Larry, With great respect, I am going to agree and disagree. I also had an 0-200 in my Varieze and worked on many of them in that aviation facitity I mentioned previous. As far as Corvairs being 50 year old technology yes the block is pretty much so, but so is the block of nearly every production engine out there. As far as that goes, the technology of the 0-200 is in the range of 80 year old technology and borowed parts from such things as a tractor engine for its fuel delivery (in the Marvel Shubler) and oter parts. That said, and from my engine and work experience a 0-200 will never produce 100 hp. In the data and test seen at that facility I mentioned again previous, and as I recall, a 0-220 would normally produce a constant HP rating near 65 to maybe 80hp. I also seem to recall lots of repairs and AD's associated with it as well as some crank problems, valve problems and so on. But I dont think with the typical fuel delivery, valve train geometry and such associated withh a 0-200, you could commonly get 100 HP with reliability.
I am not trying to upset you or knock the 0-200. It was and is a great engine and what you have done with it and your KR-2 is well......wow, impressive. But...what these guys have done with the Corvair in fuel delivery and management, valve geometry and head work, camshafts, cranks and so on is unmatced by anything I have seen in the common aircraft engine. Or at least in the engine price range that I will ever be in. This is coming from someone (myself) that has a VW engine and feels that what Steve Bennet at GPAS as done with it, is to make it a super reliable motor. I also think the and Linda are tow of the best people in the industry and there support is second to nobody. My humble opnion, the six cylinders engines like the Corvair will always be smoother and more reliable and produce more reliable power then a 4 cylinder. We also replaced a lot of insturments in Pipers and the chief mechanic said it was due to the vibrations associated with 4 cyl Lycoming engines. Jeff York KR-2 Lexington/Georgetown Airport for 2012 Being an 0-200 driver, I'm thinking that the 0-200 is the "reliability king" for the KR. I see the Corvair, with the exception of the front bearing, as being 50 year old technology with much of it's design copied from the good old Continentals and Lycombings. Pushing the Corvair past the 100 hp range of the 0-200 is putting it more in to the experimental range. I certainly respect the work done by the Corvair guys but not being an engine mechanic I chose to stick with the 0-200 and sold the three Corvair engines I had. To each his own based on their experience and comfort level. Larry Flesner (still loving my 2200+ hour 0-200 ) _______________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to [email protected] please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
