Love it! Pipe...shot of whisky... only things missing are the fireplace...a big red sweater that the wife knitted for you and golden lab at your feet!...”gather around children and let grand dad tell you a scary story” 😂
Absolutely agree on the Surefly technology e.g. electronic ignition. Plug and Play virtually zero ongoing maintenance the biggest obstacle for untrained, and uninformed is themselves. You are spot on this time Jimmy this time, it is a moot point.
Running old fashioned mags is kinda archaic. At least your allowed one electronic replacement. I envy you for you rebuilding your aircraft and doing the work yourself. You do yourself proud young man. Cheers...
Another huge bonus of the SF is you get out of the 250hr Slick left mag AD which costs about $800 because they always need to be rebuilt, and you avoid metal in your engine when the impulse coupling fails!!
Love your videos. Couldn't come at a better time. I'm rebuilding a 1965 PA-28-140 and experiencing a lot of the same problems. I'm an A&P / working stiff and can appreciate your advice on saving money and some of the hardships of rebuilding an old Cherokee.
I've been a pilot for 30 plus years... and in that time, I've seen very few innovations in aviation... I recall that GPS was just becoming a thing when I first started flying... we used it in the Navy, but only as a backup... we still used INS for long range navigation at the time, (mid-80's), and some of our older aircraft in the fleet, (P-3 Orions), were still using LORAN-C... an even older technology. Go figure. I remember when GPS finally became affordable to install in GA aircraft. It made navigation that much easier. The use of electronic ignition in aviation is finally here and here to stay. It's been used in the auto industry for many years now. I don't understand why it has taken so long to finally enter the aviation market. I suppose it's due to the FAA and their regulatory processes. The same processes that say you must use "certified equipment in a factory built, certified aircraft, and yet you can use non-certified equipment in experimental aircraft that perform the same functions"... both of which fly in the same national airspace system... go figure. But, enough of my ranting... I plan on upgrading the ignition system in our Grumman Tiger this May, during my next annual. I've heard nothing but great things about the SureFly from other pilots who have installed one. With that said, I'll be watching your TH-cam posts with great interest to see just exactly how easy, (or difficult), this installation is. Good luck. Fly safe and fly often!
This will be my 2nd install. video will be coming out tomorrow on it. Very simple. The hardest part was running the power to the battery and getting it through the grommet in the firewall. 2hrs tops and I was doing the video at the same time.
Great Sunday video. Your stories are hilarious. Need a fake fireplace video on your sim screen, then it's the perfect old man smoking in his den setting. Great stuff!
Just bought one of these and had it dropped shipped to the place rebuilding my Lycoming O-320-D3G, on Friday. Mine was slightly less than $1500 because I ordered it directly from Surefly. Ordering it from AS would have added about $120 in IL taxes (Engine shop is in IL.) Interestingly, Lycoming is rebranding Surefly with a black case (and "modifications to take it to Lycoming's exacting standards".) The dual mag system is due out later this year. I have one other modification since I have an EI digital mag. I've got to cut the p-lead near the starter and install a 4.75K ohm resister.
Totally agree with you. I recommend a Rotax 915iS powered experimental as your next build. Liquid cooled, turbocharged, FADEC, fuel injected reliable engine. Something automotive engines have been for decades.
One of the great mysteries of 21st Century general aviation: Why are magnetos still a thing? It has been nearly two decades since the last distributor (and the last carburetor) could be found in a new production car in the United States. Reliability and fuel economy have soared for cars, while aircraft engines continue to use tech from the 1930s and 1940s (and fall out of the sky all the time because of engine failures). Closely related: FADEC (or the lack thereof). Again, even the cheapest economy car sold in the United States has had the equivalent of FADEC installed as standard equipment for MANY years. General aviation? Not so much. Why there are still controls for mixture, magnetos, carb heat, and prop RPM in 2021 is absolutely unexplainable.
Many of the newer aircraft that are being built today do use these modern technologies, including FADEC... but at a cost. Nothing is cheap in aviation... That's why a brand new Cessna C-172 with all of the bells and whistles can run you between $270K and $310K at today's prices. In the experimental market, you can build a VANS RV-12 that comes with a Rotax engine that is turbo charged and has FADEC for a fraction of the cost. But, it will still run you in both money cost and sweat equity.
@@therealjimmysworld While I *don't* have any flying experience outside of simulators. And while I love computers, I still think that there still needs to be manual backups incase the computer fails for whatever reason.
