For installing the cowls and some of the engine systems I need a loner engine. Mine is a good 6 months away still being built in the UK of an Andrew Higgs design. Lucky for me the design is based on the size of a Lycoming 0-320.

A member of my SAAA chapter very generously offered a loner.

The 320 arrived and we got it hoisted in place ready to fit.

Well it turned out to be a 0-320H. To my continuing education these don’t fit some dynafocal mounts as mine was made.

Back to its box and on to plan B.

In the corner of the hangar I’m in was an 0-320D out of hours and waiting to be overhauled. Lucky Dave!

We got it installed, or rather the facility business owner installed it and I helped a little bit. There are a few tricks to getting it sitting correctly on the engine mounts and he knew them all. So for now…I have a loner engine, Woohoo!!

Being a pusher the engine is at the back and clearances are NOT good.

I had to remove the oil filter and the mags for the install.

I can already see the firewall will need to be ‘altered’ to fit the standby alternator on the vacuum pad accessory pad.

I have extended the firewall for the new cowls so we will have a little room down below.