Parts List, Pt. #3, 2,700 cc, basic engine

Builders:

Below is a look at the Conversion parts cost for a 2,700 engine with a standard oil cooling system based on a stock 12 plate cooler.  Below on the chart I have highlighted in blue the parts used.  This engine layout has been used on countless Corvair powered planes.  Although we have a lot of stories about 2,850 and 3,000 cc engines, there are still more 2,700 cc engine built than the other two displacements combined.  Some people call the 2,700 the ‘small’ Corvair, but describing it that way is misleading. It still has 25% more displacement than the largest commonly available type one VW the 2180cc.

.

Above, Becky Shipman’s 2,700 cc engine on my test stand getting ready for its break in run. The engine is equipped with a Weseman bearing  and our Gold Conversion parts. This engine is intentionally built on the light combination of 1964 heads and 1960 full fin cylinders bored out to 3.437.” It is about 8 pounds lighter than a standard Corvair. Read the story at this link: Shipman Engine at CC#22.

.

If a 25% difference doesn’t sound like a lot, let me share a story. Years ago, when new Corvair powered planes were just beginning to show up in numbers, KR-2S builder Mark Jones brought his to a KR gathering were they had a timed performance run. Most of the planes entered had a VW engine. Common talk at the time said that the Corvair’s 45 extra pounds of weight made it a ‘boat anchor.’ Some of the same people said Mark’s airplane wasn’t slick because he had a taller wider cabin and tri gear. They didn’t say it to his face because he is a very burly guy. Expectation was almost all of the VW planes would beat Mark over the long course.

.

It didn’t work out that way. When the dust settled, Mark had a higher average speed than the VW powered planes there. There was some major ego correction in process. Two of the VW planes had listed “175 mph” as their cruise speed on their prop card. In the race they had logged 15 mph under this going flat out, losing handily to Mark’s ‘boat anchor.’  Because I am a smart ass at times, I offered to loan one of these guys a Sharpie pen so he could ‘correct’ his prop card.  He tried to save face by saying that his cruise speed was higher at altitude. That might have worked in another setting, but I know enough about aerodynamics and performance to explain to the people present that all naturally aspirated aircraft have their highest speed at sea level. Mark was gracious about his performance that afternoon, but later in a smaller group he said it felt pretty damn good to clean up in the air after reading a lot of talk on the internet.

.

Other simple examples: There have been almost 100 Pietenpols built with a Corvair engine over the years. I have seen more than 45 of these in person. Overall I have personally seen maybe 250 different Piets of all types in the last 25 years. They had all kinds of power plants, but not a single one of them had a VW installation. This isn’t just a weight and balance issue, it is confirmation of the 2,700 cc power output. As I sit here and type this, I am pretty sure that every single Corvair powered Pietenpol flying is using a 2,700 cc displacement.

.

For a single example of a power and performance difference between traditional 65hp engines and a 2,700 cc Corvair get a look at this link: Pietenpol Power: 100 hp Corvair vs 65 hp Lycoming it also had a good explanation of how a 50% increase in power can yield three times the rate of climb.

——————————

.

Part description         Part Number              Pricing          Notes

Drive end

Hybrid Studs                2502                              $79

Safety Shaft                    2503                              $79

Short Gold Hub            2501(B)                       $579 

Front Starter kit          2400                             $566  

Ft Alter. Brackets         2901                              $99

Oil Systems

Gold Oil Filter housing   2601(S)                  $239 

Gold Sandwich                 2802                        $169

Hi-volume Oil case          2000HV                   $289

Billet Oil Pan                      2201(B)                    $289

Deep oil pick up kit         2202(A)                     $59

Ignition

E/P Distributor                  3301E/P                   $349 

External items

Valve Covers                       1900PC                    $149

Pushrod tubes                    1602PC                     $60

Piston, Rod, Cyl. Kits

2,850 cc Kit                           2850CC                 $1,800

3,000  cc kit                          3000CC                 $2,200

———————————–

.

The stock 12 plate oil system uses the parts listed. It is based on the ‘Group 2700’ in our numbering system. Many aircraft are flying on this arrangement. Our design is modular, and if a builder later wants to go to a HD ‘Group 2800’ Oil System as an upgrade, he can do so economically without a lot of back tracking. For more info look at this link: Heavy Duty Gold Oil Systems, new cooler model.

.

The Welded oil pans are slightly lighter and $40 less expensive, but the Gold Billet Pans are more popular.

.

Our standard ignition is the E/P  distributor. We will still make D/P distributors on request, but I would prefer than have people use the modern ones.  Almost all builders use our Valve Covers. They look good, but they have important mechanical features like being able to see TDC on the engine by removing the oil cap and looking at the #1 rocker arm instead of pulling a plug out. Zenith installations must also have the oil fill in the valve cover.( the stock filler neck hits the cowling.)

——————————

Price totals:

,

If you add up all the parts above, you are looking at $2,547.   Keep in mind that most builders buy the components slowly over time, but I have the total here because we have had a number of requests for a total price from people who wish to buy the parts at one time.

.

Obviously this isn’t the total price for a 100 HP /2,700 cc engine. This number does reflect the Conversion parts cost, and a big part of the internal engine parts. The list above is the part of the budget that builders spend with us on their project. As I have pointed out many times, we try not to resell anything we can simply direct builders to acquire for themselves, such as the Weseman parts and Falcon heads.

.

There are a lot of different options on building the rest of the engine, and if you would like to look at them, read this link,Getting Started Reference page. Specifically look at the links to parts #5 through #9 at the bottom, it gives every specific examples of the cost of different levels of bottom ends on the Corvair. -ww.