FAQ

 

Weight

The Alternator Upgrade Kit adds approximately 5 lb (2.2kg) to your total engine weight.

 

Length

The Alternator Upgrade adds no length to the engine. It meets to the same approximate engine length when the standard Bing Carburetor is mounted to the Jabiru engine.

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Alternator Drive Belt 

The alternator drive belt is to be inspected every 100 hours. Check for any damage, significant cracks or degradation. The belt to be more susceptible to failure when installed improperly.Common installation mistakes include:

• Low belt tension – often caused from the alternator mount bolts loosening during operation.

• Improper alternator mounting – causing the belt to not be parallel with the pulleys.

In the most unlikely event of alternator drive belt failure (or even an alternator failure), the electrical systems would continue to run using battery power for approximately 45 minutes. Very little power is required to run the electronic ignition system. The engine could continue to run as long as fuel is available, as the magneto will generate spark. A magneto is self sustaining, generating power using rotational energy created by the engine. Instruments relying on power would continue to run off of the battery until it runs out of charge. This should allow enough time for an emergency landing by the pilot.

A charged battery is required to power the starter motor to generate enough RPM to start the engine. There will be far more provision for starting the engine when using the Jabiru Electronic Ignition Upgrade. The alternator is designed to do several hundred thousand kilometres (or miles) in an automobile before servicing is required. The average aircraft engine flies nowhere near the equivalent hours in automobile. Therefore, regular inspection intervals of the alternator are not required. Contact us for replacement parts.

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Engine Accessories

While it is possible to read engine RPM from the Upgraded Alternator, it is not recommended due to the potential for the alternator drive belt to slip. Instead it would be ideal if the Jabiru E-ignition Upgrade Kit were used, as it offers a tachometer pulse wire directly from the ignition module wiring. As viewed on the basic wiring diagram, wire 7 is the tachometer pulse output. Alternatives (untested by Rotec, contact Jabiru for more information): Some Jabiru engines use a proximity switch that count the starter motor ring gear teeth. The “P” lead off the stock Jabiru magneto coils can be used as a tachometer source. The tachometer gauge used may need to be calibrated.

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Radio Interference

A shielded wire or a decoupling capacity can be used to prevent any interference signal that may be picked up the aircraft’s radio equipment. This will be only required on the charging wire (screw terminal) of the Alternator Upgrade, as the length of the wire will be acting as an antenna.

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