550 hour old jab going fine

[Bruce Tuncks]

In the last 2 days, I flew from Gawler to Tocumwal and return in my 17 year-old Jab with the 2.2 motor which has done 550 hours now. As usual, it just purred all the way.

 

On the way there, I put in a 20 liter container at Kerang, and on the way home I did the same at Sea Lake. Since I landed each time with about 30 liters, these stops were not necessary for the Jabiru, but they were needed for the pilot's bladder.

 

Coming home, as an old glider-pilot, I wended my way under the cu to fly through more lift than sink. Well it made it more fun. I don't know if it helped or not.

 

From Tocumwal to Benalla, I was ferried in a Lancair which is lots faster but lots harder to do everything. I really like my Jabiru.

 

 

[Nightmare]

In the last 2 days, I flew from Gawler to Tocumwal and return in my 17 year-old Jab with the 2.2 motor which has done 550 hours now. As usual, it just purred all the way.On the way there, I put in a 20 liter container at Kerang, and on the way home I did the same at Sea Lake. Since I landed each time with about 30 liters, these stops were not necessary for the Jabiru, but they were needed for the pilot's bladder.

Coming home, as an old glider-pilot, I wended my way under the cu to fly through more lift than sink. Well it made it more fun. I don't know if it helped or not.

 

From Tocumwal to Benalla, I was ferried in a Lancair which is lots faster but lots harder to do everything. I really like my Jabiru.

I hear you, I purchased my Jab about a month ago, with the same experience, she runs like a dream, I flew her back from Wollongong to Coominya in Qld with no probs, she also purred all the way. Mine has done about 410 hours. Tony

[Birdseye]

Put the roof down on the MX-5 today, she's over the thousand hours now.

 

 

[BigPete]

My 11 year old factory built J160c has done 947 hours and is running just fine.

 

BigPete.

 

 

[jaybee258]

Great to hear some good Jab news here. I would like to add to it with 560 hours of fault free cruising. My Jab 2200 is in a Savannah and cruises at 2000rpm, 75mph and 10l/h one up. I know everybody does not agree, but in my view, low revs equals low wear and a longer life. Once people start taking the heads off and fiddling, the troubles seem to start.....

 

 

[planesmaker]

We don't generally pull heads just to have a fiddle. Only because they need to come off for a reason. If you can go 1000 hrs without pulling heads off I take my hat off to you.

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

In the Jabiru engine maintenance manual (JEM0002-7) it indicates (on page 48 of 106) item 17 says replace spark plugs. Now, I'm doing the annual but only flew about 10 hours since the last annual. I'm not replacing the plugs. Do I tick the box or what? Reading the previous posts here, at my current rate of flying, matter transporters will be in common use before I get 500 hours or so on my Jabiru. Bruce, I'll swap a nice red for a leak-down test, how about it?

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

I have been replacing the plugs at 100 hours and they show no signs of wear, so your 10 hour plugs will be fine, and you will be saving the planet by keeping them.

 

As for what box to tick, I say that sometimes you need to protect officials from reality because they may not cope with it.

 

Tell them what they need to hear so they will leave you alone. But have a good look at those plugs first and make sure there are no signs of fouling or damage.

 

Also, read some of Mike Busch. He will make you feel better about "on condition" maintenance.

 

And of course we will do the leakdown test soon.

 

 

[jetjr]

If its an LSA you have no choice but to follow these and other non logical recommendations

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

You are right jetjr. Except for calling them non-logical recommendations. They are non-logical orders, to be disobeyed at some risk if you get caught.

 

It was still a worthwhile comment to make.

 

 

[SDQDI]

It would be at least worth pulling them out to inspect them, while I understand they haven't done many hours there is a reason things have a use by date for example would you leave your oil change longer than 1 year? At 10 hrs a yr your 25hrly oil change would last 2 and a half years but is it really worth leaving it? I wouldn't worry if it was my car but in a plane it is worthwhile ensuring we minimise as many points of failure as possible.

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

I inspect/adjust/clean the plugs when they come out for the leak-down test. And, I change the oil and filter regardless of hours.

 

 

[geoffreywh]

My Mitsubishi Triton just ticked over 4500hrs and it's on its 3rd set of plugs.

