Q1_Aircraft: V twins,

Check out the Robin Subaru V twin.

720 cc, 25 hp, dry weight 101 pounds.

Remeber the Onan 20HP 'Performer', the original Q1, engine is
advertised as 155 Pounds dry weight. you have a 5 HP, and a 50 pound
advantage with the Robin Subaru, even before you start to take things
off, and machine down the flywheel with this engine.

I don't know how the thrust bearings are on this engine, but even if
you have to put on an external bearing, you are way ahead of the game.

Just wanted to throw something at the V twin crowd.

Stay light.

Roger

Lot of good points, I have the fortune of having one of my closest friends as
being a small engine repair man all his life, and have got much good 'insiders'
from him. One of the most common problems when lawn mowers or chippers are
repaired, is neglect, no oil or no oil change for TEN years, and so on. He have
told me some incredible stories of what people do to their engines, that makes
me believe that the common knowledge of how an engine works and how it is
normally cared for, is very very low.

As to standard engines, and trouble with Onan Perfromance.

I do believe that if you knowledge in engine is rudimentary, you should go
with what standard engines are out there, and I have a feeling, that the trouble
with the Onan when it came out as a performance engine, was not on the part of
Onan, because Onan never relased anything that was of any significant
performance even though they named their engies 'Performer'. It was more a
matter of some clowns in Mojave drittling into things they didn't have a clue
what they were doing, and sold the stuff, as 'researched'. I saw some pics and
read some notes on that effort, and have shaken my head many times since.

-' by a fluke Gene stubled on an improvement, it was there the whole time, in
the original carbureator, after hours of research we can finally sell this
product to you for the nominal price of only....' Then the over shaved heads,
then the idea that a turbo would fit great to the already peddled shaved heads,
and on and on........

They just didn't have a clue what they were doing, simple as that, and that
have always lowered the Onan engines status, and gave it a pretty bad rap for
quite some time.

So in that sense, you are right, an engine is an intricate thing that in any
change it will give another problem, and if the chain of cause and effect is not
fully understood, I will gladly sell the advice to others as well to stick with
the original.

Stay light, does apply to other parts of the system as well, ....oh
bummer...well...there is a reason why the Weight Watchers are in business.



Ryan < rryan@... > wrote:
cross posting from the Q-List

I might add that as a cross check to establish reliability in the
'native form' a look / talk to industrial users / repairmen could be
enlightening.

For example, Husqvarna used to use Briggs and Stratton on their Ride
on mowers, but have since turned almost exclusively to Kohler. (and
in support of your points below, almost all are V twins)

I recall that industrial pedigree was one of the decision criteria
for the Onan. That said, the 'performance improvements' were also the
source of most of the subsequent problems with the powerplant.

There is much to be said for a stock standard, known to be reliable,
powerplant. You can buy replacement parts off the shelf, the part
lists and the manuals are written and the R&amp;D is done.

As for how much power is enough? That depends on a few factors. 300
fpm ROC is OK if you fly from long runways surrounded by flat
fields.....'stay light' comment can refer to more than one part of
the system.....

Cheers

John

--- In This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , 'scratchdeeper'
<scratchdeeper@...> wrote:
>
> Check out the Robin Subaru V twin.
>
> 720 cc, 25 hp, dry weight 101 pounds.
>
> Remeber the Onan 20HP 'Performer', the original Q1, engine is
> advertised as 155 Pounds dry weight. you have a 5 HP, and a 50
pound
> advantage with the Robin Subaru, even before you start to take
things
> off, and machine down the flywheel with this engine.
>
> I don't know how the thrust bearings are on this engine, but even
if
> you have to put on an external bearing, you are way ahead of the
game.
>
> Just wanted to throw something at the V twin crowd.
>
> Stay light.
>
> Roger
>

---

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Say Roger, I don't remember any version of the Onan being advertised at 155
lbs. The 20hp Onan, as bolted to the firewall with all it's baffling and
accessories, but no prop weighs in at 80 lbs on my UPS scale.

-john-


_____

From: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [mailto: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ] On
Behalf Of scratchdeeper
Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 11:52 PM
To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Subject: [Q1_Aircraft] V twins,



Check out the Robin Subaru V twin.

720 cc, 25 hp, dry weight 101 pounds.

Remeber the Onan 20HP 'Performer', the original Q1, engine is
advertised as 155 Pounds dry weight. you have a 5 HP, and a 50 pound
advantage with the Robin Subaru, even before you start to take things
off, and machine down the flywheel with this engine.

I don't know how the thrust bearings are on this engine, but even if
you have to put on an external bearing, you are way ahead of the game.

Just wanted to throw something at the V twin crowd.

Stay light.

Roger







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yes of course, I mean the 'shipping weight' the only comparable weight when it
comes to these V twins, I read in one of the engine whole sale list's that the
'shipping weight' for an Onan 20 Hp is 155 pounds.

Taken out of the box, (and discarding the pallet) stripped down from it's
shrouds, taken the muffler out, shaving down the flywheel, dumping the intake
pan, and taking the tank off, and all the magic hoplas, the Onan comes in on the
weight as you mentoined. Correct

We have very little data as to what a v-twin will weigh in as when it is
stripped in similar fasion, so I was comparing the advertised 'shipping weight',
I know it is a guess work at best, but having read the Onans shipping weight,
and comparing the v -twins shipping weight at least would make some kind of
comparison for a rough estimate.

One of the V-twins had a shipping weight of 87 pounds, before stripping, and
when someone have the stripped weight, we will of course have a better
comparison.

We really need the strip down weight of the V twin, and when it comes, we can
skip this 'shipping weight ' as I agree, it is not too reliable way of doing it,
but that is the best we have for now.

John Loram < johnl@... > wrote:
Say Roger, I don't remember any version of the Onan being advertised
at 155
lbs. The 20hp Onan, as bolted to the firewall with all it's baffling and
accessories, but no prop weighs in at 80 lbs on my UPS scale.

-john-

_____

From: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [mailto: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ] On
Behalf Of scratchdeeper
Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 11:52 PM
To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Subject: [Q1_Aircraft] V twins,

Check out the Robin Subaru V twin.

720 cc, 25 hp, dry weight 101 pounds.

Remeber the Onan 20HP 'Performer', the original Q1, engine is
advertised as 155 Pounds dry weight. you have a 5 HP, and a 50 pound
advantage with the Robin Subaru, even before you start to take things
off, and machine down the flywheel with this engine.

I don't know how the thrust bearings are on this engine, but even if
you have to put on an external bearing, you are way ahead of the game.

Just wanted to throw something at the V twin crowd.

Stay light.

Roger

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

---

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]