William Wynne

Front Starter Kits From The Corvair Authority

We offer two different Starter Kits. Which one you choose depends primarily on what aircraft you are building. For people who are building an aircraft like a Pietenpol or a Flybaby, aircraft which do not use our Nosebowl, the option exists of using our Standard Kit, and adding your own 1990 Subaru EA-81 starter. This kit, part No. FS-1, consists of the following: Top Cover, Starter Brackets, Ring Gear and Fine Tooth Gear. This is an economical option for these builders. The stock Subaru starter is a low profile unit that fits neatly behind the prop on these aircraft. This kit price is $292.

Our second kit is the same as the first, with the addition of a rebuilt (in the U.S.A.) Starter which has had the nose modified so that its installed height is 1" lower than a stock starter. This modification is required to have the starter fit under our sleek Nosebowl. Thus, if you are building any aircraft that will utilize our Nosebowl, like a Zenith, KR-2, Cleanex, Wagabond, Wittman, Skycoupe, Dragonfly, etc., you need the second kit with the Modified Starter. This starter comes with the Fine Tooth Gear already installed. The price is $516.

Notes: This Front Starter Kit is the end evolution of all of my work with starter systems. Its design benefits from years of flight testing and research in pursuit of reliable systems that are light in weight, simple and affordable. I was the first person fly a rear starter on a Corvair, but I have not built a rear starter since 1998. No one looks at a Lycoming and thinks about moving the starter to the rear, and there are very few applications where it makes sense on a Corvair. Engines with rear starters necessitate very complex oil systems and frequently delete the critically required GM harmonic balancer.

All original Subaru starters were made by ND in Japan. New "ND" starters sold today are invariably poorly made counterfeit ND units made in China. The Starters we sell are all original ND units that have been rebuilt in the U.S.A. by Rayloc, the largest electrical rebuilder in the U.S.

The Standard Kit price of $292 includes shipping in the U.S. for the Top Cover, Ring Gear, Starter Brackets and Fine Gear. I accept payment by check or money order in U.S. dollars payable to William Wynne, 5000-18 HWY 17 #247, Orange Park, FL 32003, or credit cards via PayPal by clicking below:

The Premium Kit price of $516, which contains the Subaru Starter with Fine Tooth Gear installed, includes shipping in the U.S. I accept payment by check or money order in U.S. dollars payable to William Wynne, 5000-18 HWY 17 #247, Orange Park, FL 32003, or credit cards via PayPal by clicking below:

For international orders, including Canada, please add $25 for S&H by clicking below:

Please print, complete and return a Liability Statement with all orders. These are available for printing at the Liability Statement Page.

Thank you for your order.

Front Starter Kit Installation Instructions For Use With Black Hub

Thank you for buying a Front Starter Kit. Your purchase makes possible my further research and development on the Corvair. In this way, you’re investing in the future development and perfection of your chosen motor.

These notes are supplementary to my most current Conversion Manual. This Front Starter Kit is developed as part of the system that we use to convert aircraft motors. This system is outlined in the Conversion Manual. The parts alone, without the information contained in the Manual, will not allow you to develop as reliable an aircraft conversion. When I develop and market a part, it is fully flight tested, and designed to work in concert with the other parts in the conversion. I take into account the way that most people are capable of installing and operating the part. There’s a great deal of consideration that goes into these issues, and I urge you to utilize all the information in the Manual and the parts in the way that they are intended to be used. Of course, contact me at any time with any question you may have.

To be fair, everyone needs to understand that these are not certified parts, and it's not a certified motor. Experimental is not a misnomer; everything we do in this field is of increased risk. If anyone even suspects that they have a problem, E-MAIL or CALL ME. If you have never worked with torque wrenches and precision fasteners, get help from an A&P. Let's all remember to use our heads and not take unnecessary risks. I have gone to great lengths to make these components as reliable and easy to install as possible within the bounds of affordability. I have personally flown all of these parts, because I have a low opinion of people who market aircraft parts without flying the parts themselves. I believe that each and every part I sell is the best solution to its respective aspect of converting a Corvair engine. Take your time and do good work. The system is proven and will reward you with the same type of reliable flight performance we have always had.

Front Starter Kit

Corvair builder and noted illustrator David York supplied these three drawings. An exploded view of a complete William Wynne conversion as assembled on the crankshaft is above. Note that it includes, from right, the Hybrid Studs, Puck, Ring Gear, Pulley, Prop Hub, Washers and Nuts for the Hybrid Studs, and the Safety Shaft with its washer, nut and cotter pin. Each of these separate products have their own instruction sheet, which you can view by clicking on their individual www.FlyCorvair.com Web page links.

In David's drawing above is a view of the assembly together.

Pictured in the third of David's drawings is the Front Starter as it sits on the Front Starter Brackets mounted to the Top Cover. This view is from above and behind. Notice the small tail bracket behind the left-hand side starter bracket. This is a 1/8" thick aluminum angle. It is a small improvement to further stabilize the starter.

In the above photo is the front of the motor, ready for the Starter Kit parts to be installed. The Hybrid Studs and Safety Shaft are already installed according to their own directions. The Hybrid Studs are used at their full length in Front Starter applications. The Front Cover bolts are secured in this application by LocTite. Traditionally, we drill them and safety wire them. Details of this are in the Conversion Manual.

Above is the view of the assembly from behind. The part closest to the crankshaft upon installation is the aluminum Puck. The radiused side allows the Ring Gear to sit flush with it. In front of the Ring Gear is the optional Front Alternator Pulley. Ahead of this is the Black Prop Hub. The easy way to assemble these components is to place the Prop Hub face down on a wooden bench, then put the Alternator Pulley, then Ring Gear onto the 3" diameter shoulder of the Prop Hub. The Puck is then placed on the back of the Hub, and mated with it. The 6 AN-3 bolts are then put in place. The shoulder on the Prop Hub and the fit between the Hub and the Puck will align and orient the Ring Gear and Pulley on the Puck.

The photo above shows the Assembly slid over the Safety Shaft and Hybrid Studs. The Hub is mounted according to the directions shipped with it. Utilize the standard torquing procedure on the Hub. This photo also shows the forward facing nuts on the AN-3 bolts and the correct orientation of the components.

The Top Cover is left off the engine in order to insert a wooden block between the case and the crank throw to torque the Prop Hub nut to 150 foot pounds. After the torquing procedure is complete, the nut is cotter pinned as shown in the above photo. Then, the Top Cover and Starter Brackets can be installed. The Bracket with the 7/16" stud goes on the dipstick side of the engine. The 1 3/4" x 5/16" bolts are supplied. They can be safety wired, but all the installations I have done have secured them with LocTite. Please note that my Top Covers are .125" thick. If you use a top cover with a different thickness, the bolts will not be of correct length, and the Starter will not mesh properly with the Ring Gear.

Here's the completed Front Starter Kit installation. This particular motor will have a Front Mount Alternator, so it has the optional Pulley already installed. This Low Profile Installation is popular because it requires no modifications to the oil system, a significant benefit over rear starters.