Disclaimer: This review is not meant to incite a brand war between DA/3W/EVO/ZDZ. The names '3W', 'DA', and 'ZDZ' are mentioned only to give the reader a basis for comparison. Neither the EVO Factory, Roger Forgues, or myself are trying to say any brand is better than the other. All are proven to be good engines. All we are trying to do is let people know about the EVO.



EVO 150 Competition Review:


Initial Impressions:

- Manufacturers Specs:
Power: 17HP
Bore: 47.6 MM
Stroke: 42 MM
Crankshaft: 3 Ball Bearings
Gasoline Mix: 50:1 – 80:1 (See Notes Section)
Ignition: Epower 4.8v-9.6V Lithium Ready
Carb: Tillotson
RPM: 1100-8500
Recommended 2 Blade Props:
26x14; 28x10; 28x12; 30x10; 30x12; 32x10; 32x12
Recommended 3 Blade Props:
26 x 14; 27 x 12; 27 1/2 x 13; 28x12; 29x12

Price: $1350


- Fit and Finish: My Competition 150 has the anodized finish on it. The crankcase is anodized black and the cylinders are powdercoated black. In addition, the hub, cylinder heads, carb block, and screws are anodized gold. That makes for a very aesthetically appealing engine, but I was curious how the machining work was. After much examination, I found that the machining work was even better than the finish. There are a few places on the crankcase that have not been anodized, such as around some of the screws, and those places show very clean machining marks. The different pieces of the crankcase (3 major sections, not including the mount) also fit together very well. I removed the cylinders and heads and inspected the inside of the cylinders and found the same thing. The honing marks were uniform, and the cylinder heads fit well. The heads are actually sealed by an O-ring, as are some car engines. The inside of the crankcase shows the same good quality machining.

- Weight:

- DA Without Ignition: 8 Pounds 5.5 Ounces
- Ignition: 5.5 Ounces
- Regulator: 1 Ounce
- TOTAL: 8 Pounds 12 Ounces


- EVO Without Ignition: 8 Pounds 10 Ounces
- Ignition: 8 Ounces
- No Regulator Needed.
- TOTAL: 9 Pounds 2 Ounces

So, there is a 6 ounce weight difference between the two engines. On a 40 pound airplane, that’s just shy of 1%. Everything was weighed several times on a postal scale, and each weigh-in returned the same results.

Installation:

- Mounting: I used custom aluminum standoffs that Roger Forgues sells. (http://www.forgues-research.com) This made the installation beyond easy. All I had to do was tell him what kind of offset I wanted and how far the spinner needed to be from the firewall. He had the engine in a CAD program so he could determine the lengths to cut the different standoffs. I got mine in natural aluminum, but Roger offers anodized versions as well. The engine is 1 ½ an inch shorter than a DA too. I don’t have a 3W here to measure the length difference on those. The EVO also has a different bolt pattern for the back plate. Roger is currently working on an adapter that will allow you to bolt the EVO right up where your DA was with no changes to the cowling or firewall. The prop hub is a typical 6-bolt pattern. The prop off your DA/3W will drop right on.


- Carb Installation: The only reason I mention this is because there is one special item to note here. The EVO engines have a separate pressure line to run the diaphragm on the carb. So, if your installation requires it, you can easily rotate the carb 180 degrees. I did this to make accessing the needles easier. Also, EVO has attached a machined aluminum arm to the carb for your throttle linkage. It has three tapped holes in it so you can get your throttle geometry correct. They were tapped for metric, so I retapped one for 4-40 to match the hardware I already had.