@@gordonfeliciano4315 I don't know about you but I'd be hesitant to ride in anything someone built in a garage or a basement. But then again, the Wright brothers didn't build their flyer in a factory because the factories didn't exist yet.
I've done my share of points n condenser maintenance back in the day and it was pretty much continual. Not aircraft mags tho, But about any thing else. Some folks now days don't even know where to start so I still see a few. So Yes even lawn mowers and other tiny engines have electronic ignition and they work pretty much flawlessly! It's way past time for aviation. Heck if that ol B17 909 could have had some kind of an upgraded electronic ignition it probably wouldn't have crashed sadly.
Without doubt electronic ignition is the best thing you can do for your engine. The surefly is the easy way to go but it will not give you the full advantage unless you have the manifold pressure connected, at the moment you need to check the STC for your aircraft to see if you can connect this line. The other system on the market is built by Electroair, this is from a technical point of view a better system as it gives a much more powerful and longer duration spark. This results in better fuel economy at altitude. The downside is it is more difficult to fit. While I will not be recommending a particular system as that is for the individual aircraft owner to decide but do suggest that you look at all the systems on the market before making your decision………. What ever you choose it will be much better than a magneto !
Great video, very informative. I'm going to make a comment that will probably get the same response as the one you got from the geezers about electronic ignition. I'm a Bourbon guy also and have had Horse Soldier. Frankly for the price at $60-$100 per bottle (depending on which label), for the price I'd take Jim Beam Black all day.
Jimmy this was your best video you've made from the Biden comment to the absolute truth about mags!!! totally stupid we can't have a dual mag system most new panels have backup batteries so maybe just have a backup enough to last 30 min to land hell its a NO brainer!!!!! I am an A&P/IA own a Cherokee6 im bringing back to life along with a Comanche 250. The hard starting problem on my six i installed a "Slick Start" that has worked great but the Emag in going on both of my two 0-540 engines.....
G, day Jimmy from Sydney, Australia. * do you need to replace both magnetos (at the same time) from spinning coil to electronic? * space around the engine (slicks Benedicts) * volt metre on panel: reading the voltage drop and back to both. Where is the senor: in the magneto/ not the leads or spark plugs? 🧐🇭🇲
Hello sir! thanks again for your comments. - only allowed to replace one for now :/ They are working on a dual magneto replacement approval. - same size as slick mag. - not sure I fully understand your last question. There is no voltage drop, however, when doing a mag drop, the surefly needs 20ms to pick up the trigger to spark. So, when you do a right mag drop and turn the key across left, there is a bump in rpm if you turn the key slowly. They have a placard to this effect that goes on the panel. Hope that helps :)
I have a 540 D series in a Turbo Saratoga… Surefly does not have a solution for the dual mag set up. Electroair will be coming out with a FAA certified approved mag for around $6500. In your research (and now flying with the Surefly) did your look at Electroair? If so what drawbacks did you notice. Also are there questions I should be asking.. Thx again!! Bryan
Hello and thanks for commenting. I did check out the electroair and it was way more complicated to install vs the surefly. I would have stuck with the original mag purely due to simplicity over the electroair. just my 2 cents.
:-O Thank you so much for this video! I'm amazed. I fly a 1967 M-20F Mooney. I've poked around Electro-Air, but as you say, it has a big box that has to go on the firewall, and one thing Mooneys do not have is a lot of extra room on the back of the engine compartment. How does it hook into the ignition switch? If you install it in the right mag, can you ground it out with the switch for run-up checks, but also have it on for starting so that it will help start? I may well pursue this. This is great! Thank you!
You'll be happy you did. Simple install. wire to battery, p-lead, and vacuum line if using the advance feature. install it like a regular magneto, time it with a 9v battery and off you go! Yes, operates just like a mag for run ups, etc...
I really like the vid’s, love watching the build out! Would love to see some time laps stuff and more about the process! is the horse soldier really that good?
Pardon the newbie question, I am more familiar with motorcycles, but how does the engine manage a variable timing ignition and a fixed one at the same time, assuming both mags are turned on ? Each cylinder ends up having 2 sparks at different timings ?
Yes there are often two spark events, but by the time the mechanical mag fires at fixed timing the fuel is already burning. For starting the mechanical mag and Surefly will spark close to TDC (mechanical mag has a device called an impulse coupler for that), for engine idle they both spark around 20-25 degrees advanced depending on engine model, and the Surefly will advance up to a maximum of 38 degrees spark advance at cruise based on intake manifold vaccuum.
