skippydiesel

1 hour ago, Kyle Communications said:

Rotax gearbox needs checks and possibly a overhaul every 1000 hrs dont forget that

 

If you have been using ULP , the 1000 hrs is just a check - sure you will replace oils seals & may be some minor components (shims if required) but overhaul ? very very unlikely.

5 minutes ago, facthunter said:

You are a bit lucky getting the advice you have. I  can see the other persons situation also. If the planes been in regular use that is  better. Sitting the engine need s inspection Borescope etc.  Nev

A agree to a point - depends on how much the so called non refundable down payment is. If its a significant portion of the whole aircraft value, I would strongly suggest that the vendor is morally  (unfortunately probably not legally) bound to facilitate the remainder of the purchase process. A nice little flight Qld-Vic (assuming no boarder restrictions) would go a long way to assure the purchaser of the aircrafts reliability and the vendors confidence in his aircraft. Unfortunately there are some unscrupulous characters within out community (as in any). This whole transaction has a bit of a pong about it - hope it works out in the end.

1 hour ago, Downunder said:

Some people are getting 4000 hrs with the heads being done at 2000 on a 912...

That's probably going to be my plan .....

 

Gearbox overhauls can be expensive.

I'm told keeping the oil clean (ulp and frequent oil changes) can reduce this cost significantly.

 

Hi Downunder - I choose to do 50 hr oil changes (AeroShell Sport Plus 4) on my Rotax 912 ULS and burn only ULP.

All other  servicing is by the book. I figure that an oil change can do no harm, may do some good and even though the Sport Plus 4 is expensive (compared with auto oils) 3 litres wont break the bank. In 920 hrs I have never had to "top up" between changes and the amount that comes out, is almost the same as what goes in.

I am not sure what you mean by getting the "head's done" - if I felt an overall was necessary & cost effective I would replace in/outlet valves, possibly springs,bore honed,  pistons (& rings), all oil & coolant seals and probably have the carburettors reconditioned & alliterated - there may also be other stuff. 

I think it likely that a new engine may be a better/cost effective option.

Wow! you are a trusting sole. The sale having progressed so far I would recommend traveling to Qld (with a knowlegiable advisor if you doubt your technical expertise). If all okay hand over the remaining $$$ by way of bank check,  good as cash (if he will accept that) and fly the aircraft home.

Alternative is the aircraft is delivered to your location (not possession) by owner/seller/trusted pilot for your pre purchase inspection - if you dont buy the non refundable deposit will compensate seller for any expenses. If seller refuses either of these suggestions I think you should get your dough back.

Short answear - do not purchase without thorough pre purchase inspection, preferably by trusted expert, if you do not have the required knowledge.

1 hour ago, Yenn said:

I wold say never turn the engine unless you intend to start it. All you are doing is wiping the oil off the camshaft and everywhere else.

If you are going to start it, then turn it over to check compressions and to see that it is not stuck.

If it has been a while since starting and you are not going to get the temps up high enough to get rid of water in the oil, I would not say don't do it because the temps are too low. I would say do it to get fresh oil around the system and even do it regularly, but only getting high temps will boil off moisture. I consider it better to splash a bit of oil around rather than leave it to slowly break down on the bearing surfaces.

Best to fly regularly, but if you can't, then run it as often as possible.

Hi Yenn - your advice sounds a little contradictory.

In my case my Rotax 912 is temporarily out of the aircraft.

Regarding preservation best practice, I did a bit of reserch, which pretty much confused the hell out of me ,required quite a few different chemicals, dehumidifiers, membranes , plugs  etc (& a lot of the materials only came in large quantities) all very costly.

Emailed Wal at Floods:- he recommended filling the engine with clean oil, squirting a small amount of the same into each cylinder, rotating (by hand) 2 full engine rotations, to be repeated monthly while engine not in use - soo easy!

I have plugged all engine opening including carburetors.

