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Thread: rotax 912s engine failure

  1. #11
    Super Moderator Av8r3400's Avatar
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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    Congratulations on finding the issue, Ron.

    And, Thank you for sharing it with us. This is excellent information.
    Av8r3400
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  2. #12
    Bryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    Ron so glad you found the problem and it will not mean removing it or a tear down. More important though is the fact that you were able to get yourself and the plane down without any damage or injuries. Good Job.

  3. #13

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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    My firewall forward is from about '02 or '03 and I have the same setup BUT I'm almost positive my bracket is SS. I'll be checking later.

    I'm glad you have a fairly easy fix.

    Hank

  4. #14
    Senior Member Dorsal's Avatar
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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    Nice job on handeling the situation safely and finding the cause. These type of posts don't happen very often, glad this one turned out well
    (will also be checking the grounds on my engine)
    Dorsal ~~^~~
    Series 7 - Tri-Gear
    912 ULS Warp Drive

  5. #15
    Senior Member GWright6970's Avatar
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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    Ron,
    Excellent flying; research into what the cause of the engine failure was, and most importantly, documenting it all for the rest of us. I assure you, I will incorporate your "FIX" into my build. THANK YOU very much for taking the time to help the rest of us!

    Grover

  6. #16
    Senior Member Wheels's Avatar
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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    FYI, I was flying around my home field today with a passenger and the 912F gave a little kick. It got my attention and I scanned the instruments but saw nothing out of the ordinary, then it did it again. I was at wide open throttle and was bringing the throttle back to 4 thousand to set up for an approach to my home and got another kick. It was transmitted through the whole plane and felt like I hit a small bird. I looked behind me at the tail section and gently brought the plane in to final.
    After landing I pulled the cowling and found the grounding strap broken in half at the manifold. I remembered your post and actually was going to put in a grounding strap this week. As it stands, the plane is "grounded" until I get a new strap and a new bracket. I'll do like you did. Thanks for the post. Here's a pic
    Attached Images Attached Images

  7. #17
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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    I had the same thing, but I caught the broken bracket in the pre-flight. I am not sure when it broke, I never had any indication in the prior flight there was a problem. I ordered a new bracket, & installed it. I need to check the grounding.
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  8. #18

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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    I compared my grounding situation on my 912s with the photo on reply #7 of this thread.
    I only have 1 grounding wire that looks the same as the 2 wires in the photo.
    This wire is bolted directly to the head where the coil supporting bracket is bolted as shown in the photo.
    My questions are:
    1. Should I have 2 grounding wires or do different year engines have variances?

    2. Seems like the grounding wires should be bolted directly to the head instead to the bracket which can break as shown?

    3. Should there be 4 brackets that are similar to the one broken in photo that support the CDI box's/coil packs?
    My engine only has 3 brackets and 1 of the rubber isolators does not have a bracket attached. This does not appear to be factory.

    Years ago I also had a successful dead stick landing and want to avoid a 2nd.

    Thanks
    Herman

  9. #19
    Senior Member Slyfox's Avatar
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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    with all this, I went out to my plane a couple weeks ago and looked at mine. now my engine is of I believe 09 dated. so it's within 5 years. I knowing ahead of time of this issue, went and used a nice sized braided wire about an 1/2 inch wide about 8 inch long and connected to the head, from there my ground wire, main one, from the battery connects to that with the same bolt. the bracket ain't going to break, because it's not on mine, so that ain't happening. I adle clamped in a couple areas the whole set up (modules) to the engine mount. it ain't going anywhere. the braided wire is direct to the ground wires for the modules.

  10. #20
    Senior Member Dave S's Avatar
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    Default Re: rotax 912s engine failure

    Herman,

    The single grounding wire doesn't sound right.....if you didn't build the plane, it could be non-standard.....Also a chance the other grounding wire may be hooked up in a hidden place - it is amazing how many places ther are like that on an engine. Can't say I am familiar with every rotax engine ever built, however, with two modules I am thinking there should be a ground wire for each.

    Maybe a photo?

    Sincerely,

    Dave S

    KF7 trigear
    912ULS
    Warp drive
    St Paul, MN

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