----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
Hey Guys,
Sounds to me like you need two planes....your Ercoupe for 'fun' flying
and an IFR plane for the
flights when your 'need to get there' (like JFK jr) exceeds your common
sence.
If I 'must' get somewhere, and safety is questionable, I'll buy a
ticket on a jet. Otherwise, I'll
fly my coupe anytime my 'gut' says it's okay and if that's not the case
I'll just leave it in the hangar
and fly 'tomorrow'.
Just my 2 cents worth........
Bob Saville
N3396H 415C
Eugene, OR
Ed Burkhead wrote:
> ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following
any advice in this forum.]----
>
> I am NOT an expert on this subject but I asked a lot of questions when I
> wanted to do the same thing and this is the gist of the answer(s) I got:
>
> The C-85 has no provision on the accessory case for a vacuum pump. If
there
> were such a provision, you wouldn't need an STC, you'd just install one
and
> it'd be part of the certification of the engine. Then you'd do a form
337
> for your conversion to vacuum pump source for your instruments.
>
> I've heard mention of some variant of the C-85 which had the place for
the
> vacuum pump but if you ain't got such a variant (and I'm not sure it
> exists), it doesn't matter because you couldn't economically convert
your
> engine.
>
> If you want a vacuum pump, you'll need to either:
> a. sell your engine and install an O-200 (not cheap but it greatly
increases
> your climb and may be a good option when you're due for an overhaul
anyway).
> Engine driven dry vacuum pumps are also famous for failing (300-500
hours is
> a number I vaguely remember) and you're really not safe depending on
them
> without a backup vacuum system or good electrically driven gyro(s), from
> what I've read.
> b. get some electrically operated vacuum pump but then if your
electrical
> system fails, you are SOL.
> c. sell your plane and get one that already has a vacuum system and IFR
> instruments.
>
> In practice, there are Coupes flying IFR (in NON-icing conditions) using
> venturi vacuum with at least one electrical gyro instrument. As a
"thought
> experiment," I'd say you could achieve good safety, with venturi vacuum
and
> a vacuum gauge IF you also had a backup electrical attitude indicator.
But
> having two attitude indicators isn't cheap especially since electrical
ones
> are quite expensive. (It's cheaper, by a big margin, than replacing your
> engine.) I'd also prefer to have gyros that had an automatic flag that
> drops to indicate when the gyro has failed.
>
> You can see why I never upgraded my Coupe to IFR capable and never got
my
> instrument ticket. I would have done it if only I'd ever been rich.
>
> Ed Burkhead
> http://edburkhead.com/
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Taylor [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 7:00 PM
> To: Ercoupe Technical discussion (moderated)
> Subject: [COUPERS-TECH] vacuum pump on C85
>
> ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following
any
> advice in this forum.]----
>
> In reply to James Lilly's question about an STC for a vacuum pump on a
> C85. I couldn't find one in the FAA's list. The parts manual lists a
> bevel gear for a vacuum pump or fuel injection pump for the C85 so it's
> quite possible. The overhaul manual, however, does not list a vacuum
> pump as one of the options on a C85. Contact me off list for the gory
> details of how I know this.
> Bob Taylor
>
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