Challenger Rotax 582 Installation

Section 1

Removing the Pull Start and Installing the Starter Motor and Housing

Tools required:

Torx Wrench set, Metric Allen Wrench set (5 and 6mm), 13mm wrench, Hack Saw,Cordless Drill, Standard File, Half Round File, Blue LocTite, Black Sharpie Marker, 1/8” and 5/32” drill bits, Cordless Drill, Tape Measure, Sheet Metal Punch, small Sheet Metal Brake.

Note: Rotax engines are made in Europe and thus use metric threads. You may find it helpful to purchase a metric thread guide at the hardware store to help you identify the various metric thread sizes on the engine. Metric threads are identified as follows M6×1.0×90mm where M6 is a 6mm thread, 1.0 is the thread pitch at 1 turn per mm, and 90 mm is the shaft length of the bolt not including the head. Note that both fine pitch and coarse pitch metric threads are used in the 582 engine kit.

Note: Keep the engine covered and the openings to the engine plugged or covered when not being worked on so as to keep moisture, dirt, debris and even pests from entering the engine. The carburetor openings and spark plug holes have plastic inserts. The exhaust ports can be covered with duct tape.

Step 0
Before beginning the installation process, a good idea is to gather and sort all of the various nuts, bolts and washers. Group like fasteners together. Measure them for thread size and length and label them as they will be referred to in these instructions by material (IE aluminum, steel, stainless steel), thread size, bolt length (not including the head), and fastener style (IE Phillips head, hex head, socket (Allen) head, etc.). If you are not familiar with threaded fasteners, you may find it handy to purchase an inexpensive plastic thread gauge (Metric and Imperial) from the hardware store, industrial parts supplier, or automotive parts supply store.

Step 1
Position the engine on its four M10 mounting bolts on a sturdy work bench. Remove the Pull Start assembly from the engine by removing the 4 automotive Torx head screws. Then also remove the 8” diameter ring that the pull start assembly is attached to by removing the 4 Allen head screws with a 5mm metric Allen wrench. Pin the engine crank shaft so that it will not rotate and remove the inner brass coloured ring by removing the 3 Hex Head bolts with a 13mm metric wrench. (See picture: 582-figure-001)

Note: The pin to stop rotation is found in the Rotax Tool Bag that comes with the engine. It is the smallest of the 3 pins enclosed. Insert this pin into the Vacuum Port on the side of the engine. The vacuum port has a brass barb fitting sometimes covered with a yellow plastic protector. The port is located inboard of where the wires come out of the engine housing. Do not remove the brass barbed fitting. Simply slide the pin into the fitting. Turn the output shaft until the pin drops further into the hole and stops rotating. This will allow you to get enough torque on the hex head bolts in step 1. (See picture: 582-figure-001a)

Step 2
Install the round red Bendix adaptor plate to the engine face with the 3 Socket Head Cap Screws, each with a lock washer and a dab of Blue LocTite, using a 5mm Allen wrench. (See picture: 582-figure-002) Double check that these three screws are tight. Note: A small tube of Blue LocTite is included in the Electric Start Kit but you will need to purchase more to complete your aircraft.

Step 3
Install the toothed Bendix Gear Wheel to the red adaptor plate plate with the 4 Socket Head Cap Screws, each with a lock washer and a dab of Blue LocTite, using the 5mm metric Allen wrench. Double check that these four screws are tight. Now you can remove the pin that is stopping the engine from rotating from the vacuum fitting. (See picture: 582-figure-003)

Note: If these bolts are too long they may bottom out before they are fully tight. Do not let this happen. In that case, you will need to substitute shorter 1/2” long bolts.

Step 4
Loosely mount the starter motor casting and orient it so that when the engine is inverted in the Challenger installation, it will point down towards the spark plugs and towards the side of the engine with the carburetors. (See picture: 582-figure-004) Mark the casting as per the kit instructions. Cut away half of the casting to leave only the Starter Motor Mounting flange. This will allow the inverted 582 engine to fit onto the Challenger aircraft. Cut the casting with a sharp hacksaw or with a jig saw equipped with a metal cutting blade. Alternatively you could have it milled down at a machine shop but keep in mind that this is not a highly visible part of the aircraft and it will be covered by a sheet metal plate. (See picture: 582-figure-005)

Note: The inside corners of the cuts in this casting should be rounded so as to relieve any stress and minimize the chances of cracks forming. A sharp corner provides a focus point for cracks to form due to stress, vibrations, etc.

Note: The faces of the two 45 degree angle cuts should be parallel with each other so that the sheet metal cover plate in Step 5 will lay down flat on the two surfaces. This may require some filing and grunt work.

Step 5
Using a piece of cardboard as a pattern make a new sheet metal cover for the open end of the starter motor housing as follows. (Discard the standard round metal housing supplied with the electric start kit – it will not fit your modified housing.) You can use cardboard from a box or from the back of an 8-1/2 x 11 note pad for the pattern. Lay this cardboard flat onto the modified starter motor housing. Make it lay flat on all the surfaces. You will see now why it is important that the flats on the 45 degree angles are parallel. If they are not parallel the pattern will show a gap on the ends.

Mark the outline of the housing on the backside of the pattern so that when you cut along this line all that is left is the cardboard covering the open end of the housing. Mark on the edges of the pattern the 4 corners of the housing where the pattern must bend. When you remove this pattern it will be a funny egg shape. Cut out the pattern.

Lay this pattern on top of the rectangular sheet metal included with the kit. Draw the shape of the pattern onto this sheet and mark the locations of the 4 corners where the metal must bend to conform to the shape of the housing. Cut out the pattern in the sheet metal. Draw 2 lines connecting the marks you made where the corners were on the housing. These are your bend lines. Use a small sheet metal brake to bend the angles in the sheet metal to match the housing. (See picture: 582-figure-006)

Note: A small 18” wide Chinese made sheet metal brake can be bought for as little as
$30.00 at some hardware stores.

Lay your cover on top of the starter motor housing and mark the 4 bolt holes. Dimple the 4 marks with a sheet metal punch. Drill these 4 holes out with a 5/32” drill bit.

Mount the Starter Motor Housing and the new sheet metal cover onto the engine and fasten in place with the supplied socket head cap screws, lock washers and a dab of Blue LocTite. The 2 long screws are M6 x 90mm and the other 2 are M6 x 50mm. You will have 2 long long screws left over. Careful that the motor housing is correctly aligned on the engine as described in Step 4. (See picture: 582-figure-007)

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582-figure-001	582-figure-001a
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582-figure-006	582-figure-007