I’m considering getting a belt driven B&C 60A LX 60 alternator. I’m looking for user reports on reliability and installation experience. This would be connected to their LRD3 voltage regulator.
George
This is the thread you need to read. The great alternator poll.
https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=138805
Only a minuscule 2% of B&C users reported a fault in the first 250 hours. By contrast, a staggering 30% of Plane Power users reported a fault in the first 250 hours.
What I’d like to know is how many of these alternators have been put into service and how that might alter the findings.
I’m considering getting a belt driven B&C 60A LX 60 alternator. I’m looking for user reports on reliability and installation experience. This would be connected to their LRD3 voltage regulator.
George
I’m not sure I understand your query. Did you look at the poll results?
There's plenty of confirmation bias in the non-scientific poll.
1) The response rate is a very small portion of the membership who were polled.
2) The entire membership polled cannot possibly account for the total sales of B&C and/or PP alternators
3) What made 250 hours the yard stick?
4) B&C vs PP is right up there on the list with Nose or Tail wheel, Tipper or Slider, Garmin or Dynon, etc.
Now then, an actual determination could be made by getting data from the manufacturers. But that would also be incomplete because if there was a fail and it was replaced by an owner who chose the another maker the data point is lost.
Note: I'm a confessed nose wheel, tipper, O-320, fixed prop, Plane Power flier
Perhaps this was before they were acquired by Hartzell? I had the opposite experience - they went way way out of their way to make things right for me, and it turns out there was not even a problem with the alternator.I had a PlanePower alternator. It failed (one phase) en route to OSH. At OSH, Plane Power admitted it was a known manufacturing issue where the stator windings shifted inside the alternator. They told me they don't repair their alternators, and they offered zero consideration for a replacement. ...
1. The response simply needs to be representative. I plotted the life numbers (weibull), it was representative.
2. See #1, not needed
3. Granted, what number would you see to be better? We can use it for a new survey.
4. No, reliability is a quantifiable parameter, the others are opinions.
Unless I’m missing something, the sample size of the poll was 333 for the two companies. Not 1 or 2. In aerospace having that many data points to create a Reliability Weibull is Pretty rare. We typically make reliability decisions on a handful of points.
The numbers plus the anecdotal evidence paint a compelling picture IMHO.
I suspect if the poll asked how many people had 1000 trouble free hours on each the numbers would be even more stark.
I believe it comes down to price. I don’t know what the difference is these days. When I built my 7 over 15y ago now the B&C was probably double the price of the alternative but it was already clear back then it was superior.
Yep. Builders being penny wise and dollar foolish. I WAS one of those builders!I agree completely. Builders continued to buy Plane Power alternators because of the cheap price despite mounting evidence that they were very unreliable. B&C run every individual alternator on a test rig and check it for balance before it leaves the factory. As with everything else in life you get what you pay for.
Yep. Builders being penny wise and dollar foolish. I WAS one of those builders!
I can't speak for all builders, but I suspect many, like me, bought the PP alternator because it's included in the Van's FWF kit:I agree completely. Builders continued to buy Plane Power alternators because of the cheap price despite mounting evidence that they were very unreliable. ...
I'm on my THIRD PlanePower 60-amp alternator in 800 hours. This one is only a year old and failed on a cross-country flight last week resulting in a divert to a VFR airfield. That is not acceptable.
When I built my airplane, I chose PlanePower for the simplicity of having an internal voltage regulator.... one less component to worry about.
Enough....
I'll be giving the B&C 60-amp alternator a shot on my next round....
To be fair, I'm also using an EarthX battery in my airplane which results in huge recharging cycle loads after engine start. I'm thinking that the PlanePower voltage regulator just can't handle that.
I'll see how B&C does. Stay tuned for a PIREP....
To be fair, I'm also using an EarthX battery in my airplane
I can't speak for all builders, but I suspect many, like me, bought the PP alternator because it's included in the Van's FWF kit:
At least that's where I believe I got mine.
.... snip...
By the time I got to the FWF kit I had decided to drop many of their standard components including, but not limited to, the rubber engine mounts, the oil cooler, and the alternator.
........
the rubber engine mounts, the oil cooler, and the alternator.
Which engine mounts did you install?
Johan
I dropped the Vans Barry mounts and used Lord mounts. Many builders do the same. Check the VansAirforce archives....lots of threads on this.
Can someone who has done the conversion PP to B&C confirm it fits or does not add additional risk for cowl contact? The websites are not helpful. Thanks in advance.