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Hi, fellow rotary enthusiasts....I have made
progress in a couple of areas, and thought I would share this
information. I plan on using the 5/8" heater barb on the 13b to
provide coolant to my heater core/fan combination. (See attached pictureof
heater core). The heater core I found came from Northern factory sales in
Willmar, MN. It measures only 7" tall x 7" wide, and has a built-in 2
speed electric fan. It came with electrical rocker switch, mounting
brackets, two 5/8 Y adapters, hose clamps, instructions, etc. One of the
most compact units I have seen, and quality seems very good. Replacement parts,
to include fan blade, motor, core, etc are available seperately should they be
needed. If I recall correctly, the unit cost was around $119.00.
The second item I had
success with was the 5/8" heater nipple that is a press fit into the engine,
underneath the oil filter. Mine was missing from my engine. I tried to
find a new one, with no success. Finally, Mazdatrix sent a used one, but when I
put a micrometer to it, it was considerably out of round (probably caused during
removal from the casting).
I found at our
local CarQuest auto parts store, a steel 5/8" hose barb to a 1/2" NPT male
fitting. I just put it in a lathe, and turned the 1/2" NPT threaded area down to
17 mm, or .160 inches. In the picture, you will see the longer original piece,
as well as the new, slightly shorter nipple. The nice part about the new
piece is that the center hole that goes through the entire piece is a little
smaller than the original, so with it's thicker walls, it won't elongate or get
out of round as easily as the original, which was rather thin walled. Just
put it in the freezer, warm the engine area where it is to be inserted with a
propane torch, and tap into place with a plastic no-blow hammer, or a steel
hammer with a block of wood to protect the hose barbed end.
I hope this info is of
some interest and/or use to someone else? Everyone has been so kind in
sharing their discoveries, it's nice that I can finally share some of
mine.
The last item I have to
report on pertains to the remote oil filter project I have undertaken. A
machinist friend of mine made some 90 degree oil filter adapters for
Lycoming. I showed him the oil filter housing from my 13b, and he is
designing a 90 degree adapter that will bolt right onto the existing plate where
the oil filter housing once fit, cutting in O-ring grooves, then using the
original oil filter base that came with the engine, creating a lower profile oil
filter, by simply laying the filter down at a 90 degree angle. Instead of
creating a totally new and complicated adapter, we are going to use the same
filter base that was already on the engine....just turn it 90 degrees. I
should have something to show in a week or so.
Take care, and
thanks for letting me share this info. Paul
Conner
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