HomeBuilt101
Well-Known Member
Here is an unexpected complication with the design of the Plasma units that I wanted to see how others are dealing with.
The 15 pin D-Sub "Input Connector" has the expected wiring to connect the crankshaft sensor to the ignition box as expected...plus...the same 15 pin D-Sub connector has four more wires in the connector (the power and ground for the unit and the tach output wire and the tach ground wire).
The instructions say that you are supposed to run the power wire directly from the ignition switch to the unit and the ground directly from the battery NEG post and not have any splices in between.
This is all great until you need to remove the engine and then you discover that you are stuck with only two options"
-1 You have to remove the prop and flywheel to get access to the crankshaft pickup PC board and then unbolt it and hang the delicate PC board from the wires on the firewall while you are doing your engine work...OR...if you dont like that option...
-2 You have to unwire the power wire at the ignition switch and the ground wire at the battery NEG post and pull them through the airplane...and you also have to cut the tach and ground wires (or unwire them from their terminal ends.
So has anyone else dealt with this issue?
I wish the design had one connector dedicated for the crankshaft sensor wires and a second connector to handle the power/ground/tach/tach ground wires so when ti comes time to pull the engine just unplug the one connector and pull it through the firewall conduit.
Without that "Wish List Feature"...the question is...What do you do when you need to do some engine work?
Did you splice some kind of 4 pin connector for the power/ground/tach/tach ground wires so you can disconnect the airplane from the 15 pin D-Sub and then pull the 15 pin connector through the firewall and hang that from the engine while you are removing the engine?
Any thought or ideas would be appreciated!!!
The 15 pin D-Sub "Input Connector" has the expected wiring to connect the crankshaft sensor to the ignition box as expected...plus...the same 15 pin D-Sub connector has four more wires in the connector (the power and ground for the unit and the tach output wire and the tach ground wire).
The instructions say that you are supposed to run the power wire directly from the ignition switch to the unit and the ground directly from the battery NEG post and not have any splices in between.
This is all great until you need to remove the engine and then you discover that you are stuck with only two options"
-1 You have to remove the prop and flywheel to get access to the crankshaft pickup PC board and then unbolt it and hang the delicate PC board from the wires on the firewall while you are doing your engine work...OR...if you dont like that option...
-2 You have to unwire the power wire at the ignition switch and the ground wire at the battery NEG post and pull them through the airplane...and you also have to cut the tach and ground wires (or unwire them from their terminal ends.
So has anyone else dealt with this issue?
I wish the design had one connector dedicated for the crankshaft sensor wires and a second connector to handle the power/ground/tach/tach ground wires so when ti comes time to pull the engine just unplug the one connector and pull it through the firewall conduit.
Without that "Wish List Feature"...the question is...What do you do when you need to do some engine work?
Did you splice some kind of 4 pin connector for the power/ground/tach/tach ground wires so you can disconnect the airplane from the 15 pin D-Sub and then pull the 15 pin connector through the firewall and hang that from the engine while you are removing the engine?
Any thought or ideas would be appreciated!!!
