Harthy

All of the above ideas are good to check out. I had problems with noise in my headsets in my Thruster with a 582 for a long period of time, and tried the above mentioned solutions with little improvement. I was told about the power mate regulator and dodged around it for some time as money was not plentiful. In the end I rang the gentleman, Cluas I think his name is. Lucky for me I live in south QLD and when I was in the Brisbane area one time I dropped in to see him. After talking to him I decided to purchase one. It turned out to be be a good decision. I no longer own my Thruster, and I won't try and sell what the Power Mate does. But give him a call. Great product!!! Harthy

Regulator I am no expert, but it sounds to me like there could be some sort of interference from the aircraft, more than likely the engine electrical. Also double check all connections again. There is a very good engine regulator that is advertised in the in the RAAus mag which usually solves those problems. The man that supplies these will also be able to help you with advise on your problem. Harthy

I have to agree totally with what Ballpoint said. There will always be critics out there and Jab haters, but the majority can't be wrong. I also have a J120 and love it to bits. Mine has 840 hours on it and it runs as sweet as the day i got it. I am not saying it is perfect because it is not, and neither is any aircraft. But it is great!!!! You would think at times that the other makes don't ever have troubles the way some talk. Here's a challenge for everyone. For 60K fly away, someone come up with an aircraft that is better value for money and parts that are on the shelf in Australia. You need to be able to lean on them without denting them as well. Yours truely....The J120 lover Harthy

What ever you decide to do with the prop, do not put polish on it (Silicon Polish) as any type of repairs will not be able to be carried out if needed. The old Brolga prop builder told me that. Can't think of his name at the moment. Lanoline will keep them looking good. Harthy

Aeroshell Sport Plus 2 stroke I see that Shell have released a new 2 stroke oil called Aeroshell Sport Plus 2. It is designed for ultralight aircraft engines. I looked on the aeroshell website but it doesn't show up yet, but you will find some links if you do a search. And it is available in Australia. I won't mention any names here but you can find it. Harthy

I got onto some of that blue exercise mat. You can get in 10 to 12mm thick, or about 19 to 20 mm thick. This stuff is very dense, and when put under the standard seat cover it works very well. It solved my knumb bum problems. Takes about 5 minutes to cut and fit. I got some from one of the cheap jack shops to try out, and it has been there ever since. Worth a try!! Harthy

My apologies Jack. I didn't think about you guys so far from Bundaberg. It is usually over night for parts to get to me from Jabiru. I also certainly don't buy my filters, plugs and oil from Jabiru either. But I do with the rest. Harthy

Trying to make an assumption on what Jabiru parts are used for in automotive use, so you can possibly get them cheaper, I feel is very dangerous. Not that all Jabiru parts are much more or at all more expensive any way. Remember who's bum is in the seat of the plane, and the thought going through your head. "Have I got the right parts in my Aircraft. Is it going to stop" Peace of Mind! For the sake of a few dollars for parts that are not often changed, to me is a no brainer. I don't have money to throw around, but I do value my passengers and my safety. Sometimes spending less can cost you more. My two bobs worth! Harthy

Mick, With many years of experience in rebuilding engines, you need to do as the manual says. As for rebuilding the jab engine. You are not first person to do so. All of the others that have rebuilt jab engines would have followed the manual or instructions. I'm sure with the experience of the Jabiru engineers, they would have it right. With no exception from what I have seen, the notch or the arrow on the piston goes towards the front of the engine unless specified other wise. I also have heard that the jab pistons are not Holden pistions, as are other parts that have been dobbed with the same title. In the end that is your decision. I for one would be following the manual! If you don't already have a contact, I can give you a contact number of a LAME that is certified to rebuild Jab engines in Bundaberg. Harthy

If you feel ether is not a problem, no one can stop you from using it. The point is, you have other issues to sort out, whether it is thick oil or a bad battery, or what ever. Ether is convenient, easy to use, and it works. But don't! Harthy

I'll go with Tomo on that about the ether. I have been in in the machanical game for many years and taught it for 11 years. My advise is to keep ether away from any engine that is in good condition. If your engine doesn't start you have other problems that need looking at. Ether's main use is for engines that require compression for ignition (Diesel engines). Worn engines or cold ones will lack the heat generated on the compression stroke for ignition(Diesel engines).This when it can be used. So unless you jab engine is way down on compression( In that case it shouldn't be flying), I would keep ether away from it. If used incorrectly, ether will cause excessive knocking and can burn away the top of your pistions Harthy

One thing with starting my Jab that I do now without thinking. I don't just pull the choke out, I hold it right out. I noticed that if you pull it out and let it go, it will creep back in a little. This would be enough to not get full choke and would cause hard starting. Just a thought and might be worth investigating. Harthy

Sounds like you do need to look further. It was about 3 degees yesterday morning in Dalby and my jab started before it did one rotation, and starts when it is below 0 degrees without any effort. Yes I am one of the mad ones that flies when it is cold. Harthy

