Continental O-200 Alternator

[Jon Matcho]

On my Quickie Q2 I am in the midst of removing my automotive belt-driven alternator from the front and installing a B&C gear-driven alternator that connects to the engine in the rear.  The B&C gear-driven alternator is just shy of $700, but the real kicker is that I need to send them a gear assembly which I don't have.  These 5 little parts brand new from Continental/Aircraft Spruce are $1,100, which would bring my total to $1,800.

 

So now I'm scouring the salvage companies trying to get a refurbished set of parts.

 

I can also appreciate why people put automotive alternators on these engines!

[Kent Ashton]

Got a part number?  I saw several Continental gears on ebay aviation parts.  You feel lucky?

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=continental&_pcats=6028%2C6000&_osacat=26435&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xcontinental+gear.TRS0&_nkw=continental+gear&_sacat=26435

[Jon Matcho]

Not lucky enough it appears 

 

These are the big $ and apparently rare part numbers:  531325 (gear) and 653983 (hub)

 

I am resigned to stalking www.preferredairparts.com daily or reworking a new prop hub/extension to drive a forward mounted alternator.

[Jon Matcho]

My options, in order of preference (from my perspective at least) are:

1. Get a rear-mounted B&C but this requires locating these rare gear coupling parts (for B&C to mate to their alternator).
2. Get a rear-mounted Plane Power, and buy their aftermarket gear coupling (which B&C pointed out might be made of __(unknown metal)__).
3. Get a front-mounted B&C belt-driven (requires machining the prop extension to drive the belt.

[Kent Ashton]

Get a front-mounted B&C belt-driven (requires machining the prop extension to drive the belt.

 

 

 

If it only involves machining a belt V-groove, I bet a machine shop could do it pretty quickly.  Dunno how that'd affect the strength of your extension, though.  Is is a "Sabre" extension?  Maybe they'd do it for you.

[Jon Matcho]

I'm leaning towards the front-mount option now, based on only being able to find an "as removed" alternator drive gear for the rear setup (I'd much rather have "new" at this point).

 
The extension that I have (4"?) needs to be replaced as it was setup for the MT CS prop which has an integral extension, although this existing extension does have the groove for the belt.  This reminds me of the two other options I had/have:

1. Add another ~4" extension to the existing 4" extension so that cowl fits.  I don't like this.
2. Keep the existing extension and redo the cowling (I think not, even though I have to repair it near the air box from the nose gear collapse).

The pic is the prior setup.

 

[Jon Matcho]

I settled on the rear-mounted direct drive connection to the generator/alternator port.  I rationalized the substantial cost of the gear parts by categorizing them as "engine parts" (what's another thousand?!), still... I did just buy an expensive high-end alternator.  I hope it proves worthwhile and worry-free.

 

Once I'm around the block or two with airplane engines I might get into building my own, but right now I don't want my learning curve to get in the way.

 

http://www.bandc.aero/alternator30ampshomebuiltlessgear.aspx