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Van's SB-14-07 Wrong?

yankee-flyer

Well Known Member
The new throttle spring SB grounds all RV-12's with replacement lighter throttle springs purchased from McFarlane before July 17 2014. This SB requires replacement of springs "before further flight" and a logbook entry.

McFarlane says their SB-06 applies ONLY to springs purchased 1-jan 1014 through July 17 2014 and that ALL springs purchased (as many of ours were) before 1 Jan 1014 are perfectly fine. NO replacement of older springs is necessary. Hopefully Van's will modify this SB before I fly again?

Wayne 120241/143WM
 
The new throttle spring SB grounds all RV-12's with replacement lighter throttle springs purchased from McFarlane before July 17 2014. This SB requires replacement of springs "before further flight" and a logbook entry.

McFarlane says their SB-06 applies ONLY to springs purchased 1-jan 1014 through July 17 2014 and that ALL springs purchased (as many of ours were) before 1 Jan 1014 are perfectly fine. NO replacement of older springs is necessary. Hopefully Van's will modify this SB before I fly again?

Wayne 120241/143WM

Thank you for the clarification although I wish VANs would do it more officially.
I agree that SB 14-07-23 is totally confusing at first reading: after 2 + years who would remember if the engine kit came with or without replacement springs? It would have been clearer to mention "if you did not replace the original springs that came with the engine this SB does not apply to your engine". This being said, it won't hurt to count the springs turns for confirmation. May be it's what VANs wants us to do anyway, hence the ambiguity...:D
 
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Van's SB is correct because it is written in the context of any lighter springs supplied by them with throttle controls.

That began after Jan 1, 2014 so any springs obtained from Van's should automatically be effected by McFarlane's SB-06.
If you didn't get your alternate springs from Van's, then SB-06 is the only document that would apply to you.

In a nut shell.

If you have never changed from the springs supplied on your engine... do nothing.

If you changed the springs on your engine, to ones supplied by Van's with your throttle control... they need to be changed

If you changed the springs on your engine, to ones you purchased from McFarlane... You may need to change them depending on when you purchased them.
 
Van's SB is correct because it is written in the context of any lighter springs supplied by them with throttle controls.

That began after Jan 1, 2014 so any springs obtained from Van's should automatically be effected by McFarlane's SB-06.
If you didn't get your alternate springs from Van's, then SB-06 is the only document that would apply to you.

In a nut shell.

If you have never changed from the springs supplied on your engine... do nothing.

If you changed the springs on your engine, to ones supplied by Van's with your throttle control... they need to be changed

If you changed the springs on your engine, to ones you purchased from McFarlane... You may need to change them depending on when you purchased them.

Great clarification, Scott! Too bad it's followed with:
"Any opinions expressed in this message are my own and not those of my employer" :confused: :rolleyes: :eek:
 
Scott's points are not opinions. They are facts. They are based upon what McFarlane has published and what Van's has published to insure no one is surprised by a faulty spring.

If you built your own 12 you are not required to comply. The original spring worked and still works fine. Because it was different and required a learning curve. McFarlane tried to fill a need. Van's tried to make it even easier to fill the need. The unnecessary "fix" didn't work and both are trying to make sure no one is hurt.
 
the bad spring part # is 6748 24 turns(after 1-1-2014)
the spring you need to replace is part # 6818 16 turns(after 7-17-2014)

The weaker McFarland replacement spring some of us ordered prior to 1-1-2014 part # 6696 19 turns. Got mine thru Aircraft Spruce .This is not affected. Hope I got this right somebody correct this if its wrong.


Brad Stiefvater
124BJ (first customer built RV 12 to fly)
 
Appreciate Scott's clarification, but

That's not how VAN's SB reads, at least to me. I would really appreciate it if the SB could be modified/updated to reflect that language so I don't have an "uncomplied with" SB lurking in my records.

Wayne
 
I replaced my springs with McFarlane #6696 about a year ago and I am confident this SB does not apply to my springs. IMHO
 
I am equally confident, but

as I (and I suspect most people) read the SB that's not what it says. It says "Van?s RV-12 with replacement throttle return springs:
Replacement throttle return springs installed prior to July 17, 2014 are affected by this service bulletin."

I still think a re-write along the lines of what Scott said would be very helpful.

Wayne
 
If you look at the situation in the context that Van's only issues notices or SB's for products sold by them, then the way it is written makes sense.
Van's never endorced builders of ELSA's installing different springs (until they began supplying them in the kit) so why should they take responsibility for figuring out what springs are ok and what aren't? It was discovered that springs supplied to customers by Van's Aircraft were in question, so an SB was issued. Short of that, they have no way of knowing the status of any other springs builders may have used.
More (bluntly) to the point, if you choose to experiment with your experimental airplane, you should be willing to fully shoulder the responsibility of the choices.
 
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That's not how VAN's SB reads, at least to me. I would really appreciate it if the SB could be modified/updated to reflect that language so I don't have an "uncomplied with" SB lurking in my records.

Wayne

All you needed to do is make a log entry stating your springs are not effected because they were not obtained from Vans Aircraft
 
More (bluntly) to the point, if you choose to experiment with your experimental airplane, you should be willing to fully shoulder the responsibility of the choices.

Amen!
 
Do not use replacement springs

I just got a call (0930 on 7/28/14) from Van's regarding the replacement springs they sent last week. They said that the springs from McFarlane (PN 6748) were installed in the -12 they took to Oshkosh and they broke enroute. We are not to installed the springs but to use the original springs until Van's works it out with the supplier.
 
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