The engine kit arrived in late January. The engine is
actually in a crate that is inside this crate.
First step is to install the battery.
Then install electrical components on the firewall behind where
the engine will go.
It
hurts to do so, but you have to pull a brand new engine out of
the crate and proceed to remove the intakes and cooling system
to expose the top of the engine.
The mounting ring is then connected to the engine block.
This is the cooling plenum that will be added to the top of the
engine.
Once the engine was reassembled, it was time to mount it to the
firewall.
It
was a rather simple mounting since the mount is a two piece
assembly.
The spinner being fit to the front of the prop flange.
The spinner and propeller completed.
This is the exhaust system. Just a simple bolt and go.
The radiator and water hoses installed.
The engine installation is completed at this point.
Now it's time to install the cowlings from the finish kit.
The inside of the lower cowl was finished before the inner liner
was fiberglassed into place.
Then the heat shield material is applied.
The cowlings are all buttoned up. The fit is pretty tight
but will loosen over time due to vibration.
That finishes up the engine installation and all of the
construction. Now I have to convince the FAA that this is
really an airplane. It's also time to configure all the
electronics and prep the airplane for it's first engine start
and first flight. All those activities can be found in the
next section of the log.
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