the spacers I used for spacing the engine forward of the firewall.
	The spacers can be clearly seen along with the washers.
	Following the addition of the washer to lift the front of the engine, the cowling was repositioned to again check the alignment.
	This view shows an improvement in the alignment and the remainder can be adjusted by the fitting of the cowling. I am waiting now for the prop and spacer that I will use for final installation before going farther.