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Cessna 185 w/TUROTECH 350 HP LYCOMING CONVERSION

Steve Pierce

BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
Anybody know anything about this conversion or this particular airplane.
http://tappix.com/732216

spec40793_3.jpg
 
I have no personal knowledge, but the late Mark Hawkins told me that he knew of at least one that had major cooling issues. I think Stancil had one for sale for a long time a few years ago.

Jack
 
Steve,

Remove the top cowl on one of those babies and you still can't see the engine. They have a plenum (if that's the right word) for a set of baffles.

A friend has one in Fairbanks, and loves it. He flys it a fair bit on floats and skis both, and swears by it. Lots of power, but all heat and complexity issues associated with a turbo-anything.

Also a heavy motor for a 185. But, man are they smooth.

MTV
 
Student Pilot said:
Has anybody heard of a straight 540 conversion, no turbo?

My brother bought a 185 that had been converted to a straight IO-540 by the previous owner. It was to be the first article for a new STC. It had so many problems that the owner demanded that the people put the 520 back in, which they did. Not exactly sure what the nature of the problems was.
 
Steve did you ever go look at this plane? I too have wondered about the 540 turbo. I do know that there is a lot less room under a T210 cowl over a non turbo 210.

I have been watching trade a plane for some time and this aircraft has been in there some time. I have never flown a 185,but have an intrest. I like lycomings too.

I figured some of these guys on this site would know the pros and cons.

I have been interested in the Texas Skyway conversion 550,and wonder if any here have any experience with this. I am interested in all opinions.
 
No. They ended up with a real nice Cont. powered 185. The 550 powered 180/185s I have seen are awesome. There are several folks here who have them. I am sure they will chime in. If you can make it to the Red River Fly-In this year there will probaly be several doing their thing.
 
I wasn't just joking about the space in the engine compartment in these. They install a shroud over the engine for cooling, as opposed to just using the normal lash up with baffles and the pressure cowl.

A friend owns one and operates it on floats. It is a remarkably smooth running airplane, as are all 540's, and it makes a LOT of power, even at sea level. He's been running his on floats and skis for a number of years, so it must work.

It is a heavy installation, and turbos are maintenance intensive at best.

If you were going to do a conversion, I'd stick with the IO-550. Much cheaper, much more straightforward installation. There is also an STC to turbo normalize the 520 if you just need some more poop at altitude.

Bottom line is this is going to be a VERY expensive conversion.

MTV
 
I echo everything said so far on this installation....good and bad.

There is one around here (Alaska somewhere) That a customer talks about like it is THE thing.

350HP, I mean come on!! 350 HP! .......at altitude, to boot!

The Chieftains around here seem to dispatch like 99.9% with the same engine, so she's reliable, too.
 
jmkota said:
I have no personal knowledge, but the late Mark Hawkins told me that he knew of at least one that had major cooling issues.

I agree with this. A friend of mine had a 185 on amphib floats with this conversion, and it was a major pain in the you-know-where from a maintenance standpoint. There's so much heat packed into that cowling that EVERYTHING gets cooked. We were always replacing wires and other stuff due to heat damage.

Performance was pretty impressive, but I would never have one just due to the maintenance headaches. The performance ain't worth the trouble if you ask me.

Joe
 
I put an IO-550D in my C-185 when the IO-520 timed out. Also took the 2 blade off and put a 3 blade McCaulley 401 on. No tricks. Good fit. Airspeed went up 10-15mph with the gas consumption staying around 13gph. Very smooth setup. Didn't have to fool with a motor mount change as the IO-520 mount worked with the STC. I just gained 34lbs, mainly because of the 3 blade.
 
A 550 D with a 13 gph consumption?? Need t5o re-check those numbers. Lean of peak ops perhaps or flying around at 100 kts but not at cruise and rich of peak. Closer to 16 gph at best, but a VERY nice engine . Mine has the ECI titan cyls and its a HUGE improvement over the continental stock cyls.
 
Steve Pierce,

What I have heard about the TSIO 540 Lyc in the 185 mirrors what MVivion says.

I owned the brother to this plane, N60VA. It had the TurboTech conversion retrofitted to the original Continental IO 520. The first landing after purchase in Nevada, (and subsequent second takeoff) was in the high, thin air of Telluride, Colorado. Yes, the Turbo works!

Two throttles, once the original throttle is firewalled, just proceed with the second, up to 29.98 inches of Mercury on the MP. Don't forget to only lean to the altitude that the engine then thinks it is at! Cowl flaps as you would a stock 185. I honored those commonsense rules regarding the max manifold pressure, leaning and cowl flaps, and the engine was trouble free. I only had to change the oil and filter, and clean the plugs, the entire time I owned it.

The negatives: 1.) It was a high pilot workload engine to operate. 2.) The cabin temp was 10F hotter than ambient winter and SUMMER, with the heat off. Picture a glowing red hot bowling ball sized piece of iron just ahead of the firewall. 3.) Though the engine assembly is lighter than the Lyc conversion, the airplane was heavy and draggy (radios, autopilot, Robertson) I added sportsman stol, VG's and Gar-Aero's.

