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New engine mount and nosr gear

vgb

Well Known Member
Just curious if any one has installed the new engine mount and nose gear on a already built aircraft. And if so what was your experience.
 
For the new mod, I think it may only be 7-9 and they are the same. Do they have it for the 6 too? I plan to install it in the future.
 
For the new mod, I think it may only be 7-9 and they are the same. Do they have it for the 6 too? I plan to install it in the future.

Please confirm this with the mothership.

IIRC when I needed to replace the engine mount and gear strut on my 6A in 2005, the replacement was a newer design.
 
Please confirm this with the mothership.

IIRC when I needed to replace the engine mount and gear strut on my 6A in 2005, the replacement was a newer design.

Was it the new design copied from the 14 and 10 with the damper? I believe it just came out this year or late last year. I don’t think it fit the 6, but not sure.

Look up June 2019 SL 19-04-30 for full info.
 
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I would highly recommend this modification. (sorry, I'm not sure if it fits a 6A, you should check with Vans)

Especially those that have fallen victim to the recent crankshaft AD, and will have their engine off anyway, this would be a GREAT time to do this change.
 
vans newish updated site

Just spent to much time trying to find out how much this new system of nose gear would cost. Not impressed with the vans site used to be able to find what I wanted. Guess it's a good thing these planes need few parts over the years. In my humble opinion there web site is junk compared to when I finished my plane in 2005.
Who can tell me what it would cost?
 
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For the new mod, I think it may only be 7-9 and they are the same. Do they have it for the 6 too? I plan to install it in the future.

Rocky I will buy your old style engine mount and nose gear. The time is coming to replace it. 5K+ hours of beating is showing :D

Washboard_1.jpeg
 
Nose gear and engine mount

Vlad
If Rocky doesn't sell his, I have an unused 7A Engine mount and Nose Gear. I bought the new one. Original was never installed. Sitting in my hangar.
 
Installing new nose gear/engine mount on our -6A

VGB,

We ordered the new mount as soon as they were available. It made sense for us.

Our -6A’s backstory. Read if you’re bored.:rolleyes:

We bought an -6A from my IAs father, Jim, who is also an IA. Jim was not the builder but bought it from the builder. An angle valve IO-360 was the first engine. My opinion is that engine is too big and heavy for the -6A. Around 250 TTAF, the engine oil pump failed when Jim was on the departure leg. He made an abbreviated pattern before the engine seized on short final. Airframe and Jim were undamaged. :) . Jim removed the wings, trailered the -6A across town to his hangar, ordered a new engine mount and parallel valve IO-360. That was 2005. It all sat in his hangar until he gave me first shot at buying the project in 2018. I got wind Van’s was working on the new mount & gear shortly after i committed to buy the -6A project. So...

Our 6 was going to get it’s pant stripped, interior gutted and everything thing new FF. So, we were already going have 4/5s of the PITA required do this in the plan.

1) Vans technical assistance was extremely helpful and useful making this decision.

2) Over $3,000 with shipping. It’s a really big box. But I have a box for shipping if someone ever wants our old 0 time mount. Vintage 2005.

3) The new mount is un-drilled. Hey, 6s were mostly custom built. Any mount with bolt holes may not line up with a -6A firewall bolt holes. The mounting pads were just generous enough to align and get new holes match drilled. Two different size drill guide bushings are included so one doesn’t make a mess of the original bolt holes. A few firewall rivets are removed and mounting plates are temporarily installed to get new mount aligned. The mount from Vans is actually a very complete kit.

4) The original cowl may need work to get the alignment with the spinner correct. Even 1/4” different alignment will be very noticeable at the spinner.

5) I had a clean firewall and two experienced A&Ps help me align and then back-drill mount on a hot JUNE day.

6) All of the instructions are on the Vans website.



This was for a -6A, probably the aircraft requiring the most work.

We have the new engine mount installed. But haven’t checked the fit of the cowling. We don’t know how much fiberglass work needs to be done. As far as alignment on an -7/9A with regard to cowling fit? IDK That would make a huge difference in the PITA factor.

Cheers,
 
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Just spent to much time trying to find out how much this new system of nose gear would cost. Not impressed with the vans site used to be able to find what I wanted. Guess it's a good thing these planes need few parts over the years. In my humble opinion there web site is junk compared to when I finished my plane in 2005.
Who can tell me what it would cost?

Vans quoted me a cost of $3225 for the new mount and gear leg and associated parts, this was in 2019. That does not include shipping.
 
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I have retrofitted the new gear on a 6A. Very pleased with the design and execution of the kit.
A few comments on the install. Stage of construction at time of commencing the retrofit was unpainted, cowling fitted (clecoed only), baffles and inlet installed, prop mounted. O-360, vertical induction Silverhawk installed.
You can delete from the new kit the nose gear fork, so long as you have the updated current version, existing one is the same.
1. I found match drilling the new motor mount to the existing mount holes to be a bit of a struggle due to the hardness of the new mounting pads, even with new drill bits, slow speed and lubrication. I final drilled slightly undersize and reamed to get perfect holes. You will want the rudder pedals out, otherwise access is no issue;
2. The new mount offset the cowl slightly; at the spinner, the cowl was displaced off-centre about 1/4 inch towards the 2:00 position. This required adding material along part of the rear and side of the cowl at the firewall along the horizontal hinge line and repositioning the mounting hinges. The inlet snorkel alignment remained good, however an already minimum clearance between the Vetterman left side muffler and the cowl bottom was reduced slightly but enough that it should be addressed, not yet decided how to do that;
3. Prop cable was unaffected, throttle and mixture control cable were relocated with good result. Van's has a new OP-26A diagram showing revised throttle and mixture control cable firewall penetrations for a vertical induction carb install using a bellcrank for the mixture. For the Silverhawk fuel injection install, I used (as I had before) the Van's supplied mounting bracket recommended for a carb install, and located both the throttle and mixture firewall penetrations through the lower part of the governor cut-out box, the mixture positioned close to the position shown for the throttle in OP-26A, the throttle some inches to the right of it. Both clear nicely, both cables lengths and the existing Van's mounting bracket worked fine.
4. Cannot comment on the fuel inlet line from firewall to engine mounted pump - I require a gascolator by Canadian regulations, and have not yet fitted that, considering bringing the fuel line from the valve, up the centre floor (am using the RV-7 high pressure electric pump and floor cover), then left along the firewall and through to a gascolator on the lower left firewall. This will allow a clear run for a flexible line from the gascolator to the engine driven pump.

All in all, consider this retrofit an improvement well worth the effort.
Bill Brooks
Ottawa, Canada
 
I would highly recommend this modification. (sorry, I'm not sure if it fits a 6A, you should check with Vans)

Especially those that have fallen victim to the recent crankshaft AD, and will have their engine off anyway, this would be a GREAT time to do this change.

I have just installed the new mount on my rv7a. For drilling the pads on the newmount I created a duplicat template using the old mount . The drilling is still demanding . The fit turned out right on the money...Havent reinstalled the engine yet work is stiil in progress.
 
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