How to Install a 13B in a Long-EZ, Some Basics (Use this information at your own risk)
Installing a 13B into a Long-EZ can be a challenge. With the engine oil ports located on the left side it only makes sense to put the oil cooler there. Mount it in an armpit on the left side. The engine intake ports are on the right side, so the right side wing-root area is the best place to put the intake system. Ram air into the intake can be placed in the right side armpit. Mount the radiator below the engine to take full advantage of the belly NACA or ram inlet.
I have been refining the design of this engine mount for several years, mainly using ideas from the prolific Paul Lamar. I have all the parts to build this engine mount, but I've decided to hold off construction until I have to remove the engine from the airframe for some reason. The engine has been working flawlessly for over five years and five hundred hours now on my Long-EZ, so it may be some time before I get the opportunity to build this new mount.
Engine mount drawing shown with integral oilpan/Schertz beam:
Same view with oilpan turned off to better see the engine mount structure:
The front eccentric shaft pulley is shown for reference. The upper aluminum extrusions are replaced with square steel tubing with plates welded on the ends. The lower aluminum extrusions are not used. New, lower hardpoints forward of the firewall need to be constructed from steel or aluminum. Something like what I've sketched in these drawings, that can be bolted to the mid and lower longerons, and protrude through the firewall:
Size of the various tubing will be posted here when I get the information together. The two main rubber mounts take most of the load, these are available from McMaster Carr, p/n 6309K37. The Schertz beam is 1/2" thick aluminum, but the remainder of the oil pan is .09 aluminum. The load at the front is light and is taken up by the strut with rubber isolation rod ends. These are also available from McMaster Carr p/n 6088K15. The rod ends screw into coupling nuts McMaster Carr p/n 90264A505 that are welded onto each end of the strut.
The radiator mounts below the engine. This is a custom radiator that was built for me by C&R Racing. It has two cores in parallel, that has the advantage of putting both ports in the best position to connect to the water pump. This configuration maximizes core volume within the limited 13.5" wide by 17.5" long by 3.75" thick overall dimensions, about the largest rad you can squeeze into a Long-EZ. You can order this same radiator from C&R, just tell them you want the same counterflow radiator that they made for me. They have a construction drawing on file. The rad has 1" NPT ports. You can get Earl's 1" NPT to AN-16 adaptors from Summit Racing, as well as the AN-16 hose fittings and braided hose. From McMaster Carr, get two of the 1" NPT aluminum half-couplers, part number 44705K321. These are the perfect size to just weld onto the ends of the two ports of the aluminum water pump. Install NPT to AN-16 adaptors here as well.
The exit side of the radiator must be as unobstructed as possible, and with such limited space available, why not just make the exit directly to the airstream? No ducting required on the exit side. That is the configuration I've used since 2001 and I swear by it.
Here is a view from the left side, showing the location of the oil cooler in the left armpit. Just as with the rad, there is ducting (not shown) only to the inlet (upper side) of the oil cooler. The lower side is open to dump waste heat directly to the airstream.
After building the new mount, I intend to grind off the belly NACA inlet, move the rad forward and put it in a low drag ram inlet pod, something like this:
Some photos taken at Arlington 2006 by Paul Lamar
This page is still under construction. Photos and material part numbers to be added later.