Jimmy -- Don't you ever rest up? You seem to be working all the time. You must take a break sometime. We want to see you at some time in the near future with your feet up, wearing dark glasses, sipping a cold beer. Take it easy Jimmy!
Oh well said. Magnetos and mixture controls belong in history, not in a brand new plane, where you can still get them. There was a B-17 lost recently and the main thing wrong with it was that the crappy magnetos were all worn out. They really belong back in the 30s, they aren't as recent as the 40s. Actually patent US1398000A was for automatic spark timing, so better has been available since the 1920s. Electronic ignition was run on Ferrari racing cars in the 1960s.
Hey Jimmy. U sooo funny ! BUT , gotta tell you about vapour lock. U have the 260 or the 300 ? 12 years owner ... get back to me if you want more info. It will never start if u have one of those !!
@@therealjimmysworld When u stop the hot engine, the heat radiating upward from the engine will « boil » the fuel in the fuel lines on top of the engine. These bubbles blocks the flow of fuel when you try starting it ( I’d say starting about 10-15minutes after shutting down the beast. One of the ways to « push » them out of the lines is to force fuel into the lines. How ? Buy flooding the engine : - Fuel pump On, - Throttle Max , - Mixture Rich until u see fuel dropping on the ground under the engine ( about 15-20 sec) . Then u do the POH’s flooded start engine procedure. This I’ve been doing for years. It works perfectly. It’s a bitch to start when you don’t know. Now I don’t worry anymore. It took me years to figure this one out. 2) I learned of a 2nd way recently : - FP on, - Throttle Max , then you do Mixture : Off/Rich/Off in a quick 1 second move. It seems to work but am not 100% convinced. Anyway I can send you pics of MY 12 years project on my 1975 if u tell me where. More than 225,000 miles !! BTw : Flew everywhere with mine: All Canada ( crossing inside the Rockies at 12,000ft): all of the USA , the carabeans and even flying over Cuba to Jamaica. What a great reliable beast !!!! Martin from Montreal. In Boca for the winter.
I understand why there are common accepted practices to keep everybody safe but the FAA needs to understand general aviation is so far behind automotive technology in safety and reliability of engines it’s pretty much a disgrace. I am hoping Konenzieg comes out with that 3 cylinder thing and just rams it down the FAA’s mouth with money and lobby power. It would save many lives to have modern technology and cost far less in maintaining.
Installed the Surefly on a flight school airplane. Immediately started receiving backfire squawks. Turns out the surefly has a 7 millisecond startup sequence so when you would switch from the off opposite mag to that one there would be a split second where no mags were firing. Then when it fired up it would ignite all the fuel that had been waiting and a big backfire would result. Surefly told me to do the mag drop at a lower rpm, in spite of the manufacturer checklists for the airframe. Came to realize after the second time it scared the shit out of a student that Surefly was not the way to go. Yanked it off and sent it back.
I thought that might be the case. I helped my Dad build a Van's RV4 twenty some years ago. It had a light speed electronic ignition with Harley Davidson motorcycle coils. The remaining magneto was the one with the impulse coupler so when we tried to start the engine for the first time and discovered the battery had died we were able to prop start it. I have forgotten a lot since then. Dad is 88 now with Parkinson's dementia so these days I get most of my aviation fix from utube. Really enjoy your videos! Thank You!
Great that you realize that each magneto is ancient in concept and I believe they each have 20 moving parts and you've made the jump to an electronic magneto, now take the jump to why the rotax engine uses four stators to generate electricity with virtually no moving parts other than a crankshaft which was already turning.. good youtubes...Cyrus RV12 driver, my 5th plane!!!
Are you sure you're old enough to smoke and drink? BTW, You forgot to mention the bonus about eliminating the impulse coupling, which, if it fails, can ruin your whole day.
