Rotax 135 HP Engine

[deandob]

Thanks guys. My forum registration has finally come through so I can now post. Allan thank you especially for going out of your way to help me with research. Being new to aviation and gyros I'm trying to assess the safety risks of flying with a gyro with an aftermarket turbo.

I'm looking at a second hand Xenon 2 to purchase as my first gyro and am a bit concerned about both the reliability & the additional maintenance due to the aftermarket turbo on the 912. I have quite a bit of experience with automotive turbos and am aware of the extra stresses (heat & compression) that it puts on the engine, especially when boosting for long periods of time which is hard to do in a vehicle (without breaking the law) but easy to do in a plane. As this particular gyro doesn't have a boost gauge (that I could locate) the possibilities for running the engine in boost for longer than you should may mean the motor had high stresses / wear.

However it does seem that aftermarket turbos in the rotax 912 are common although a poster on rotaryforum warns about potential crankshaft damage due to the extra torque
https://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/ro...iation-trendak
and I can see a turbocharged motor would be better for a heavier gyro and also provide extra thrust when needed in difficult situations. So given the number of gyros that have similar aftermarket turbos on the 912 it can be assumed there aren't any significant issues although no warranty on the motor. There is even a company that sells the rotax with the aftermarket turbo https://www.912turbokit.com/

Failure modes for a turbo motor due to the extra power would be compression loss (eg. turbine blades broken / not spinning, blown gaskets/hoses) which you could limp home on, but there is also possibility of severe engine damage (eg. crankshaft, bent rods) which would shut an engine down, potentially crashing the gyro.

Am I worrying too much about the risks with flying a gyro with an aftermarket turbo?

[Waddles]

Thanks Rick,

I've found a Rotax Maintenance Schedule (MS) which specifies exactly that. Also, perusal of a Xenon MS does not have specific engine maintenance requirements for the RST model (135 HP), so I'm guessing that the Rotax Schedule (914) is the applicable one.

It appears that the time out problem may have been fixed as I had no trouble posting the original on this thread, even with my two fingered expertise.

Thanks for the input.

Waddles

[RickE]

I have just noticed that Rotorute are also working with a turbocharged 912.

[RickE]

I will send Dan a PM as well in regard to posters timing out too early, we will see how we go.....
in regard to aftermarket turbos on 912 Rotax engines, Neil from TAG is using that modified engine a bit and should be able to help. Xenon and Brako also use the 912 with an aftermarket Mitsubishi turbo. Any owners of these aircraft should be able to help.
i can pass on some names if that helps.
Most fellows I know with 914 engines change the oil and filters every 50 hours unless using Avgas which then reduces service intervals to 20 hours or in my case as soon as I get home.

[Waddles]

I'm posting on behalf of a newbie who has registered on this forum and been issued with a password but hasn't been given access to post. I've sent a PM to Dan, but no response and still no fix. Any clues out there please?

Now. This guy is interested in a gyro with a Rotax 912 that has upgraded with an aftermarket turbo giving a nominal output of 135 HP. He been getting various bits of conflicting information and was hoping that someone out there can clear this up.

What are the service intervals on the 135. He's heard 25 hours and compares this with a 914 with intervals of 100 hours. Any advance on these figures.
Also, what is the serviceability of the 135 like compared to other turbo models? Any major problems?
The gyro does not have a boost or MAP gauge fitted. Is this necessary for safe operation?Any other thoughts and facts appreciated.

Thanks.

Waddles.