Today I began the engine conversion work. Getting it out of the crate and onto a bench at a workable height was the first step. In a nutshell, this 180hp Lycoming O-360 aircraft engine is the power plant you would typically find in a newer Cessna 172SP.
The engine is normally mounted in the horizontal position for fixed wing aircraft like you see here in the photos, but for the purpose of driving the helicopter, it needs to be converted to operate in a direct drive vertical orientation. This involves reconfiguring the oil sump location and oil circulation among many other modifications. In addition, all of the pressure and temperature sensors need to be installed, along with tachometer sensors and CHT sensors. You can see some of these additions in the photos below. Once these initial mods are made, I will be repositioning the engine to the vertical position onto the engine stand that I fabricated and welded myself last year. Not sure how I feel will this much weight resting on my first real welding project, but we will see how it goes!