1957 172, 45 year old rebuild on an O-300 B. Bought from a dealer in annual. Yes, in just 4 years, I have spent the original purchase price over again to go 400 hours. I get it, comes with the territory, I am all about upgrades, and have rarely regretted $$$$ thus spent, but I need to see a practical advantage. My old school AP/IA performs a 500 hr on my Bendix mags for waaay less than 8 C. A failure was, a capacitor $45, diagnosed and replaced in under an hour. Who is going to work on that Surefly? You are still gonna need service on the rotating components and high tension contacts some day- not likely in the field, or AOG!! My bird starts hot or cold. Always appropriate prime I was told, and it works. With the old school Delco pull starter, with the Delco 35 amp generator and vibrating points regulator. I don’t see the inherent advantage in aircraft use. Aircraft engines do not operate in any where near the continuously varying rpm mode of a car. In automotive use, sure, a Model T had selectable ignition timing on the steering wheel! In aircraft, running continuously, say at your 2250, I don’t see the big deal. Take a properly timed mag on the bench, even spinning it over by hand, if you get too close it’ll ring your chime! Plenty of spark! Now, as new aircraft engines can be developed with all design parameters considered, sure, but slapping electronic mags on a 50 year old machine, I need convincing. I grant the advantage of no external power failure mode on a mag may be arguable. But it is true. Also, just asking, don’t know, what is the overheat failure mode of a mag? I’ll bet it needs a coil! So, if you don’t have access to the rapidly disappearing old school expertise on things like mags, I guess it comes to letting a parts swapper install stuff like this. Not necessarily a bad thing..And if you have overcome issues you had starting, discussion over! Love a Cherokee 6. Best of luck!
thanks so much! I notice a more full and powerful spark with this one. When I do a mag check, sometimes it's hard to tell if I switched because there is barely a drop in rpm. I also get better fuel performance. Almost 1gph at cruise.
Jimmy, come on man, if you're gonna be a comedian in these vids, you got to use some imagination man. You should have filled that whiskey bottle with pepsi or your favorite soda that's the same color of whiskey and poured a full glass and drank it all down immediately. Now that would have been funny!!!
Sticking to antiquated, and inherently unreliable, technology when it's a machine that you trust your life with, is completely inexplicable. How do some guys manage to stay alive for long enough to become old? Luck, perhaps?
Love it! Pipe...shot of whisky... only things missing are the fireplace...a big red sweater that the wife knitted for you and golden lab at your feet!...”gather around children and let grand dad tell you a scary story” 😂
hahahahaha, why back in my day....
@@therealjimmysworld when the starter was elbow grease and men were men. Lol
Absolutely agree on the Surefly technology e.g. electronic ignition. Plug and Play virtually zero ongoing maintenance the biggest obstacle for untrained, and uninformed is themselves. You are spot on this time Jimmy this time, it is a moot point.
we need Jimmy's office episodes, stat. whiskey, pipe/cigar, fun stories. I need more of this man.
Jimmy, lovin the fun you are havin building out the panel and making videos. Infectious
Nice! thank you!
Totally agree. I stopped flying 30 years ago and am now back at it. Absolutely nothing has changed that turns an engine or propeller.
hahahaha, painfully true
Loving the 'show' Jimmy - you're doing a good job motivating me to pick up an older airplane and get my hands dirty. Thanks!!
Go for it!
Running old fashioned mags is kinda archaic. At least your allowed one electronic replacement. I envy you for you rebuilding your aircraft and doing the work yourself. You do yourself proud young man. Cheers...
Thank you sir!
Another huge bonus of the SF is you get out of the 250hr Slick left mag AD which costs about $800 because they always need to be rebuilt, and you avoid metal in your engine when the impulse coupling fails!!
yep!
hahahaha casually fills the pipe and pours a shot of Whiskey.
Funny, unpretentious and just a regular guy approach to these videos. Love it!
Love your videos. Couldn't come at a better time. I'm rebuilding a 1965 PA-28-140 and experiencing a lot of the same problems. I'm an A&P / working stiff and can appreciate your advice on saving money and some of the hardships of rebuilding an old Cherokee.
That's great! Glad I can help :). What have you ran into on your rebuild?
I've been a pilot for 30 plus years... and in that time, I've seen very few innovations in aviation... I recall that GPS was just becoming a thing when I first started flying... we used it in the Navy, but only as a backup... we still used INS for long range navigation at the time, (mid-80's), and some of our older aircraft in the fleet, (P-3 Orions), were still using LORAN-C... an even older technology. Go figure. I remember when GPS finally became affordable to install in GA aircraft. It made navigation that much easier.
The use of electronic ignition in aviation is finally here and here to stay. It's been used in the auto industry for many years now. I don't understand why it has taken so long to finally enter the aviation market. I suppose it's due to the FAA and their regulatory processes. The same processes that say you must use "certified equipment in a factory built, certified aircraft, and yet you can use non-certified equipment in experimental aircraft that perform the same functions"... both of which fly in the same national airspace system... go figure.
But, enough of my ranting... I plan on upgrading the ignition system in our Grumman Tiger this May, during my next annual. I've heard nothing but great things about the SureFly from other pilots who have installed one. With that said, I'll be watching your TH-cam posts with great interest to see just exactly how easy, (or difficult), this installation is. Good luck.
