Turbo cooling addition

Well I'm onto the turbo cooling addition now for the time being. I am probably going in the wrong direction but that's what I'm about these days. I can't make it worse and it can only help so lets see how this install goes.

I have used the base line parts recommended from Sonex but mine being the Legacy model the stuff just ain't gonna fit. I don't need another disc brake kit where nothing fits arriving so I have gone it alone. I have chosen a small 2x path multi core radiator in the hope it will be a lot more efficient than the big trans cooler they have on offer as the solution. I could be wrong and will find out soon enough. It seems to fit in with my cowl well so here's to some good luck coming my way.


So first things first I chose to use metal cooling fittings on the housing. This soon turned out to be mistake number 1. The service bulletin Aeroconversion turbo drain sump impedes the hose connection so off that came for a little love from the bastard file.   I bore myself a path for the hose and refitted the sump with the new all access hose connected. For the true conservatives out there I wont be using those hose clamps either by the way. They are just there till I buy some good ones.

Next the oil filter had to move. Lucky the wife came in to share my Sunday undoing the nuts on the other side of the firewall as I never installed Riv nuts. Do yourself a favor anyone reading this and use riv nuts or encapsulated nuts or anything other than straight nut and bolt like I did. That way you won't have to share the pain of working on your plane and not having to rely on others for this endeavour would also be good.

I am not sure if the header tank will be any good in this position. The cap is easily removed but only with the cowling off. My aim is not to have to take the cowling off to pre flight it but I will for the next foreseeable future until the system proves itself or not. I am hoping to bleed all the air out of it with the electric pump running and if all goes well and it doesn't reach boiling point the water level should be fine and managing and monitoring temps should indicate to me if I have a loss of coolant issue or not.

 This is my cute little radiator. I can double it in size if I need to but will trial the small one first as it fits under my current vents in the cowling perfectly. I hope with all the air flow in flight it will work well. It's obviously not fully mounted yet and I haven't decided exactly how I will mount it but along these lines seems easy enough with some cowling seal on the top to seal the canopy onto the rad.

I will take this fitting off again and install the old type CHT sensor back under it again. I really want to see the difference in temps from before and after the cooling mods to see if I need to add a larger heat exchanger or not.

I don't have any pics of the SP-7 install. Not much to tell really on that front. I stole a power and earth from the SP-6 in the back, tapped into the can lines, plugged it in and guess what?  Yep it works. I will mount it on Valco as the Mgl dealer suggests, under the seat and close to the center of rotation. It should be good. Just need to clean up the wiring a bit and tie it all down.

Bit of an Update

Well I'm only at about 63 x hours now. I have managed to crack about an almighty 10 x or so from October last year. I've just had one problem after another on the plane and am truly sick of even going out to the airport and looking at it.

I'm completely bummed about it all at the moment. After the Second turbo seized up I just wanted to give up. I'm still going on auto pilot but sheesh.

Right as we speak I am in the middle of the Annual inspection and service that seems to be dragging on as I just haven't had time to get to it lately. Whilst this is going on I am fitting an external SP-7 artificial horizon module and also carrying out the addition of a cooling system to the turbo. I hope to be flying again by the end of April at the latest, as Easter and some planned holidays in April for a Formation endorsement will take up my time also.

I think the biggest bane in my aircraft are the engine mounts. I fitted a complete new set again and some 2 x hours and possibly 2 or 3 flights and the top mount looks like this again

I am positive the lower mount will chew out again and be rubbing on the accessory plate all too soon.  In case you were wondering whether I had not done them up tight enough, I had them tight, trust me. I have tried them mildly tight, overly tight, bulging out tight,  just right tight and even had hose clamps around them too to try and get some longevity out of them to some degree. Nothing seems to work. I have even joked to the point of asking Sonex tech to fly over and sort the issue for me if I pay for the ticket. No reply to that question and frankly I didn't actually expect one either to be honest. It would be nice though as this is getting beyond a joke.

On a bright side the plane flies really well still. I have just finally achieved my Aerobatics endorsement and have now flown my first Aero's in my own plane. It was a long moment coming as I had always intended one day to be able to do them in the Sonex and here we are. Loops, rolls, barrel rolls and stall turns are all that I have done so far. I was going to try out some spins but alas my engine mounts foil me again. Unfortunately I don't have any pics or vids but sooner rather than later I'll buy a cheap HD cam and get some vids and so on for you tube. I am really happy in the way the plane performed in all the maneuvers. It had plenty of power for loops and so on and just flies the path you ask it. Stall turns in the plane I did my test in were a real mission whereas in the Sonex it seems almost like the Super Decathlon and they seem to do them almost by themselves. 

 Please note, YES I had the Sonex hat on for all flights :)

I did do one away mission this year. It was a 2 x hour return flight to an Old Aero club member's station in the Mid west of Western Australia. Was good to get away from the field for a change and was really hoping at this stage all the issues were behind me. Errr no by the way. Just in case you were wondering. 

Got my self a Sonex shirt now too,,,, I didn't really like the other one I had with the upside down plane. Was just too hard to focus on. I like the new one :) 

I did get to take my mate for a fly too along the way. Something else I had been meaning to do. We were a bit squishy,,, neither of us ever really miss the second helping :) 

 I still have a long list of people keen to fly with me but it's a bit hard to tell them it's broken again. like WTF they keep saying. 

So just finishing off, here are a few pics from the last 10 x hours and my engine mounts.

The October engine mount replacement pics. 

The November Files of engine mounts

The December attempt at stainless steel zip ties. 

They didn't last long and were changed out on the 14th January. Actually they wern't that bad really this time but the secondary bush was so squished it seemed not to absorb much any more. 

The today pic just for reference. It's still fine but after 2 x hours but I have to add washers and re tighten them again. They were so tight before too and now look at the gap.