Today had a failure of my RD-1B gear drive.  It
 couldn't have happened at a
 better time, I was just taxiing off the runway at my home
 airport.  I just
 finished flying 200 mi. to Santa Paula to help Paul with
 the getting of Mike
 Wills airplane back into the air.  Flight home was
 otherwise unevenful and
 beautiful.  I didn't bother taking it apart, but will
 do so tomorrow.  Feels
 like I may have broken the sun gear pin again but will have
 to wait until
 tomorrow to be sure.  The strange thing is that
 nothing particularly
 stressed it.

 Sorry there is not cause I can report... a little suspense
 until tomorrow.

 -- David Leonard

 Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VY
 http://N4VY.RotaryRoster.net
 http://RotaryRoster.net

Both Lycoming and Continental have produced "geared, opposed" engines.
This paper summaries the best practices for your geared power plant.

http://www.republicseabee.com/Files/GO-480%20ops%20big.pdf

"In a nutshell, the secret to long life of your GO-series Lycoming is to NEVER EVER let the air turn the prop!"

Erik

Erik, have Chris Schuermann check the Ford C6 parts. Looks like Ford C6 parts to
me. Lycoming is known to use certain automotive parts like sodium
cooled diesel engine valves and old Cadillac V8 hydraulic valve lifters.

The difference between the Lyc GO and Tracy's box is the rubber torque isolator
missing in the GO. As Vance used to quote some famous English racing
engineer "An ounce of rubber is worth a pound of engineering". That is
pound sterling.

However there is a chatter resonance below 1800 engine RPM in Tracy's box.
Mike's RV4 idle screw is therefor set above that. Dave told me he has
seen 7100 or 7300 RPM down hill which is not reachable in straight and level
flight with the 2.17:1 box  so that could have something to do with it.


Paul Lamar