Ignition:

- The EVO uses a standard battery operated, hall-effects triggered, electronic ignition. The Epower ignition module is actually built by the same company that does the ZDZ ignitions. That’s why the plug caps look so similar. In case you aren’t familiar wit the ZDZ style ignitions, the plug caps are held onto the spark plug by a setscrew, instead of a split-ring type clamp like a 3W/DA. Either way works just fine. It’s about 6 of one, half dozen of the other. The ignition does have two really neat features I’d like to point out. First, it can handle up to 9.6 volts. If you are running a lithium ion battery on your ignition, now you can get rid of the regulator. That’s one extra failure point you can eliminate. The second feature is that the ignition will automatically shut itself off after 1 minute of inactivity. It’s still drawing a tiny bit of current in this state, but this should help save your battery should you accidentally leave it turned on. Plus, this lessens the risk that someone could accidentally start an engine that was left on. Still, always treat any gas engine like it is ready to start unless you just verified it couldn’t.


Running:
- Starting: This engine starts just like any other 150 engine out there. Just flip on the choke and ignition, flip the prop until it barks, turn off the choke, and then flip the prop until it starts. After it was done breaking in, the engine would start in 4 or 5 flips. It seems to be fairly cold natured though. On cooler days, I usually try to run the engine at ¼ - 1/3 throttle to help it warm up. I flew it on a 50-degree day, and the engine definitely liked to be warm before it would transition above a high idle. If I tried to throttle up above ¼ before it had warmed up, it would try to quit. Leaning it down helps some, but I just opted to let it warm up for about 30 seconds before I moved the throttle. After the first flight of the day, it’s never a problem. Of course, you should always let any gasoline engine warm up before you run it at high RPM.


- Transition: The transition on this engine is incredible! The transition with a Menz 32X10 is lightning quick, and is very smooth both in vibration as well as sound. The engine has a unique sound to it, but it tends to sound more like a 3W than a DA. Don’t try to tune it for the typical DA “pop” or it will not run properly. Just tune it for a slight burble at lower throttle settings and for transition. I set mine to run as rich as possible while still maintaining a good transition. A good test is to see if it will load up just slightly after idling for 30 seconds. It was actually very easy to tune. I just had to ignore my urge to make it sound like my DA…. I had a small carb airflow issue I had to fix, but that was a cowling issue. Every gasser that’s been in this Extra has needed the carb shielded from direct air.


- Top End: The top end on this engine is even better than the transition. My Extra weighs 42 pounds dry, and 45 pounds full of fuel (64 ounces of fuel). The EVO pulls it around like it weighs 39-40 pounds dry. To put it into perspective, I had a vertical drag race with another airplane a few weeks ago. He had a 50-ounce tank on a 39-pound plane. I was on the beginning of my flight. He was on the end of his. We both had Menz 32X10 props, and it was a dead tie. I don’t have any tachometer figures since I hardly ever use one to tune an engine. I tuned the high end so that the engine never sags in LONG uplines. I also tried several deep snaps on uplines. These snaps were close to 3D snaps, so they were far too deep for any IMAC routine. Regardless, the engine did a very good job of pulling the plane through all things considered. It has no problems pulling it through multiple IMAC quality snaps.


Notes:

- Fuel Burn: I think I’m going to remove the two 32 ounce tanks and opt for a single 50-ounce tank. Reason being, after a 14-minute flight, I’ve only just begun to draw from the second 32-ounce tank. I can save some weight by loosing some fuel.


- Piston/Cylinder Fit: One person asked me if I had noticed any “piston slap” in my engine. He had noticed on another he had seen that it seemed like there was an excessive amount of clearance between the piston and the cylinder wall. His observation was of a cold engine though. The pistons expand as they heat up, as metal parts do. After the engine has warmed up, that clearance shrinks down and everything works properly. It’s a little opposite of how an ABC engine works. This is yet another reason why you should let the engine, or any gasser for that matter, warm up before you throttle up significantly. Any other gas engine shows these same signs too.


- Gasoline Mixture: EVO recommends no less than 80:1 oil/gas mixture, however if you run Amsoil 100:1 it will still be fine. Right now I’m burning up what’s left of my Amsoil before I switch to Brian Cooper’s 50:1 oil. I tried some of his oil several years ago, and it was excellent oil. I just made the switch to Amsoil in case I ever needed to borrow a tank from someone else. However, the Amsoil has caused me some carbon problems, so I’m switching back to Brian’s oil.


