jacmiles

So still nothing on the gen 4 engine hey?

well, so far so good. Except for a bit of " I'd tell you about some gen 4 problems but then I'd have to kill you" stuff i reacon nobody seems to be having problems. Go the 4's.

why would you want to put a rotax or a ul motor in one with the reliability of the Jab gen 4 engine anyway? Someone please tell me if they have heard anything but good reports on these engines. ( and please, truthful fact, not just something someone heard from his mates brothers, sons, girlfriends, stepdads LAME over in some hanger at who knows where.)

Oh Boy,

 

I have read this thread from beginning to end and after 3 pages of verbal diarrhoea coming from some of our first Class Members, I am actually a shame, as to how my fellow pilots act on this forum.

 

The topic was "Jabiru Gen 4" and the question, "Has anyone replaced their old Jab with the new Gen 4? Did it just fit right in with the old cooling ducts or are new ones required, is it really a direct swap? Are you happy with the performance, is there a noticeable difference in the operation? Thanks... "

 

Recently we purchased a Jabiru with Gen 4 engine in it. We did own a Cessna for many years and in more recent times have been hiring both a Jabiru 230 and Cessna's 172 as required.

 

 

So let’s put this engine thing in a little perspective, I have a friend who has had a number of sticky values over the years with a bend value in his Cessna. Rotax had issues with crankshaft breaking or ignition coils failing on one model of their engines. So nothing is perfect, but all we can hope as pilots, our aircraft engine manufacturers are always striving to overcome any issues they find with their engines.

 

 

So let's get back to the Jabiru Gen 4, I don't exactly know when the first Gen 4. 3300 hit the flying market, but in my case our Gen 4 was installed by Jabiru in July 2017, it now has 60 hours on it. The previous owner lived on the coastal strip and over the 2 years did not fly as regularly as he liked. So I was told by a LAME, if this was an older Jabiru engine it would have most likely had a pretty good chance of at least one barrel that would have got some corrosion on it and that would have lead to it having cylinder compressions issues.

 

 

But with the Gen 4 engines and new type barrels, it has compression tested as you would expect for a low time new aero engine, so it seems the internal barrel corrosion issue may have been resolved.

 

 

Most of us have been given the drum about doing 80 knot cruise climbs, as Jabiru engines have little tolerance for being overheated as this overheating will cause de-torquing of the through bolts, heads and barrels. Further you can easily shock the barrels and heads if you don't allow the engine temps to normalise after starting and before you taxi and fly the aircraft.

 

So how does my Gen 4 go with its temperatures on climb out, no comparison to the old Gen 2 or 3, the Gen 4 CHT and EGT run well within their limits all the time, even when pushing the climb and when on the ground on those very hot summer days.

 

 

So if all else is equal, I am thinking the Gen 4 with its new heads and barrels being one unit, the barrels being very corrosion resistant and the CHT and EGT temperatures being well with in specs, this should all lead to a Jabiru engine that should be able to maintain it's cylinder compressions year on year without too much drama, here's hoping,

 

I hope this is a help to someone.

 

Regards

JimJab

Hi Jim, my jab has been running cool even when pushing a 65kn climb on a hot day it wont get up too high in temp. If Kyle knows something about cylinder issues with the new engines and says he cant say too much about it id like to know who he is protecting. Maybe the boys from the ATSB need to have a talk to him before someone gets killed.

Can somebody re-engineer a mercury or Yamaha outboard engine to fit a light sport, now theres an engine.

I am not saying anything specific ...but....your not looking in the right places maybe...they are definetly better but still problems

 

Ok Kyle, show us the problems I know about the cracked cylinders but that was right at the beginning and rectified straight away. Havent heard of anything since then. Actually while looking hard for issues over the last 12 months I come across a lot of rotax problems that nobody seems to want to admit are there.

I had to replace my gen 3 engine with a gen 4. Gen 3 was buggered at 730 hrs, couldn't even do a top end on it. Gen 4 is a real aeroplane engine. I think they finally got it right. I cant find anyone having problems with these new G4s and I have been looking hard for quite a while. Run really cool, Don't use oil, when pulling prop through it has heaps of compression like a bloody aeroplane engine should have. (doesn't feel like a worn out lawn mower engine). Please let me know if anybody is having issues with theirs.

I always find it funny how people will complain about landing fees, airport maintenance etc. to the point of avoiding airports to save themselves $10 but in the next breath whinge about all the airports closing and there is nowhere to keep an aircraft within easy driving distance etc. etc. Some places may be cheap, some way over the top but I suggest to those who think it is all too expensive, go buy a couple of hundred acres, prepare a few strips, build some toilets and an office, put up fencing, buy the machinery to maintain the place, work seven days a week and listen to all the people whinge about how much you charge and how they are never coming back etc. etc. Maybe go look up the costs for keeping a boat at a marina, or the fees for living on a golf course.

When i was a kid (40 + years ago) it was known as fact that crated spitfires were buried " in the hills around Toowoomba " . When I would ask if we could go find one and dig it up i would be told it would be illegal to dig stuff up the Army or Airforce Burried.

