777Dave

777Dave

Well Known Member
RV4 with O-360A1D and some sort of a Nissan Motors starter (I think 280).:confused:
New battery, engine very slow to turn over. Removed the starter and discovered the casting around one of the bolt holes was broken...
So new starter... any thoughts?


Thanks;
Dave
 
Shameless plug here, Kelly aerospace has a new line of light weight starters,called "X-Drive" designed to replace the skytec stuff. way over built compared to the skytec. but again I am biased as that is where I work. www.Kellyaerospace.com
 
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Well Jeremy, sounds like you should hook Dave up with a sample starter for a test. He can give us all a review of "your" product.
 
Check out the skytec NL (inline) starters. I picked one up for my RV 7 and it fits real nice. I have talked to a few other people using them and they claim they are very good. They also have a roll pin that will shear in case you ever have kickback, theory is that it will not damage anything else.
 
prices

Thanks for the replies...
Quite the range in price.
Skytec $360
Kelly E drive $730
Kelly X Drive $580
BSC $550

Any other options?
 
777Dave said:
Thanks for the replies...
Quite the range in price.
Skytec $360
Kelly E drive $730
Kelly X Drive $580
BSC $550

Any other options?
Click to expand...

Can't tell you what to buy (I have a B&C), but I can suggest what NOT to buy. In your list above, it is truly a case of "you get what you pay for!" Don't go cheap or you'll be replacing it.
 
I started out with a Nissan starter. When the countershaft broke in February of '95, I replaced it with a Sky-Tec Hi Tork and it hasn't missed a beat.
 
We installed many sky-tec starters in a variety of applications with great success. That was back in the 90's, but I'm sure they haven't gotten worse. The hi-torque version might be advisable for your 360, although I ran a standard one on my Pitts with no problems.

Check your cable ends and grounds for corrosion while you're in there.

Where's your plane going to be kept? Brampton? I'd like to come have a look at it sometime.
 
Since I alluded to problems with the Sky-Tec lightweight starters, I will elaborate. If you are using a 4-cylinder engine with a carb, then I'm not aware firsthand of any reasons why the Sky-Tec won't work. They have sold thousands of them so them must work for someone.

However, the Sky-Tec are permanent magnet starters that are subject to breakage should your engine suffer a kickback during engine start. I do not know this for a fact, but to me this seems to be more a problem with fuel injected engines rather than carbed engines. Be aware that a single instance of a kickback can ruin your starter. I don't know the technical details but the magnets break and then rattle loose inside the starter. This also diminishes the capacity of the starter.

I have one on my shelf after it left me stranded following a kickback. It most definitely is not suited for a Lyc 540 and in fact, Sky-Tec now recommends their more costly and significantly beefed up inline starter for these applications. I don't like to buy the same thing twice so you can tell that I am not happy with Sky-Tec. Having learned the hard way, I use as many B & C products as I can. Just my choice as a consumer, your mileage may vary.
 
Not all Sky-Tec starters are PM... only the "lightweight" starter.. for $50 more you can get Original HT and be on safer side... and draw less amps... weight's not an issue either.. at 1 lb heavier than Lightweight..
 
Kelly E Drive

Guys The E drive is the first aerospace only grade starter to be brought to market. It was basicly a ground up design that has eliminated the potental for kick back problems. We have had the skytec and others on our test stand and ran them through the same tests and our starter is far and away a more robust built starter. I know this sounds like a sales pitch, but I am not in the sales dept, I run the R+D/maint hangar in Willoughby ohio, the main Kelly plant is in Montgomery AL.
If anyone is going to S-N-F Go by our booths and talk to the guys about these starters, tell them that you spoke to me on here and Ill see what I can do about maybe MAYBE getting one for someone to test, Ill have to talk to a few folks and they are all on there way to FL as I type. I dont know what Ill be able to do or not do, but I know the guys who could make that happen.
Here is a link to the company website, with more info.
http://www.kellyaerospace.com/Edrive.html
 
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Kick Back

What about kick back with the X Drive, is it immune as well? Kinda late to ask since I already bought one to replace the sky-tec

Neil
 
I installed a X Drive today and it cranks the engine strong and smooth. My Skytec had catastrophic failure, probably from a kickback. We will see how this one does.
 
If the original gave you reasonable service & you'd be happy with another, take it to an auto parts house. I think most of them were from late '70's nissan pickups. Mark Landoll in OK City (harmonic balancers, etc advertised in aviation mags) used to sell them & could tell you which model he sold.

If you want 'aircraft quality', I've got an original a/c starter (Prestolite, I think) I'll be happy to sell for 1/2 of the best auto starter price you see. :)

Charlie
 
NeilMcLeod said:
I installed a X Drive today and it cranks the engine strong and smooth. My Skytec had catastrophic failure, probably from a kickback. We will see how this one does.
Click to expand...

Can you provide any evidence, even if subjective, that these drives truly use less current / generate more torque for starting than the competitors?

I have a high compression engine, and my skytec sometimes has great difficulty getting past the first compression stroke, even with an over sized Optima battery to drive it. It could just be that it is an old starter and perhaps has one winding failing, but in my mind this battery ought to simply spin this motor around.
 
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