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Rotax Pull Starter Problem

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beauford

Joined: 25 Apr 2007
Posts: 127
Location: Brandon, FL

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:29 pm Post subject: Rotax Pull Starter Problem

Per the DAR who inspected some airplanes here yesterday, there is a serious problem with some 2-stroke rope starters...   The weld which holds the starter axle to the stamped steel starter housing breaks loose. This allows the recoil mechanism to float around in the housing, where it eventually gets off center enough to make contact with the flywheel assembly, resulting in all manner of bad outcomes up to and including sudden stoppage, trashing of the engine, loss of the aircraft, etc.. The minimum to be expected is a significant amount of expensive damage to the starter and flywheel.



Points he made:

 - inspect the shaft... if it turns when rope is pulled, do not run it or fly it.

 - Starter can have a broken weld and still work just fine to start engine.

 - If oil injection is installed, end of shaft cannot be seen because it is behind the injection unit. (remove unit to inspect)

 - Inspect frequently... like every preflight.



Mine, on my 447, is already broken...I was lucky... I will re-weld it and reinforce the weak area...   I also looked at a 503 on another Kolb... it was not yet broken, but the weld had been ground down to make it "pretty" and it did not look strong.  We are going to reinforce that one, too.



See attached picture...

Worth what ye paid fer it...



Beauford

FF-076

Brandon, FL

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Starter 3.JPG

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arrow indicates broken weld between cover and end of shaft

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Starter 3.JPG

Description:

arrow indicates broken weld between cover and the shaft.

Filesize:

246.8 KB

Viewed:

314 Time(s)

DAquaNut(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 4:54 pm Post subject: Rotax Pull Starter Problem

In a message dated 4/25/2007 3:30:50 PM Central Standard Time, beauford(at)tampabay.rr.com writes: 

 

 

 	  Quote: 	
		   

Mine, on my 447, is already broken...I was lucky... I will re-weld it and reinforce the weak area...   I also looked at a 503 on another Kolb... it was not yet broken, but the weld had been ground down to make it "pretty" and it did not look strong.  We are going to reinforce that one, too. 

 

See attached picture... 

Worth what ye paid fer it... 

 

Beauford 

FF-076 

Brandon, FL 

 

      Bill, 

  Thanks fo the info. How do you propose to beef if up  	
Is there a way to weld it on the inside also? 

 

      Ed      

**************************************

 See what's free at http://www.aol.com.  [quote][b]

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beauford

Joined: 25 Apr 2007
Posts: 127
Location: Brandon, FL

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:12 pm Post subject: Rotax Pull Starter Problem

 	  Quote: 	
		       Bill, 

 Thanks fo the info.    How do you propose to beef if up  	
Is there a way to weld it on  the inside also?  



     Ed      

 Ed:

 Not completely sure how to fix it until I get time  to take it apart and study it from both sides...Just looking at it, I can  imagine at the very least welding about a 30 or 35 mm steel washer over the  outside... more on that later. 

  

 Luckily I have an extra 447, so was able to just  slap the starter unit from that one on there for the inspection... It is  interesting, the other "parts" engine is older than the one on the plane by many  thousands of serial numbers, but the older starter unit looks a lot beefier...  no hole in the middle and a reinforcing disc about the size of a quarter welded  on the outside of the cover where the axle mates on the inside... They must have  had some reason to change it, but strengthening it does not appear to be that  reason...

  

  

 The DAR painted a rather grim picture of what is  reported to have happened on those occasions when that steel axle breaks free of  the weld, pops out of that shallow little hole and gets jammed sideways in the  flywheel... He said they have all been warned about it and told to look for  broken starter welds as an inspection priority... it was the first thing he  went for when he walked up to the airplane...  He had my undivided  attention.

  

 Beauford

 FF 076

 Brandon FL

 [quote]   ---

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