Battery Location

[svyolo]

12v starter cables get really big in a surprisingly short distance. Inside of 4 feet you can use #4. Put the battery in the tail and you are at least 1/0, maybe 2/0. And you have to run a ground of the same gauge.

[Bcone1381]

Brooks, thanks for the detail and ideas. This looks a very neat installation.

I’ve been considering this location also. I guess on the Patrol you will bring the Throttle/Mixture cables through the left side of the firewall. On the 4-place I think they’ll need to penetrate the firewall close to the center and near where your battery is mounted. Incidentally I’m using the Vertical Power PPS as a solution for contactors etc. I’ll post some pics of it later.

My Throttle/Mix Cable installation is being made up as I go. The cables will S-curve from the instrument panel and penetrate the firewall in the center so from the firewall to the bracket where the cable conduit terminates is a straight shot. Here is my method. IF anyone can give me feedback, good or bad, I'd appreciate it. I made this method up, and its based on keeping things FWF orderly and simple.

1) I fabricated and installed a temporary 1/4" thick plexiglass firewall template. I only want to drill the SS firewall once. Plexi gave me permission to change my mind. I have a dozen filled unused holes in it.
2) I mounted the engine.
3) I installed the fuel servo and a VANS Aircraft Bracket that secures the Mixture and Throttle cable about 7 inches away from the respective control arms of the fuel servo.
4) I installed a bunch of big FWF stuff like Exhaust, Starter, Alternator, Battery, Big wire relays, Ground Bus, and Heat Box. I wish I had my electronic mags, and prop governor.
5) I then pinpointed a straight shot from the control Mix/Throt. control arm through the bracket to the firewall where I think the ideal the cable penetrating of the firewall is. But one of them came too close to the battery box so I moved it a few inches...No Problem.
6) Then I used a spare inexpensive lightweight control cable designed for maybe heat or alternate air to plan the final cable routing, cable length, and its firewall penetration point. I secured the cable to the bracket and fed it through to the instrument panel.

That process gave me a vision for how the cable will travel, and defined my cable length. No guesswork. I ordered cabled a couple days ago. I still have uncertainty how it will all go together. I hope the McFarlane Vernier Assist Mix and Prop will meet my expectations for installation and quality. The Throttle Quadrant cable cost....Vans Aircraft was about 1x (a standard item in there inventory) , Aircraft Spruce was 2x (a special order item), McFarlane special order was 5x. I went with Vans.

SO far I like how it turned out. I think I will check out my information Have on the Vans Firewall forward drawings to see how they do it. I think its very similar, except they will prescribe Mixture/Throttle penetration points that eliminates guesswork, design and invention.

[Mark Goldberg]

I used a McFarlane vernier assist prop control on the Model 5. It didn't work. I replaced it and McFarlane would not help me at all as far the big bucks that vernier assist cost. I do not recommend the vernier assist for the prop control. The governor spring was stronger than this vernier assist could hold. Mark

[JimParker256]

I don't believe that McFarlane recommends or markets their vernier-assist controls for controlling propeller pitch... They talk about throttle and mixture versions, but never mention propeller controls.

[schu]

If you want to save a little weight:

http://periheliondesign.com/fatwires.htm