Plane Power Failure (or: "Why I didn't make OSH")

[RickWoodall]

Now this kind of peaked my interest. I have just ordered my engine and am finalizing my vans fwfd kits additions and deletions. I have heard lots of good things about plane power. Mattituck has a mitsubishi internally regulated at a good price...
I had just expected to go plane power and pay the diff for what i thought was quality. I guess it is quality but a pita to service if needed. I am only building a vfr ship, glass will all have back up batteries and mags on one side of engine. Seems maybe the cheaper, possibly less reliable but easier to fix/replace unit might just be the better choice. Hmmmm. I am hoping to do a fair bit of xcountry to places UPS doesnt visit often.

Always more to think about...

[frankh]

Well purely personally I have not heard of a single PP failure, other than this one so I don't regret the purchase.

Now, a good idea would be to find out where to get those pins..Anyone know?

These will be added to the XC toolkit along with Skytech starter solenoid, a Pmag (you never know), two spare tubes, a spare electric fuel pump..And maybe an engine..

Frank

[ClayR_9A]

Kahuna,
Can you post the type of alternator you're using? (what kind of car do you tell the guys at the auto parts store that you have)

Is it internally or externally regulated? (not to start that war.. I've had both)

[Brantel]

Originally Posted by jeffrj2007

A lot of people have had trouble with Alternators from plane power. I will be selling a replacement kit soon . It is
in testing now and will sell for 70-100 dollors less.

Everyone that reads this with little knowledge is now going to go off the deep end and say that PP alternators are bad voodoo....

Well that just ain't true, the PP alt's have a well proven background of being a fine alternator.

Show me the post that constitute "A lot of people" reporting failures of the PP alternators????????

[Jamie]

I for one have rarely even thought of my plane power alternator in 280 hours (which is a good thing). It hasn't skipped a beat. Perhaps the title of my post was a little unfair, since the failure wasn't internal to the alternator.

[RickWoodall]

Hey Brian.

I have talked to lots of people way more knowledgeable then me who swear by plane power. No question they make a great product..heard of little in the way of issues and always quickly resolved with great service. Kahuna made a good point...and based on my mission...well worth consideration. No knock on Plane Power...likely the best quality alt.

[David-aviator]

Originally Posted by Jamie

I for one have rarely even thought of my plane power alternator in 280 hours (which is a good thing). It hasn't skipped a beat. Perhaps the title of my post was a little unfair, since the failure wasn't internal to the alternator.

Yep, it was a broken wire and nothing more.

Could happen anywhere in the airplane like the broken wire I found at one headset jack a day before blasting off for the big show, about went nuts trying to find what was causing the problem which was easily fixed once discovered.

Thanks for posting your experience, some of us will be checking the wire attach at the unit to make sure it is secure. I have the PP unit and so far it is working fine although it is just since January.

[Kahuna]

Originally Posted by ClayR_9A

Kahuna,
Can you post the type of alternator you're using? (what kind of car do you tell the guys at the auto parts store that you have)

Is it internally or externally regulated? (not to start that war.. I've had both)

Stolen from another post. Lost of discussiosn on it. Nippon Denso 14684, and the more modern # 14870 which crosses to quite a few other manufacturers in the field.
====
Lester Nos: 14684


The alternator you want is Used On:
(1988-87) Chevrolet Sprint 1.0L
(1995-86) Suzuki Samurai 1.3L
(1989) Suzuki Sidekick 1.3L

Replaces:
Nippondenso 100211-141, 100211-155, 100211-407

It is a 12 Volt, single grove, IR/IF (internal Regulator / internal fan) 55 amp*** alternator

[Build9A]

I had 2 alternator failures with Vans internally reg. units within 50 hours. Plane Power for me. Maybe I'll buy an extra one of those connectors, but I will never go back to the Vans unit after 400 hrs of reliable PP service.

[Tandem46]

Originally Posted by Jamie

We made it back home (80nm) and I never saw the main buss voltage drop by even a one tenth of a volt (those little PC-680 batteries are awesome).

Timely post. My alternator just failed yesterday while returning to Corpus from Osh. Flew THREE HOURS on battery alone before it finally gave it up. For point of reference, it took about 3hrs for the battery to go from 12.4 volts to 10.0 volts, at which time it began to rapidly fall below 8.0 volts (I have the Van's volt gauge, only shows as low as 8.0). I have LSE ignition, and at this point I pulled the LSE breaker and the volts rose back to about 9.5. Limped the rest of the way home (12 minutes) on my one mag. This is my 2nd Van's alternator failure in just under 700hrs, so I'm done with those. Someone with over 2,500hrs in RVs has highly recommended B&C to me, which I'm seriously considering even though they cost a lot more.