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

My Mitsubishi Triton just ticked over 4500hrs and it's on its 3rd set of plugs.

That's a lot of flying. Jabiru or Rotax engine?

 

 

[turboplanner]

My Mitsubishi Triton just ticked over 4500hrs and it's on its 3rd set of plugs.

My Ferguson's in its 61st year on the original engine, which has never been pulled down, and it's still ticking over nicely too.

 

 

[Guernsey]

My Mitsubishi Triton just ticked over 4500hrs and it's on its 3rd set of plugs.

That's a bit expensive......what was wrong with the first set of plugs???

 

Alan.

 

 

[Pearo]

My victor motor mower is 20 years old and has done about 20 hours. Its had 5 plug changes, and never had an oil change. I have replaced the pull start cord 3 times and the throttle cable just failed, so I replaced it with a makita battery powered thing.

 

Therefore Victor is better than Jab and Rotax. Lets see how the Makita shapes up.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

Those examples of long-lived engines are actually quite relevant. There is a bit in Mike Busch's book about an engine expert who used such an example in his teaching.

 

If an engine has survived the infant mortality stage, in his experience it will go for years. So an aero engine like this will be more reliable than a new one. Alas this is counter-intuitive so it is not part of mainstream maintenance thinking.

 

 

[geoffreywh]

That runs well with reliability based maintenance. When an engine is new the likelehood of failure is good. After some time the likelehood of failure lessens considerably and remains so for most of its life span (the "reliable zone") . ONLY if you don't mess with it.......... Everytime it's worked on the chance of failure goes up for a while, until you are back in the "reliable zone" again.....This clashes with some of the more common engines maintenance shedules. My thoughts? Observe and detect, ( I like solid lifters for that reason) don't do unneccessary work..get an oil analysis. Test compressions and leakdown, look inside the oil filter, look inside the bores, ....

 

 

[coljones]

Those examples of long-lived engines are actually quite relevant. There is a bit in Mike Busch's book about an engine expert who used such an example in his teaching.If an engine has survived the infant mortality stage, in his experience it will go for years. So an aero engine like this will be more reliable than a new one. Alas this is counter-intuitive so it is not part of mainstream maintenance thinking.

Once you get beyond early manufacturing and assembly faults the failures will be reduced but will gradually increase in rate due to wear and tear and stress and operator error until some critical component fails and brings down the whole lot. It is a bathtub failure curve.

 

 

[cooperplace]

My Ferguson's in its 61st year on the original engine, which has never been pulled down, and it's still ticking over nicely too.

how many knots does does the Ferguson cruise at? And with these old plugs, are you happy with its rate of climb?

 

 

[turboplanner]

That runs well with reliability based maintenance. When an engine is new the likelehood of failure is good. After some time the likelehood of failure lessens considerably and remains so for most of its life span (the "reliable zone") . ONLY if you don't mess with it.......... Everytime it's worked on the chance of failure goes up for a while, until you are back in the "reliable zone" again.....This clashes with some of the more common engines maintenance shedules. My thoughts? Observe and detect, ( I like solid lifters for that reason) don't do unneccessary work..get an oil analysis. Test compressions and leakdown, look inside the oil filter, look inside the bores, ....

Now then, we don't want any of this common-sense stuff!

 

 

[cooperplace]

My victor motor mower is 20 years old and has done about 20 hours. Its had 5 plug changes, and never had an oil change. I have replaced the pull start cord 3 times and the throttle cable just failed, so I replaced it with a makita battery powered thing.Therefore Victor is better than Jab and Rotax. Lets see how the Makita shapes up.

yes i just bought a battery mower too; in my mind's eye I see the jab engine compartment as nought but batteries. But I know that this thinking leads only to madness.

 

 

[turboplanner]

how many knots does does the Ferguson cruise at? And with these old plugs, are you happy with its rate of climb?

It does a lot of knots downhill in angel gear, and its rate of climb is spectacular - steeper than a Jab

With a heavy implement load, like a mould board plough, the governor will open, the engine will bellow, and it will run under load like that all day in any ambient temperature.

 

 

[jetjr]

And every engine type and variant has its own curve

 

Mikes info is based on conventinal aero engine types not all types