[Baldeagle]

Gar is a good friend, and knows about the project.
So here are a few opinion questions for the Model A crowd:
We think the engine is the same one that was put on the airplane in 1934, so we want to keep as much of it as possible, but are there things that should be replaced as a matter of course, as a safety issue? Valves? Cam? Anything, or is all of it good to use as long as it's in good shape? Do the rebuild shops normally magnaflux the crank, rods, etc.? (I have about 200 flying hours behind Model A engines in Pietenpols, had a crank break once at 1,000 feet, ended up safely in a bean field near Momence, Illinois, but would like to avoid repeating that if possible...)

Are adjustable tappets worth it?

The block looks externally OK, it's s/n AA499128. It has a weld repair on what would be the left side of the car (right side of the airplane), just aft of the coolant outlet, it isn't a pretty repair but hopefully is secure. The head is an aluminum high compression Rallum (don't know the ratio), which also has a crack repair, again not pretty but hopefully good. The engine has some kind of aftermarket water pump, and is modified per the Pietenpol plans to use a magneto, in this case an American Bosch U4. And of course it has the normal Pietenpol modifications for better oil feed to the main bearings.

The plan is to return the airplane (and engine) to as closely as possible what they were like in June, 1934, the Centilli brothers yellow and black version. Then fly it for a few years, and then convert it as Stan Richards did, to the red and white "Blitzkreig". From recent inspection it looks to me like about 90 per cent of the original structure will be re-useable.


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