Fly safe and fly often!
This will be my 2nd install. video will be coming out tomorrow on it. Very simple. The hardest part was running the power to the battery and getting it through the grommet in the firewall. 2hrs tops and I was doing the video at the same time.
Great Sunday video. Your stories are hilarious.
Need a fake fireplace video on your sim screen, then it's the perfect old man smoking in his den setting.
Great stuff!
hahahaha, that's a great idea! with a smoking jacket and big leather arm chair!
Just bought one of these and had it dropped shipped to the place rebuilding my Lycoming O-320-D3G, on Friday. Mine was slightly less than $1500 because I ordered it directly from Surefly. Ordering it from AS would have added about $120 in IL taxes (Engine shop is in IL.)
Interestingly, Lycoming is rebranding Surefly with a black case (and "modifications to take it to Lycoming's exacting standards".) The dual mag system is due out later this year.
I have one other modification since I have an EI digital mag. I've got to cut the p-lead near the starter and install a 4.75K ohm resister.
That's cool! What's the story with the resistor?
Totally agree with you. I recommend a Rotax 915iS powered experimental as your next build. Liquid cooled, turbocharged, FADEC, fuel injected reliable engine. Something automotive engines have been for decades.
for real!
That 915iS also runs on 91 octane so you can skip the nav gas too
awesome!
Scotch ? Pipes? Airplanes you are my favorite renaissance man !
One of the great mysteries of 21st Century general aviation: Why are magnetos still a thing? It has been nearly two decades since the last distributor (and the last carburetor) could be found in a new production car in the United States. Reliability and fuel economy have soared for cars, while aircraft engines continue to use tech from the 1930s and 1940s (and fall out of the sky all the time because of engine failures). Closely related: FADEC (or the lack thereof). Again, even the cheapest economy car sold in the United States has had the equivalent of FADEC installed as standard equipment for MANY years. General aviation? Not so much. Why there are still controls for mixture, magnetos, carb heat, and prop RPM in 2021 is absolutely unexplainable.
Nailed it!
Many of the newer aircraft that are being built today do use these modern technologies, including FADEC... but at a cost. Nothing is cheap in aviation... That's why a brand new Cessna C-172 with all of the bells and whistles can run you between $270K and $310K at today's prices. In the experimental market, you can build a VANS RV-12 that comes with a Rotax engine that is turbo charged and has FADEC for a fraction of the cost. But, it will still run you in both money cost and sweat equity.
very true
@@therealjimmysworld While I *don't* have any flying experience outside of simulators. And while I love computers, I still think that there still needs to be manual backups incase the computer fails for whatever reason.
@@gordonfeliciano4315 I don't know about you but I'd be hesitant to ride in anything someone built in a garage or a basement. But then again, the Wright brothers didn't build their flyer in a factory because the factories didn't exist yet.
I had that problem with my Aztec. Unhooked the exciters (bump up the spark during starts) upon advice from my mechanic and it started right up.
Hahahaha I have exactly the same reaction to those head scratcher thingy 🤣🤣🤣...love the videos!...much respect from Zimbabwe 🇿🇼🇿🇼🇿🇼
Love the Ending !! Way to go Jimmy
More info on the fancy pipe, Please.
I got it as a gift a few years ago... can't tell you much about it. :/
I've done my share of points n condenser maintenance back in the day and it was pretty much continual. Not aircraft mags tho, But about any thing else. Some folks now days don't even know where to start so I still see a few.
So Yes even lawn mowers and other tiny engines have electronic ignition and they work pretty much flawlessly! It's way past time for aviation. Heck if that ol B17 909 could have had some kind of an upgraded electronic ignition it probably wouldn't have crashed sadly.
exactly!
Jimmy, love your videos, please keep them coming!
will do!
Man after my own heart, Declaration of Independence on the wall.
I don’t always believe the stories told on YT but I have no doubts about yours.
hahahaha, thanks!
I could taste the pipe smoke at the end but have no clue what the whiskey tasted like. Thanks for the stories!
Glad you enjoyed it
Without doubt electronic ignition is the best thing you can do for your engine. The surefly is the easy way to go but it will not give you the full advantage unless you have the manifold pressure connected, at the moment you need to check the STC for your aircraft to see if you can connect this line. The other system on the market is built by Electroair, this is from a technical point of view a better system as it gives a much more powerful and longer duration spark. This results in better fuel economy at altitude. The downside is it is more difficult to fit. While I will not be recommending a particular system as that is for the individual aircraft owner to decide but do suggest that you look at all the systems on the market before making your decision………. What ever you choose it will be much better than a magneto !
