Flying Adventures with ORV

It has been a while since I have talked about Legal Eagle XL ORV, most flying and videos have been about LEXL SR 7-1/2. I am putting hours on SR and have only had hanger space for one of my Legal Eagles so ORV was first stored in the Toy Hauler and then moved to our Next Great Adventure location. There was one other matter that was slowing the accumulation of hours on ORV, and that was the fact that I kept losing compression in all cylinders. Since ORV last flew, I have replaced the cylinder heads with nice new ones. These are Honda Industrial engine heads and a full set of three heads cost a total of $ 223 delivered to my shop. They were complete with seats, valve, springs, gaskets, plugs, ready to bolt on.  I have been using nothing but 100LL in ORV and that may have been a problem. If everything works as planned in about 2 weeks will have ORV back in the air again. Examination of old heads indicate valves moving freely when at room temperature and a crud build up on seats.  Valve spring pressure is about 13 pounds per what I was able to find on internet, the feel in removing springs from valves indicates the 13 pounds to be close.   In place of the 100LL aviation fuel will start using unleaded, no ethanol, automotive fuel.

                I will be operating the 3V on ground for about an hour, various power settings and then will recheck valve clearances and head bolt torques. If all works out will give a try at getting airborne. We will not be flying from the 3300 ft asphalt runway at Oakdale but from a 3100 ft grass runway. We will need to taxi 300 feet from hanger to runway and then back taxi for takeoff.  

                We will be spending some time at T25, near Frankston Texas and when not there in Manteca California. All the work I do is over the internet so no one should see any differences except now I will have time to fly in place of sending more time driving from home to hanger. As time moves forward will be posting pictures and information from T25.

                At this point in time Legal Eagle SR 7-1/2 in loaded in the Jayco Octane Lite Toy Hauler ready for trip to join ORV.