What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Battery forward for W B

[email protected]

I'm New Here
Hi all,

Long story short, I have a lovely RV6, 0-320 wood prop, the CG is too far aft for max utility. I’ve got a 10 lb crush plate coming.

Don’t really want to change props, mine is a performance propellers work of art, it’s beautiful.

Question...has anybody tried mounting a pc 680 size battery up by the starter alternator? I think I have room there, my accessories are small lightweight ones.

I figure moving the battery up there, would move my cg forward plus add lightness over the tractor battery further back on the floor.

Heat and vibration - killers? Has anybody tried this?

I did search, didn’t find anything.


Boyd
 
I’m switching out the Sensenich metal prop on my RV-6 0-320 for a Wirlwind ground adjustable prop, i’m also interested in moving a PC-180 as far forward as possible to compensate for the 18 lbs lighter prop.
 
Hard to see how you could build a rigid mount up there. Batteries are intolerant of vibration and not sure I would want it rigidly mounted to the engine. I put mine on the firewall, but doubt the few inches gained helped a lot. I just gave in and used a 20# crush plate, which gave me decent baggage capacity. An old starter will add 10 #'s as well.

Larry
 
Hard to see how you could build a rigid mount up there. Batteries are intolerant of vibration and not sure I would want it rigidly mounted to the engine. I put mine on the firewall, but doubt the few inches gained helped a lot. I just gave in and used a 20# crush plate, which gave me decent baggage capacity. An old starter will add 10 #'s as well.

Larry

What Larry said about vibration and rigidity mounted to the engine.

I have seen a number of RV-6(A), -7(A), & -9A that had batteries mounted on the front side of the Firewall. Not just the PC-680 but the full size Concord battery. Not sure how much that helps move the CG forward but if could be 8 to 12" forward of the floor mount RV-6(A) battery that was in the plans 20+ years ago.
 
Wheelchair battery

I use a 35ah AGM wheelchair battery on the cabin side of the firewall in my 6A. It's heavier than the new batteries, but that may be a good option. When I changed my prop from a Sensi metal to a Sensi ground adjustable my CG was still well forward so that I could load up my baggage area when the wife and I travel. And, that's with an 0320.

I just bought a new battery for $100 at Batteries&bulbs+. I can tell you from experience that 35ahs will keep your radios going for quite a while if your alternator quits.

Another helpful move was to install an Antisplat Easy Exit Bar. It doesn't weigh much, but it gave me a good place to store my heavy tool kit on the front side of the wing spar. And the device makes exiting the plane way easier.

John
 
Last edited:
legacy Lycoming starter

What about a legacy heavy-weight Lycoming starter? I don't know how well they work but I think they are heavy.
 
What about a legacy heavy-weight Lycoming starter? I don't know how well they work but I think they are heavy.

I used one of those for years, but the performance was so-so. I’m much happier now that I have a lightweight starter which spins the prop better and a flywheel weight to help with the CG.
 
How would you match drill that spring to fit a legacy (field drilled) mount?
Remove your steel tailspring and send it to us so that the three hole locations - the one that holds it in the tailspring mount plus the two that hold the tailwheel pivot onto the spring -can be duplicated in the titanium replacement tailspring.
 
Back
Top