I agree, Surefy was a great upgrade for me.,
Jimmy you all right, love you videos, learn about many things, thanks on aviation
My M35 WILL have this asap!!! Thanks Jimmy👍
Great video, very informative. I'm going to make a comment that will probably get the same response as the one you got from the geezers about electronic ignition. I'm a Bourbon guy also and have had Horse Soldier. Frankly for the price at $60-$100 per bottle (depending on which label), for the price I'd take Jim Beam Black all day.
Wow! If this 1gal/hour added efficiency adds up, the surefly pays for itself over 150 hours.
Jimmy this was your best video you've made from the Biden comment to the absolute truth about mags!!! totally stupid we can't have a dual mag system most new panels have backup batteries so maybe just have a backup enough to last 30 min to land hell its a NO brainer!!!!! I am an A&P/IA own a Cherokee6 im bringing back to life along with a Comanche 250. The hard starting problem on my six i installed a "Slick Start" that has worked great but the Emag in going on both of my two 0-540 engines.....
Nice!! Yeah, they are working on the STC for dual mag (yep, that little back up battery, just like the panels)
Hell yes! Thanks for the info! Also thanks for your service! 🇺🇸
Thanks so much!
I was waiting for you to dab a bit of that whiskey behind each ear ala Henry Blake from MASH.
hahahaha
This is intriguing for my 1966 PA28-140. How many hours have you put on one of these “mags”?
G, day Jimmy from Sydney, Australia.
* do you need to replace both magnetos (at the same time) from spinning coil to electronic?
* space around the engine (slicks Benedicts)
* volt metre on panel: reading the voltage drop and back to both. Where is the senor: in the magneto/ not the leads or spark plugs?
🧐🇭🇲
Hello sir! thanks again for your comments.
- only allowed to replace one for now :/ They are working on a dual magneto replacement approval.
- same size as slick mag.
- not sure I fully understand your last question. There is no voltage drop, however, when doing a mag drop, the surefly needs 20ms to pick up the trigger to spark. So, when you do a right mag drop and turn the key across left, there is a bump in rpm if you turn the key slowly. They have a placard to this effect that goes on the panel.
Hope that helps :)
Jimmy great videos. Love you sense of humor. Where are located. I'm at KHWO.
just up the road from you! KPCM
Come-on Jimmy, don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel!
LOL
(Me thinks that ole Jimmy really loves them new fangled wizard like mags.)
it's like the innerwebs, it'll pass, just a fad
I have a 540 D series in a Turbo Saratoga… Surefly does not have a solution for the dual mag set up. Electroair will be coming out with a FAA certified approved mag for around $6500. In your research (and now flying with the Surefly) did your look at Electroair? If so what drawbacks did you notice. Also are there questions I should be asking.. Thx again!! Bryan
Hello and thanks for commenting. I did check out the electroair and it was way more complicated to install vs the surefly. I would have stuck with the original mag purely due to simplicity over the electroair. just my 2 cents.
Just FYI this isn't preventative maintenance and it needs to be professionally done!! ❤😊
Per the FARs
:-O
Thank you so much for this video! I'm amazed.
I fly a 1967 M-20F Mooney. I've poked around Electro-Air, but as you say, it has a big box that has to go on the firewall, and one thing Mooneys do not have is a lot of extra room on the back of the engine compartment.
How does it hook into the ignition switch? If you install it in the right mag, can you ground it out with the switch for run-up checks, but also have it on for starting so that it will help start?
I may well pursue this. This is great! Thank you!
You'll be happy you did. Simple install. wire to battery, p-lead, and vacuum line if using the advance feature. install it like a regular magneto, time it with a 9v battery and off you go! Yes, operates just like a mag for run ups, etc...
Horse Soldier is great stuff. Made in FL. By veterans. But I bet you knew that.😁
You know it!!
Excellent video mate very helpful. You still happy with it? Thanks Chris in Perth Australia
I really like the vid’s, love watching the build out! Would love to see some time laps stuff and more about the process! is the horse soldier really that good?
yes and yes :)
Pardon the newbie question, I am more familiar with motorcycles, but how does the engine manage a variable timing ignition and a fixed one at the same time, assuming both mags are turned on ? Each cylinder ends up having 2 sparks at different timings ?