Existing engine oil and fuel had already been drained, so I added 3 Litres of fresh AeroShell Plus 4 to the crankcase. Filled a clean oil can with AeroShell. Removed all 4 top spark plugs. Tilted engine forward, back, side to side, pausing for a few minutes, at each point to allow oil to percolate into all recesses. Squirted a generous amount of oil into each cylinder. Covered plug hole with rags & rotated engine X 2 times. Surplus oil is squirted out of plug hole & caught by rag. Reinsert plugs finger tight. I do this at the begging of every month.

I keep the engine mounted inside a dust & moisture proof purpose built box.

I am not so keen on the "inhibiter" being squirted into "each cylinder" where does it go? Whats its qualities? Past the rings contaminating/changing the crankcase oil? 

Floods advised x 1/month, a squirt of engine oil into each cylinder, rotate engine x 2, put plugs back in (be sure to put a rag over each plug hole, to catch surplus oil squirting out).

33 minutes ago, Kyle Communications said:

So of course you have taken the exchange rate difference..the real difference not what you see on the idiot box on the news..the actual rate you get from the bank or the forex mob you use then added the freight cost and import paperwork cost then added 10% to the lot. And of course that exchange rate will vary in regards to the tax component depending on the day rate when the freight hits australia...not what you paid before it left. It could be higher or lower..usually its lower lately so it cost more

 

All done on the exchange rate (EU/Au) at the time, plus freight, fudge factor for any additional handling (fumigation/paperwork/ etc) plus GST on "the lot". Naturally there will be a daily (even hourly) variation in the exchange rate but the Eu has remained fairly constant for a few months now. As you point out, could be luck/unlucky on the day the "parcel" hits the docks and the final payment could rise or fall accordingly.

You have the currency, I have said Europe (that where Rotax comes from). Not prepared to go further. Anyone in the market for a Rotax can Google potential supplier's, make contact and go from there.

I am very far from an instructor but it would seem that much of what you are trying to achieve can only be done consistently by practice and more practice.  A single short field "greaser" doeth not a pilot make.

I am a big believer in making imaginary landings at a safe altitude - this way you can explore the low speed handling/energy management of your aircraft, with sufficient space to recover should you require it.

I dont  follow your ground effect theory/observations. All aircraft will have some ground effect characteristics - Along with other peculiarities this must be managed. In my case, my long high lift wing seems to float for ever, so getting the approach numbers spot on is vital for a short field landing and as a further aid I have long practised raising flap, at or even just befor, my mains make contact. The effect is to "dump" lift, get weight onto the mains and if required, start braking.

The numbers in your POH are a great staring point but if you want to walk away from a possible future "out-landing" you must explore managing the aircrafts energy so as to arrive at the point of touch down with the least forward momentum/lift. I have always thought some glider lessons would be a valuable introduction to managing an engine out scenario - may be one day.

When I trained in GA it was with power on and used to adjust the "glide slope". Power was "cut" at or just before touch down. This is not the way I fly my Zephyr. Almost all approaches are power off - the occasional undershoot requiring power on, to restore the approach. The effect seems to be to make steeper approaches (than the flat GA ones) so that energy can be "wasted" at will (more/less flap, side/forward slips if required) so as to arrive over the threshold with minimum speed , round out/flair to loose that last bit of energy,flaps up and if all goes to plan, power on to make that first (only) taxi way turn - otherwise roll all the way to the end, as if you meant to do that all the time and make the long taxi back.

1 minute ago, Roscoe said:

Yes I am aware of the compression check which i do before every flight. The EAA Presenter was in the USA and probably referring to Cold weather and Pilots pulling thru their Engines once a week to scatter the oil around.

The presenter may have a point in that sort of situation - that's why I suggested a proper "moth ball" procedure (some people call it "pickling" the engine as in preserving). I dont know a great deal about it but have found out that special lubricants, treated membranes, dehumidifiers, and plugs seem to figure highly. Many of the suppliers of these products are focused on military applications (engines of all sorts in "hibernation"). 

Kyle - with each engine install being a near costume job, it makes no sense to compare dollar for dollar the finished fly away cost.

It does make sense to compare identical systems/modules. The prices I am using are for the base engine, plus some odd bits & pieces that you may or may not want to use if you are replacing (eg cooling system top tank, exhaust stubs, etc)  as supplied by every Rotax dealer (you also get a costed accessory list, that does not form part of the base cost).

