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Rotax 912 ULS Engine Vibration Solved
I built a Rans S-20 Raven in 2016 and installed a new 912 ULS engine. 302 hours on the Hobbs. Early this year I started experiencing an engine vibration at cruise power settings. Very Frustrating. Troubleshooting went as follows:
1. Tested with new carbs 2. Tested with new ignition boxes 3. New Prop spinner 4. Dynamically balanced prop. 5..New spark plugs, several times 6. Balanced carbs, several times 7. Repitched prop before dynamic balance 8. Compression check, compression leakdown check 9. New floats Apparently there have been problems with some gearboxes. I read a post on the yahoo S7 forum that sounded hauntingly familiar. This person even replaced pistons and cylinders troubleshooting this vibration at a considerable expense. His problem went away after he replaced his gearbox. I pulled my gearbox and sent it away to have new gears pressed in. The vibration is now gone! After considerable expense and a great deal of trouble shooting, the problem has been solved. I wanted to share my story in hopes that it might help someone else with similar symptoms. Best, Jim |
I thought this was on gearboxes on the 912 iS models, circa 2014 or 2015 builds? I've seen mentions made of keeping the engine speed up to 2500 rpm to keep wear to a minimum on the dogs inside that gear box. What rpm's do you normally run and warm up at?
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You may have dodged a bullet there, Jim.
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When starting cold, I idle at 2000 rpm for 2 minutes, then to 2500 until warm. Yes, they had problems with the 912is but no mention of the 912ULS. No unusual wear on the dogs upon inspection. |
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I run Aeroshell Oil Sport Plus 4 and use Rotax oil filters because . . .
that?s what Rotax recommends, regardless of the fuel used. |
My second engine had significant vibration issues especially compared to the first one. I chased down all the stuff mentioned in the post but also would add:
Loosen the exhaust and re-center it. Make sure it's not breaking the springs. Go through the engine mount bolts (all of them, not just at the engine). Make sure the bowman cables have nice clean runs especially at the carb. Try Vans new carb springs. Honestly, I think the new carb springs did the trick. It's a much more conventional design that doesn't rely on hooks. My exhaust has run through quite a few springs but none since repositioning it. It's a known problem. For me, it was easy to use my ADAHARS to troubleshoot the problem. At 5200 RPM the engine would set up a resonance that would send the ADHARS offline. When the autopilot was engaged the plane would bank and dive. Rotax SL912-010 speaks to the known vibration issues on the 912. You should also be measuring blade track and testing the friction torque for the gearbox. Don't let the gearbox run at minimum torque. |
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Mid-range is where asynchronization is most likely to occur. Synchronization in mid-range is largely dependent on how well the throttle plate follows the displacement of the throttle cable via the return spring. Cable stiffness, bend radius, weak return springs, missing return spring ? all have effect on mid-range smoothness, or lack thereof? |
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