> After many interruptions, I've finally achieved an engine hanging on the
> front of my Zenith 801. Many thanks to Paul and Jerry for the engine mount &
> continuing advice.
>
> I've attached photos showing key angles, including firewall clearance,
> overhead clearance, and the center mount brackets / turnbuckle. The
> clearances worked out great. The engine couldn't have gone back any further
> w/o the oil pan hitting the nose gear strut. As you can see in the photo's,
> it absolutely couldn't go any higher. I've also fitted the alternator, and
> there's plenty of room for it in all directions.
>
> --Kenny A.
>
> Congratulations on your success. I'm curious about the lack of a direct
> attachment of the motor mount to the upper firewall center point where the 2
> braces from the forward spar intersect the firewall. Have you worked out the
> load path from the firewall to the wings? In my conversations with zenith
> personnel, this was a very important connection point in an engine mount in
> the high wing series.
> C. Smith

Combining all questions into one reply...

I intend to add an additional 'turnbuckle', identical to the lower
assembly, from the wing-brace-attach point to the stock alternator
mount 'boss'. You can just see the black bracket bolted to the
firewall. I needed the engine in position to measure the length of the
connecting arm.

Question two was about the alternator; I'm using the stock Renesis
alternator mounted where the A/C compressor would be. If you position
everything right, the coil pickup and belt don't interfere. The
alternator's not mounted in these photo's, so I'm not sure what you
where looking at :)

Yes, those are aluminum pulleys. I ordered them from some aftermarket
store on ebay. My engine came w/o a waterpump pulley, and I figured I
might save a few ounces on the e-shaft pulley going to Al.

This picture shows the 'sixth point' firewall attach bracket and
engine fitted with the RD1C

--Kenny A.


Their concern is unfounded. The load path will go up there anyway
through the fixed sheet metal cowl. The fixed sheet metal cowl has
considerable shear strength. We looked into this before we did it.
the real stress comes from hitting the nose gear first. That is reacted by
the mass of the engine.

What Kenny is planing won't hurt but IMHO not needed. What would help
is a .032" thick  patch on the outside of the skin  to tie all the
internal stringers together in the upper motor mount area.

Paul Lamar