To remove the goo on the elevator, petrol and a rag work very well. Soak it on a bit, then it will still take a bit of rubbing to get it off. Turps does work but not as good as petrol. Then clean it up with some polish before putting on the new stuff. At the moment I have been using reinforced white duct tape, which looks and seems to work like the original tape. I have been told you can get some good quality medical tape from the chemist that will last longer. Other then that, ring Jabiru for the right stuff. Have to replace mine on Saturday again Harthy

Commando Guys, weight is very important when flying light aircraft. So if going commando cuts down the weight, why not?:thumb_up: LOL. I thought the Thongs might draw a comment! Yes ready for Childers on the weekend. I will be taking my son and my jocks

I was looking around on my memory stick and found this and thought some of you may be interested. A mate and I went down to Avalon last year from QLD, and this is a list of what we took with us. We were away for a week and were comfortable! :) [ATTACH]10819.vB[/ATTACH] Fly away list for up to a week.doc Fly away list for up to a week.doc Fly away list for up to a week.doc

Try different headsets. It may be the headset mics. Just a thought

Just put a new lead on one of my Avcomm headsets last night. Not so difficult with a good soldering iron and a multimeter to make sure you connect the right wires. Don't go on colours as you will get it wrong. You can puchase quite easily the leads from various aviation supply shops in Australia. You can get Mono or Stereo leads. Harthy

The 21st of August 2010 :clap:is getting closer for the Dalby Wings and wheels. I'll be there

I also would not like to see my oil temp over 100c for long periods. Oils life will shorten much quicker over 100c and oxidization also occurs more readily over 100c. I am very happy with my 80 to 90c. These thermostats must be for the colder climates

It's bloody discusting the hide of some people these days. A good friend of mine owns one of the hangers but had nothing taken. The first night they broke in to the hanger next to my mates, smashed the roller door and took several radio controled models. And I think from memory broke into a couple others. My mate and his brother got a new door and fitted it for the old man Reg, that owns the hanger, and secured the hanger again. The next time they came back they broke into more hangers including my mates. He had alarm systems rigged up in his hanger which were set off. But they then ripped out the condute that the wiring was in to stop the alarms from going off. Nothing was taken but there is plenty there they could have taken. Reg, got his hanger broken into again damaging the new roller door, and took more of his models and radio gear. Nothing else was taken. Another hanger was broken into and they only took a couple old video cameras. I am not sure what else was taken from the other hangers. It seems like it may have been someone who has been there before. But it also looks like they are checking it out for another haul some other time. Either way I hope they get he buggers.

Oils I can't believe this conversation is even happening. This is the reason some of our members can get into trouble, and then question why. Unless you have stong contacts with oil companies and are up on oil blending, I would say leave it to the pros. OILS AINT OILS!!

I have owned one now for over 18 months. It truely is a fantastic aircraft. it is not perfect and there is always the knockers around, but as mentioned earlier , it is the best value for money aircraft you can get anywhere. It is small, but I have had 6' 4" guys in mine. You can't compare it to the J230 because it is in a different class (size, speed, room, engine and cost). Bit like comparing a Cessna 172 to a 210. A mate and I flew mine from QLD to Avalon this year with all our gear, camping included, without a problem. The fuel tank size is not a problem if you plan your flight properly. How long does one need to fly without stopping? If you need parts, it is just a phone call and you have them in a day or so. Try that with an imported aircraft. J160 has more room but not the performance.:thumb_up:

Running Backwards It would be interesting to know the circumstances surrounding your backward running engine. As previous posts asked was it run on Avgas prior. The question I ask is, did it have adequate time to idle before it was shut down. And what revs was the engine doing when it was shut down, was it higher then idle speed? Both of these situations allow a retention of heat in the cylinder which can cause engine run on. Vortex fuel does come in 98 and 95 just have to get it from the servo that sells 98. Harthy

Mogas I also have been running BP 98 for some time now with no problems. I made a conscious decision not to use mogas under 98 octane even though 95 octane is permitted. I also use Flashlube at 1 ml per litre of fuel. Flashlube is a valve seat lubricant. One of the functions of lead in the old leaded fuel was to to lubricate the valve seats. Unleaded fuel does not have this ability, that is why engines are now fitted with hardened valve seat inserts and better quality valves. I believe avgas still contains lead. Engines running on unleaded and in good running condition and tuned properly will have less combustion chamber deposits. Flashlube adds a bit of peace of mind to it. Mainly for if there is a chance of the engine running lean I know that there is some extra lubrication occuring which may protect the engine from damage. A small amount of two stroke oil of about the same quantity 1 ml per litre can also aid in lubricating the combuston chamber with no effect on performance.(Because that is what it is designed for) I have noticed since running my engine on unleaded that the spark plugs are defiantly cleaner. Harthy