A while back I posted regarding my Bendix D3000 magneto going out on me in flight (R-side only). Long story short, it ultimately boiled down to paying $1200-1400 to get the magneto an IRAN (not overhauled) or paying just over $900 to buy a brand new dual ignition SDS electronic ignition system. After thinking it over for several days, I decided to buy the SDS ignition.
The problem with the magneto was that the little cam/rocker mechanism that opens the points became damaged. I believe this is because the points were slightly corroded, and it was getting difficult to open/close them (can take pictures if anybody is interested), and eventually stressed the unit. This occurred at 515 hours total time, a relatively low timeframe, but to be fair to the magneto, it has never been overhauled or had an 500 hour/IRAN inspection. If anybody wants my D3000 for parts/repair, you can make me an offer. In it's current state, the R-magneto does not work. Now for the fun stuff: To get the SDS ignition installed, it requires a series of magnets be installed on either the prop hub, or on the flywheel, and also mount a hall effect sensor. Putting them on the prop-hub would require me to create a custom mount for the sensor, and put the magnets on the propeller bolts similar to how this gentleman did with his Q2. http://calvinthorne.blogspot.com/2017/07/my-new-electronic-ignition-installation.html SDS does not make a custom mount like this for the Revmaster (or any VW engine), and I am not a welder/metal worker, so I decided to do it the other way, and mount the magnets on the flywheel and hall sensor close by. Doing this required me to pull the engine so I could remove the backing plate to the alternator, and expose the flywheel. While I have the engine literally out of the airplane, I decided to do what I've been wanting to for a while now, and upgrade to 94mm cylinders, and also install a CB2232 camshaft. This advice was posted by Q-Talk 117 (link below), who is running virtually the same setup. The only differences are he is running CB 044 heads while I'm running MOFOCO 041s, and he is using a Great Plains aluminum case, while I will still be running magnesium (since mine is still relatively new). Rebuilding the engine will also allow me to take a good look inside and inspect all the components, giving me the extra warm and fuzzy that every time I go flying, each component is still going strong on the inside. http://www.quickheads.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1286:q-talk-117-the-little-engine-that-could-revmaster-still-an-excellent-power-plant-for-the-q2&catid=48&Itemid=265 I debated between the CB2280 and the CB2232 for a while, and ultimately chose the 2232. The general consensus I got was the CB2280 adds a little bit of power throughout the entire RPM band, while the 2232 generally adds more power than 2280, but mostly in the lower RPM range (1500-4500), which is basically the ideal range for our VW aviation engines. I also reached out to Ed Sterba to see if he could increase the pitch further on my propeller (54" --> 56" for instance), to help account for the increase in power, and while he said he could try, he said it wouldn't be as simple as "decreasing" the pitch on a propeller. So for now, I'm leaving the propeller be for now, and will revisit it later once the engine is back up and running. I ordered the parts yesterday and hoping to have the engine back up and running in hopefully a month or less. Once it's back in the plane, I'll have the following setup: Revmaster 2100D 94mm cylinders + pistons MOFOCO 041 Heads CB2232 Camshaft Simple Digital Systems Dual Electronic Ignition w/ AutoLite Spark Plugs Sterba (54" x 54" propeller) For machine work, a shop nearby said in addition to machining the cylinder heads for 94mm, they can also machine the lower end of the CYLINDERS to fit the 92mm case, which would prevent machining the case and possibly making it weaker. I think this is the route I am going to take, since the magnesium cases are already fairly weak (relatively speaking), and it keep a little more beef on it than if it were machined for 94mm. This setup reportedly yields about 80 HP (according to the article), and right now I rate my 2100D about 70 HP (bone stock except for MOFOCO 041 heads). More importantly than HP ratings however, I'm curious to see how these changes affect my climbout performance, and also my static RPM on takeoff. I will certainly be able to tell if it runs significantly more powerful than before. I will post those results back when the airplane is in the air again! Thank you for reading, and feel free to reach out to me if anybody has any more questions about the SDS system, the magneto, or the 2100D in general. V/R Sam Spanovich N6399U 74S, Anacortes WA _______________________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. Please see LIST RULES and KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html. see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change options. To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to [email protected]