Possibly doing a run to Clermont in Central Qld this Friday. Thought I'd ask an see if there are any well worn tracks up there, what would be the best way?The less tiger, the more wiser... :big_grin:

 

Thanks

 

Ps. It would be in a trusty J230

Just curious... how's that?They wear relatively quick if operating off bitumen all the time, but if they are worn past their safety point. It isn't the tires fault, but the drivers, isn't it??

 

Daily inspections = tire condition... (wheel spat or not, I never go anywhere if I can't see what the tread/tire is like)

 

If it's way to rough for it, it also isn't the manufacturers problem, isn't it...?

 

Sorry If I'm sounding annoyed, but I don't like seeing people getting knocked for something that isn't their problem. Just like you don't go complaining to Kia because they didn't make their Carnival suitable enough to handle driving on the beach.

 

Sorry.

 

Btw, I've done a lot of my flying in a J120.

Hi Ian, the tyres from ******* 8 ply are aircraft grade 8 ply and dont change anything, the standard tyre is as soft as a rag and when it blows will leave you on the brake disk which is not round believe me a real handfull to keep on the runway, a phone call to Jab would surely accept this as the stock item is a safety concern the replacement tyre will hold section and keep the disk off the ground and roll still the stock one will not you will have a wheel pant on the ground as well as roll on the disk, there is no substance to the tyre, it is not aircraft grade a flying school at bundy is using these tyres as well for the same reason, that is where i found out about them, as for regs and safety, like see and avoid so is any other obvious safety concern with the stock tyre you stand a very good chance of losing control on landing with a flat or blow out, i would not wait any insurance company would agree and so would most 120 operators perhaps a joint request of approval, the tyres that Kevin sugested are great as well and i must reinterate no changes are made to wheels or fittings its just a heavier tyre.

Does anyone have a contact for Rob Patroney?

Jack, how are your prop bolt theads? If you are refitting a jab prop remember that any wear on the thead will result in 7 psi tension achieved too early,resulting in a prop that is not bolted to the hub correctly.Can end up in all sorts of trouble if that happens.

Rick, i didnt realize you were there , oh well ill catch up to you one day!

I just let it sit on top of the threads and if it is on the bottom of the stick it has to be within the level required for the engine once the dipstick is screwed back in, (check it, it works)Brian

Hey Steve, how many hrs you got on that 120 now? IM just about to do my 400 hrly with no problems so far.

Oh righto jacmiles, are the 170 & 160 legs the same as the 230 legs? I noticed that the 230 legs are a bit more plush on landing than the 170 and i put it down to possibly same legs, just more weight in the 230.

Hey Jacmiles, just noticed you fly out of Chinchilla, and the 120, probably the same one I fly! 5317.I often talk to Stan, and a few others out there, haven't actually met anyone yet though!

It's a shame then because even though I've got one on order, having even an extra 25 litres of fuel would be great for safety margins and also given that avgas bowsers are being pulled out around the place, the extra range would help with trip planning. Probably the only other thing I'd like to see change is the smaller wheels. Apart from that all indications are they are one of the best flying jabs on offer. It's great to see the beefier, manlier, modernier undercarriage legs finally added.

 

I think they'd sell them in bucket loads if they changed a few little details, and given that the stimulus money is gone and times are going to be tough over the next few years, any advantage over the competition would be attractive.

 

Only a few months to wait now...

Mch, check your instrument dash,if its flexing too much it effects your idle by moving your throttle cable in and out.

Hey jacmiles do I know you?Is there a Crook in your family?:DirtDOG:

And no I'm not attempting to be humerous :big_grin: as you will know if my assumption is correct and even if it isn't then you will probably understand if I say I know a JC and a Jab 1something residing in your neck of the woods not too many Miles from your base.

 

Rick-p :peepwall:

Hi All,Well I guess from the posts that we have had here, even though minimal, that pound for pound the Jab motor is no lesser an engine than the Holy 912 in fact it may even in the long run outstrip it if the later manufactured 912's continue to have hiccups.

No maufacture can rest on it's laurels and not expect to come into problems.

 

The point I make is if everyone was really so serious about how bad these Jabiru motor's are then I would imagine that the result would be no different as to the number of replies one would received if they asked the question, such as, for example, what do people who have used DODO INTERNET think of DODO INTERNET.

 

I think that Ian's forums would be log jammed to say the least, with the number of posts that would be posted.

 

Food for thought, don't you think.

 

Regards.

 

From an old crock who know's nothing, maybe.:big_grin:

 

Rick-p.

From what i can understand you guys are saying that full flap take-offs are a no no,cause we do them by choice as "maximum effort" take offs. Designed to get you off a rough strip very quickly,Full flap, trimmed a fair way forward, leave the ground and hold the stick forward until you build up speed and climb away. I dont think there is any advantage in trying to climb over an obstacle because of the fact that you have to hold her near the ground for longer {all differing with power,wieght,drag issues}but gets your feet out of the XXXXXles much quicker.

Whats a Jabiru?