Yes there are often two spark events, but by the time the mechanical mag fires at fixed timing the fuel is already burning. For starting the mechanical mag and Surefly will spark close to TDC (mechanical mag has a device called an impulse coupler for that), for engine idle they both spark around 20-25 degrees advanced depending on engine model, and the Surefly will advance up to a maximum of 38 degrees spark advance at cruise based on intake manifold vaccuum.
You bought one mag, great, what do you do with the other one??
Sure Fly, putting the NEATO, in magneto!
Is there an STC for the electronic ignition
love these videos
If you have magnetos on „both“, does the variable ignition timing of the SureFly still work? Or is it overridden by the Bendix?
I'm still pretty new to this but can you not hand prop it with the one remaining mag?
not with the right mag. On this one, only the left has the "coupling" which snaps a spark at low rpm (hand prop speed)
Jimmy -- Don't you ever rest up? You seem to be working all the time. You must take a break sometime. We want to see you at some time in the near future with your feet up, wearing dark glasses, sipping a cold beer. Take it easy Jimmy!
Why not both sides for a Surefly?
i see you have a flight sim, you should do that in a video some time in the future
Good suggestion, talk about which one I have and how I use it for training?
@@therealjimmysworld looking forward to it :)
I just had one put on
Oh well said. Magnetos and mixture controls belong in history, not in a brand new plane, where you can still get them. There was a B-17 lost recently and the main thing wrong with it was that the crappy magnetos were all worn out. They really belong back in the 30s, they aren't as recent as the 40s. Actually patent US1398000A was for automatic spark timing, so better has been available since the 1920s. Electronic ignition was run on Ferrari racing cars in the 1960s.
Thanks Jimmy…cheers!
Hey Jimmy. U sooo funny ! BUT , gotta tell you about vapour lock. U have the 260 or the 300 ?
12 years owner ... get back to me if you want more info. It will never start if u have one of those !!
I have the fuel injected 300. What advice do you have for me?
@@therealjimmysworld When u stop the hot engine, the heat radiating upward from the engine will « boil » the fuel in the fuel lines on top of the engine. These bubbles blocks the flow of fuel when you try starting it ( I’d say starting about 10-15minutes after shutting down the beast. One of the ways to « push » them out of the lines is to force fuel into the lines. How ? Buy flooding the engine :
- Fuel pump On, - Throttle Max , - Mixture Rich until u see fuel dropping on the ground under the engine ( about 15-20 sec) .
Then u do the POH’s flooded start engine procedure. This I’ve been doing for years. It works perfectly.
It’s a bitch to start when you don’t know.
Now I don’t worry anymore. It took me years to figure this one out.
2) I learned of a 2nd way recently : - FP on, - Throttle Max , then you do Mixture :
Off/Rich/Off in a quick 1 second move.
It seems to work but am not 100% convinced.
Anyway I can send you pics of MY 12 years project on my 1975 if u tell me where. More than 225,000 miles !!
BTw : Flew everywhere with mine: All Canada ( crossing inside the Rockies at 12,000ft): all of the USA , the carabeans and even flying over Cuba to Jamaica.
What a great reliable beast !!!!
Martin from Montreal. In Boca for the winter.
That is awesome! and good trick/tip!
I understand why there are common accepted practices to keep everybody safe but the FAA needs to understand general aviation is so far behind automotive technology in safety and reliability of engines it’s pretty much a disgrace. I am hoping Konenzieg comes out with that 3 cylinder thing and just rams it down the FAA’s mouth with money and lobby power. It would save many lives to have modern technology and cost far less in maintaining.
That would be fantastic!!
When you say getting your “prop balanced “ Did it involve you spending dollar bills at a club ? Asking for a friend ? 🤔👍🏻😂🐻🇺🇸
hello, another week of pain and installation!
or a few grand in installations.
you should install those mags in the Cherokee 6.
Both!
I am! :)
@@therealjimmysworld My future (dream) plane is gonna have these mags now!
did cranking make you cranky.
excellent .....totally agree
Good channel man, just found it today.
Glad you enjoy it!
Installed the Surefly on a flight school airplane. Immediately started receiving backfire squawks. Turns out the surefly has a 7 millisecond startup sequence so when you would switch from the off opposite mag to that one there would be a split second where no mags were firing. Then when it fired up it would ignite all the fuel that had been waiting and a big backfire would result. Surefly told me to do the mag drop at a lower rpm, in spite of the manufacturer checklists for the airframe. Came to realize after the second time it scared the shit out of a student that Surefly was not the way to go. Yanked it off and sent it back.