I sold it and replaced it a few years later with a nice light '53 C-180, with a later model 0-470, otherwise stock.

Bob Breeden


www.AlaskaAirpark.com
 
ppl185, do your homework. the factory data will verify my numbers, not to mention the jpi ff indicator. the engine/prop combination is a vast improvement over the io-520 with a 2 blade...
 
IO550 D Fuel Burn

I do my homework evrytime I fly my 185. It has IO 550D with an 88in three blade 401 Mac, Shadin ADC and GEM 610 (Insight). I lean to peak with the 610 and run rich by 75 degrees. Usually around 125 kts Indic for a 70 degree day at sea level. Shows 16-17 gph on the 430 which reads off the Shadin and about 16 gph off the analog fuel flow gauge. This is with ECI titan cylinders with 100 hours use. I could run 50 of peak but that only gives my a few tenths/hr off the burn. I prefer the cooling. I run below 380 CHT. If 75 rich of peak won't give me that I modulate cowl flaps open to get it . If it STILL is above 380 w/ cowl flaps wide open, I richen mixture. Only way to get 13 gph on MY 550 D is LOP which I won't do. The loss of HP would be the same as running a healthy ROP at reduced power settings.
 
I went with a factory IO-550. Their operator's manual shows rich of peak, peak, lean of peak for most operations. The fuel flows are consistent with my operating experiences. I run rich of peak, always. At 23 inches and 2100 rpm, my fuel flow is about 13gph and indicating 150-155mph. Some days I am slower, some days faster but that is the average. You sound like you have an aftermarket rebuild, in which case, your numbers will probably be different. My empty weight on my 185 is 1749lbs. Yours will probably be different. Also if you leave the prop speed up around 24-2500, you will see 16-18gph at sea level.
 
I know it's an old thread, but I'm interested in an O-540 conversion for a C180 and haven't had much luck finding info. Wipaire puts the Lycoming 580 on the new 182, curious if the mount would fit a 180 firewall? I'd love a 300hp carbed 540 on a light 180 turning a 90" mccauley.
 
I know it's an old thread, but I'm interested in an O-540 conversion for a C180 and haven't had much luck finding info. Wipaire puts the Lycoming 580 on the new 182, curious if the mount would fit a 180 firewall? I'd love a 300hp carbed 540 on a light 180 turning a 90" mccauley.

I recently purchased a 1976 A185F with the TurboTech TIO-540-J2BD 350 HP conversion. The firewall mount is specific to this installation mainly due to the dual magneto sticking out so far on the rear of the engine.

The new Cessna 206 uses the 540 as the factory engine.

This is my 3rd 185 and there is no comparison in performance. I purchased with Aerocet 3500 straight floats but changed to Aerocet 3400L amphibs as soon as a set came available.

I fly mainly in Northern Ontario and I also fly for Canadian Aviation Search and Rescue.

I have over 200 hours on this plane and there are no heat issues with the engine only the normal fuel vaporizing in lines on a hot day after landing. The cowl has oversized cowl flaps and louvres on the top and sides. Restart on the 540 is no issue as the start procedure is the same as a cold start. Hot starts are never an issue with the large electric fuel pump , lines are cooled with fresh fuel from tanks.

Fuel burn at cruise (2300) is approximately 17 gph. If I back off to 2200 the burn is under 15 gph. Cruise on amphibs ranges from 120 knots to 135 knots depending on temperature and altitude.

The engine burns 0 oil and compressions have stayed at 80. There is only one throttle control and the turbo has an automatic wastegate. Takeoff power and lift is insane. I have 3000 amphib hours divided between EDO , Wipaire and Aerocet. Aerocets are the newest and my personal favourite.

No mechanical issues with engine in first 200 hours except the magneto that had been rigged by previous owner. 100% dispatch to date.
 

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I recently purchased a 1976 A185F with the TurboTech TIO-540-J2BD 350 HP conversion.
Was this airplane formerly N5391R serial # 18503033? If so, I'm the one who installed that automatic waistgate as it was not part of the STC. When it had the manual waist gate the turbo would not come up to speed until well into the takeoff run. This was not helpful when looking for quick take off power on the water. Without that big heavy weight on the tail it was extremely nose heavy. I see that it now has a ventral fin, that is good since without it along with the Flint extended wings it was very unstable.
The last I heard about this airplane it was involved in a fuel exhaustion power off landing accident in the water with substantial damage forward.
 
I bet I know that plane!


Steve,

Remove the top cowl on one of those babies and you still can't see the engine. They have a plenum (if that's the right word) for a set of baffles.

A friend has one in Fairbanks, and loves it. He flys it a fair bit on floats and skis both, and swears by it. Lots of power, but all heat and complexity issues associated with a turbo-anything.

Also a heavy motor for a 185. But, man are they smooth.

MTV
 
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