The purchasers choice to add or not, a host of options, in whatever configuration they choose, can not be used as a logical comparison (too may variables).

The quotes I have received vary by $3k, on the base engine module I referred to.

I think it is good practice to rotate the prop slowly through a number of compressions (I would suggest a minimum of 2 rotations of the engine). This is not just to pre-lubricate (valuable) it also helps the pilot assess evenness of compression as a measure of engine "health".

In Rotax 912/914 engines it is a recommended pre first  flight action of the day, to to relocate any "pooled" oil from the crankcase back to the reservoir (the famous "gurgle"). 

If the engine is being used very infrequently, your advisers observations may have some validity. In this case proper "mothballing" of the engine should be considered (see your POH).

If it were possible I would pre lubricate every engine befor the first start of the day - in the past heavy machinery did this with the use of a "pilot" motor to bring oil/fuel pressures up to minimum operating, befor the main "donk" kicked in.

2020 being almost a total write-off and 2021 shaping up to be a "slow" year at best  RAA costs are minimal - in the light of this  membership cost increase should be deferred for at least 24 months if not longer.

Insurance is a global service market - so with all the claims due to various e "natural" disasters and with CV-19 on top - premium increases are to be expected however in mitigation RAA, as a customer, must have had very few claims (if any) so would expect little change to its insurance costs.

Glen: Don't forget lower optimum glide speed (good glide ratio) usually equates to a lower stall speed.

In my opinion a low stall speed is possibly the best safety feature an RAA class aircraft can have. You will probably walk away from a 30 knot landing stall, survive a 45 knot and could easily have wings on your back for anything above.

Further a good glide ration gives you time. Time to trouble shoot that engine problem, turn off all the electrics, make that MayDay, tighten your harness, brief your passenger, unlock the canopy,trigger the PLB,  select your best option for a landing may be even make it to an open area/paddock.

If she glides like a brick she probably crash lands like one too.

9 hours ago, Downunder said:

Second hand 912's are eagerly sought after..... no matter the hours and condition.

So as a replacement, this figure comes off of your new engine price.

 

If buying a straight out new one..... something else would probably be sought by me. 35k.....(with carbs..lol) nah, I'll take a pass on that.

It's just taking the p!ss.....

 

Good luck with all that - adding $5-7K to the value will have you spending quite a bit more than necessary

6 hours ago, Arron25 said:

The plane or the Princess?

Your choice I guess.

"I intend to have the name 'Fiona' on the cowl of mine when she is back"... Do tell what is happening to Fiona??

Tad obscure Pmccarthy - sounds like bad luck follows you around or is there another interpretation? 

Yep! Rotax 912/914 and now 915 are expensive, compared with Jab's but in my, completely biased, view you gets what you pays for and if you read any of the erlier comments not $35K 

31 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

I have two lycoming powered aircraft, they don't need defending.  

Two! Obviosly a need for redundancy

Go on  - give it a go. Whats are they (model, hp) & why are they so great??

Just skimmed a communique from RAA - insurance cover going up (in some area)  - memberships to stay  as is - helping us all out over COV-19. 

Sounds like  a softening up for changes to come.

With the general slow down, in just about everything, due to CV-19 - RAA's costs and insurance claims are surely way way down for 2020.  So why the gushy need to soft us up - whats coming ??

Come on guys - help me out I am just trying to get a bit of lively/life signs - someone defend those obsolete air cooled monstrosities

In your dreams!

$3k is $3k (that was delivered + GST) - I guess a person needs to make a judgement on what is is most important in their situation.

2 minutes ago, kgwilson said:

So what is the price of a 912 ULS fitted (no labour cost) including exhaust system, airbox & filter, CHT, Tacho, oil pressure and temperature gauges & senders? This is what came with my engine which is why I ask.

KgWislon - As per RF & Kyle from Floods however if you have an European contact, you can probably shave $3k off that, but will depend on the Euro the day you put your money down.

TurboP - I have never found a small motor that recedes/aloes E10 in fact eyry one, that I can recall, specifically warns against using ethanol blends.