That's a bummer. I've never experienced that in my plane, but I have heard that happening when doing an airborne mag check.
If you still have one healthy conventional magneto I think you could still prop start it with a dead battery.
I replaced the left with the coupler.
I thought that might be the case. I helped my Dad build a Van's RV4 twenty some years ago. It had a light speed electronic ignition with Harley Davidson motorcycle coils. The remaining magneto was the one with the impulse coupler so when we tried to start the engine for the first time and discovered the battery had died we were able to prop start it. I have forgotten a lot since then. Dad is 88 now with Parkinson's dementia so these days I get most of my aviation fix from utube. Really enjoy your videos! Thank You!
Glad I can help keep those days around!
Great that you realize that each magneto is ancient in concept and I believe they each have 20 moving parts and you've made the jump to an electronic magneto, now take the jump to why the rotax engine uses four stators to generate electricity with virtually no moving parts other than a crankshaft which was already turning.. good youtubes...Cyrus RV12 driver, my 5th plane!!!
That's great! I'll have to look that up!
Are you sure you're old enough to smoke and drink? BTW, You forgot to mention the bonus about eliminating the impulse coupling, which, if it fails, can ruin your whole day.
oh yeah!! yet another bonus!
Lmao u must live in Ocala where I use to live south of Orlando it's 50
What is horse soldier...from South Africa..jhb
1957 172, 45 year old rebuild on an O-300 B. Bought from a dealer in annual. Yes, in just 4 years, I have spent the original purchase price over again to go 400 hours. I get it, comes with the territory, I am all about upgrades, and have rarely regretted $$$$ thus spent, but I need to see a practical advantage. My old school AP/IA performs a 500 hr on my Bendix mags for waaay less than 8 C. A failure was, a capacitor $45, diagnosed and replaced in under an hour. Who is going to work on that Surefly? You are still gonna need service on the rotating components and high tension contacts some day- not likely in the field, or AOG!!
My bird starts hot or cold. Always appropriate prime I was told, and it works. With the old school Delco pull starter, with the Delco 35 amp generator and vibrating points regulator.
I don’t see the inherent advantage in aircraft use. Aircraft engines do not operate in any where near the continuously varying rpm mode of a car. In automotive use, sure, a Model T had selectable ignition timing on the steering wheel! In aircraft, running continuously, say at your 2250, I don’t see the big deal. Take a properly timed mag on the bench, even spinning it over by hand, if you get too close it’ll ring your chime! Plenty of spark! Now, as new aircraft engines can be developed with all design parameters considered, sure, but slapping electronic mags on a 50 year old machine, I need convincing.
I grant the advantage of no external power failure mode on a mag may be arguable. But it is true.
Also, just asking, don’t know, what is the overheat failure mode of a mag? I’ll bet it needs a coil!
So, if you don’t have access to the rapidly disappearing old school expertise on things like mags, I guess it comes to letting a parts swapper install stuff like this. Not necessarily a bad thing..And if you have overcome issues you had starting, discussion over!
Love a Cherokee 6. Best of luck!
thanks so much! I notice a more full and powerful spark with this one. When I do a mag check, sometimes it's hard to tell if I switched because there is barely a drop in rpm. I also get better fuel performance. Almost 1gph at cruise.
What you drinking jim
That was Trump crazy calling from Mar a Lago while shaving 3 strokes off (off his card that is), the par 4 he was on, ha!
Like the channel and content but wish the politics were left out of the videos.
where is the Christmas tree.you will have to fly to the north pole ro thank santa claus.
Horse soldier......Jonnie Walker? Rebel Yell?
The general aviation industry has been historically slow to adopt new technologies
slow is an understatement. Government slow... that is in a league all it's own. Their calendars in in decades, not months.
Jimmy, come on man, if you're gonna be a comedian in these vids, you got to use some imagination man. You should have filled that whiskey bottle with pepsi or your favorite soda that's the same color of whiskey and poured a full glass and drank it all down immediately. Now that would have been funny!!!
hahahaha
No Biden! I don't want you listening! LOL!
that was not a joke... lol
I don’t think Biden has any interest in what you say…Google and Apple though, different story.
Sticking to antiquated, and inherently unreliable, technology when it's a machine that you trust your life with, is completely inexplicable. How do some guys manage to stay alive for long enough to become old? Luck, perhaps?
Let's go Brandon!!
Let's go Brandon !!!