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New ROTAX Info SB Issued

DHeal

Well Known Member
ROTAX just published a revised SI re: Operating Fluids -- no big deal. Apparently not yet on ROTAX site, I received the SI via Rotax-Owner.com email. It is a clarification of AeroShell Sport Plus 4 as the factory-tested oil and clarification re: the use of Evans coolant in certain engines.

SI-912 i-001 R4_SI-912-016 R9_SI-914-019 R9_Selection of suitable operating fluids for ROTAX Engine Type 912i, 912 and 914 (Series)
 
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What did they change? I registered my big noisy fan with Rotax a couple of weeks ago but haven't received anything from them via email lately.
 
What did they change? I registered my big noisy fan with Rotax a couple of weeks ago but haven't received anything from them via email lately.

If you look in the left margin of the Service Istruction (SI), there are bold vertical lines to indicated the revisions made in the text since the last SI was published.
 
Yeah, I know... but there was no link to the new SI, I haven't received a copy, haven't seen it anywhere and a Google search came up empty. That's why I asked.
 
I did find it on flyrotax.com, along with another one announcing new spark plugs and boots that was released in January.

The new SI does make one very interesting change. Instead of specifying 25 hour oil changes when using leaded AVGAS, it simply says to "Perform maintenance checks according to the latest Maintenance Manual" - and notes that more frequent oil changes are probably beneficial.

Maintenance manual says 100 hours, or 50 if using leaded fuel more than 30% of the time.
 
As opposed to 100 hours, per the maintenance manual.
OK thanks. I thought that was probably what you were driving at.

I would imagine that he was referring to what you mention in your post #6: "Perform maintenance checks according to the latest Maintenance Manual" - and notes that more frequent oil changes are probably beneficial. I know that I change oil every 50 hours, even though I use unlead, non ethanol mogas almost exclusively, just for that reason.

By the way I googled the Fisher Celebrity you're building. Very nice airplane! Are you using the welded steel fuselage or built up wood? Do you have a build thread anywhere? Is that what your Rotax engine is for? Lots of questions.

Jim
 
The Rotax is in my RV-12. I could bolt another one onto the biplane, but I really have no idea what engine that will get yet. There's something to be said for a radial on a wood biplane...

I've had one or two people tell me that the factory specified oil change interval is 50 hours. I had been changing mine at 50; I decided to go 100 hours this time around and have an oil analysis done when I change it. I haven't had the analysis done before, but plan to from now on. It's not too expensive and gives a way to watch trends over time.

I'm building an all-wood Celebrity. The steel tube fuselage was offered for a few years, I guess, but not recently. I'm really just getting started, working my way through a whole bunch of wing ribs. I do have a build log at http://www.botkin.org/biplane/. I just wanted something for those warm summer days when all I want to do is go for a motorcycle ride, but we're getting rid of the bike due to all of the driverless vehicles. You know, the ones with someone occupying the left front seat as the car wanders more-or-less down the road while they text and update their Facebook status. Had to be a biplane, two seats, LSA, all wood, didn't want to weld. That narrows the field right down!

Basically, I spent 3 years building an RV-7, sold that project and bought the RV-12, and discovered (much to my surprise) that I miss building. Didn't much miss the cleco-drill-disassemble-debur-dimple-cleco-rivet cycle though.
 
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