VF84Sluggo
Well Known Member
The LASAR system in my new-to-me RV-4 is dead. Toast. Inop. When I bought the plane, I didn't know anything about the LASAR system, so with the cockpit switch "on" I assumed (my mistake) that the system was working. Well, it hasn't been working at all, and now the mags are failing.
After talking it over with someone very familiar with the defunct LASAR system, we've decided to remove it totally and go with a standard Slick setup. Question is, which mags to use?
The engine is a Lycoming IO-360-B1B. The Slick/Champion table shows 4347 Left, 4370 Right, for this engine. However, according to a shop in Atlanta that I also consulted with, they installed in an RV with this exact same engine make/model mag #'s 4373 and 4370 that was having its LASAR system removed.
So, that agrees the Slick/Champion table for 4370 on the right. But which for the left? 4373, or 4347 (per the table)? The installed LASAR mags are 4771 on the left, 4775 on the right.
I reached out to Slick/Champion, but they are unresponsive.
Any help is appreciated!
PS I'm in FL. This plane was located in the Seattle area. I used a pre-buy guy in the Portland, OR (that holds himself out as knowledgeable). Had he actually DONE what he said he was gonna do, ie a full systems check and a run-up, AND PROVIDED THE SERVICE THAT I PAID FOR (his lame excuse for not doing a run-up was that the plane was blocked in by another airplane and couldn't get it out of the hangar; I don't think he ever even turned the master switch on...pathetic...avoid this guy...but to be clear, I paid him in full, kept MY end of the deal) he might have discovered that this LASAR system was failed. The amber light passes press-to-test, but never illuminates. The system is dead.
I flew this plane from Washington state to Florida in the back-up mode! No wonder these mags are failing. I'd also corresponded with a tech rep at Pro Aero Aviation, as they still have some support for LASAR. The rep was amazed the mags have lasted as long as they did, and didn't fail on the trip. The LASAR-modified Slicks were NEVER intended to be run for that many hours in back-up mode.
Again, I'll accept responsibility for not doing my homework on the LASAR system. Should have known what to expect on initial power-up and the mag check on run-up. I'd have known, then, that I should be seeing illumination of the amber light, that that is normal, and correct.
And as far as that pre-buy guy, like in "Animal House", hey, I f*cked up, I trusted him. I'd have never done the deal with a failed ignition system. Now I'm spending a few thousand to correct this. AVOID THIS GUY!
After talking it over with someone very familiar with the defunct LASAR system, we've decided to remove it totally and go with a standard Slick setup. Question is, which mags to use?
The engine is a Lycoming IO-360-B1B. The Slick/Champion table shows 4347 Left, 4370 Right, for this engine. However, according to a shop in Atlanta that I also consulted with, they installed in an RV with this exact same engine make/model mag #'s 4373 and 4370 that was having its LASAR system removed.
So, that agrees the Slick/Champion table for 4370 on the right. But which for the left? 4373, or 4347 (per the table)? The installed LASAR mags are 4771 on the left, 4775 on the right.
I reached out to Slick/Champion, but they are unresponsive.
Any help is appreciated!
PS I'm in FL. This plane was located in the Seattle area. I used a pre-buy guy in the Portland, OR (that holds himself out as knowledgeable). Had he actually DONE what he said he was gonna do, ie a full systems check and a run-up, AND PROVIDED THE SERVICE THAT I PAID FOR (his lame excuse for not doing a run-up was that the plane was blocked in by another airplane and couldn't get it out of the hangar; I don't think he ever even turned the master switch on...pathetic...avoid this guy...but to be clear, I paid him in full, kept MY end of the deal) he might have discovered that this LASAR system was failed. The amber light passes press-to-test, but never illuminates. The system is dead.
I flew this plane from Washington state to Florida in the back-up mode! No wonder these mags are failing. I'd also corresponded with a tech rep at Pro Aero Aviation, as they still have some support for LASAR. The rep was amazed the mags have lasted as long as they did, and didn't fail on the trip. The LASAR-modified Slicks were NEVER intended to be run for that many hours in back-up mode.
Again, I'll accept responsibility for not doing my homework on the LASAR system. Should have known what to expect on initial power-up and the mag check on run-up. I'd have known, then, that I should be seeing illumination of the amber light, that that is normal, and correct.
And as far as that pre-buy guy, like in "Animal House", hey, I f*cked up, I trusted him. I'd have never done the deal with a failed ignition system. Now I'm spending a few thousand to correct this. AVOID THIS GUY!