Final Thoughts:

So far I am very happy with this engine. I’m not going to run something that I think will cause me to have problems. I have done everything imaginable to get this engine to act up in 3D, and so far it hasn’t missed a beat. I haven’t even been able to get the exhaust note to change during extended hovering. So if you are in the market for a 150-sized engine, don’t overlook the EVO. It only costs $1350, and has the performance you need for your larger 40% birds.

Hi Jack
Very nice motor but can you post some RPM figures on typical props used for 3D and in IMAC such as the 32X10, Menz and Mejzlick or the 32A Vess etc...
Bottom line, 17Hp means nothing, actual RPM is the key.
Thanks and good luck.

In my opinion here as well. RPM's don't mean anything to me, but I will use that as a BASELINE figure. I don't totally rely on RPM's as a sure thing. If I don't like how the current prop/engine combo flies my airplane, I change props. Or go on the recommendations from other fellows who have the same engine as I do, and their expierences with a certain prop.

Jack, good report. Quite interesting on the carbon build up with the Amsoil 100:1. I ran Dominator 50:1 and it gunked a 100cc up really quick!! Well, in 5 gallons. So, I have since finished using that stuff, and gone back to an oil that I have used for several years!! Golden Spectro. I try to mix it 64:1. No leaner than that. It is a personal thing with me and going with a THIN mix!!!

All in all, sounds like we have another engine out there that will be good!!

Chris~

Jack,
Did you use a dyno oil for run in, or did you run it on synthetic from the start? I'm getting an 80TT on Friday. I am putting it in a Diablotin XXL for a fun little fun fly plane.

I broke it in on Lawnboy Ashless 32:1. If you use synthetic from the start, the rings won't seat for a LONG time....

Captaine,

I tached it today with a Menz 32X10 and the engine did 5,600 static. My tach said 5,650 a few times, but it was consistantly at 5,600. I'm ordering a Vess this week, so I'll try it. Also, the engine isn't fully leaned out yet and unloads considerably in the air. It will rip that Menz at 3/4 throttle instantly, and will rip it at 1/2 throttle if I let the plane build enough speed. I was going to get a video of it today, but 39 degree wind chill, and 20MPH winds make it a little tricky.....

Thanks for the RPM measurement, these are good numbers for the 40% class airplanes, next is reliability and service, please keep us updated.

Thanks for the info, Jack. I'm going to order mine this week (same model as yours) as I am doing a build thread of my 38% CA Extra 330 on DOD. What prop would you recommend for break in- I'm going to run 4-5 gallons through on a bench set up with Lawnboy 32:1 oil mix.

Thanks,
Dunny

Dunny,

I ran a Menz 32X10 on mine for break in. If you run it on the bench, I would reccomend only doing that for 2 gallons tops. If you never subject the rings to high RPM and high loads during break in, the engine will not develop full power. It can also be a setup for premature wear. I broke in mine by running a little over a gallon through it at 2000 RPM, and flying the rest.

Hey Jack,

Glad to see you are enjoing the EVO. It sure sounds like the EVO is turning out to be everything we hoped it would. I'll be putting one on my new Dietrich Aircraft Extra 260 when it comes. I know Allen will be very happy to know that he isn't going to have to have the DA gurgle pop pop going on if he goes with the EVO. He hates that.

Anyway, keep us posted. Looking forward to getting together and flying soon. Take are bud!

Owen

Hey Jack.
Sorry I havnt got back to you about the mufflers. I will fix them any time you want just let me know...

Jason

what about Rodger any word on the mufflers?

Jason, PM me your address and I'll send them to ya! Roger said if these work out, he'd like you to be the muffler supplier. You need to get BZ to come up with a flashy logo now...