ACES 1050 Probalancer Mod
I purchased a new ACES engine balancer at the 2011 Oshkosh which has some great features I am looking forward to trying out this weekend. In talking to Gary Hertzler about his experiences using the balancer I found a few short comings with the unit.
First is the mounting brackets. As you can see there are two sensors (a position sensor and a movement sensor). Shown are the two brackets.
The right two are the original ones for the sensor, but I decided I wanted them both together for ease of use and to better position them. Today I constructed the one on the left.
Made of heavy aluminum angle it mounts the sensors on the center line of the crank case.
A second issue with the unit is the power switches. It is very easy to turn on or reboot the unit as the switches are ultra sensitive. I took a grommet and cut it in half and RTV glued it to the face of the unit to prevent inadvertent activation of the unit.
Next week I plan to balance the engine on the plane when I get her back to the airport….
