Ultralight or Part 103 trikes

Ultralight or Part 103 trikes

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Ultralight or Part 103 trikes

Ultralight or Part 103 trikes

group is for discussion of part 103 trikes or flying part 103 trikes

chinese parts on your trike

Last updated by Ken Comments (8)

Categories: Trike Talk, ATC & Communication, Low & Slow Trikes

hi all havent been on for awhile.i am doing a 503 transplant on my trike .have gotten an eye opener on parts supplies thru the process.bought a 503 zero time rebuild on e bay it was a deal so i took a chance i had planned on getting rebuild anyway.it was rebuilt with chinese pistons and rings what cheap crap.my rebuilder who is very experienced in rotax 2 strokes says this is the norm nowadays cheap chinese parts in engines holding you in the sky.luckily the crank was good so i had him build it with rotax pistions and rings and wrist pins.cost a lot more but when you look at the pistion and weigh it on a scale what a diffrence.it all worked out ok but i check parts a lot closer now figured i would rebuild the fuel pump too ordered a rebuild kit from some spruce place and guess whats in a genuine mikuini kit parts made in tiwan roc china.cant get antything else?i have been in the auto repair buisness for 30 years and have seen it parts new not rebuilt that dont make it out of the shop sometimes.anyway i vented enough now but as we demand lower prices what do we think is going to happen.now that rotax has stopped producing these engines guess who will take over i will pay the bend over rotax price if i have a choice

Comments

  • Happy Triker

    Hi Dean, I'm grad you found it before you go flying. I heard that there are many cheap AN bolts made in China, come to US market. I don't want to use them especially on my wing. So, I buy only from big aircraft parts suppliers.

  • Wang 1

    Hi Dean, Congrats on the 503. What are you doing with your old 447? Are you going to a larger fuel tank for the 503's higher fuel burn?

  • Dean Coleman

    hi guys I only went to the 503 for the dual ignition system didn't need the extra power.i stayed with single carb so I went from 40 hp to 48hp fuel burn should only be 2.5 to 3 gph maybe less if I can fly at lower rpm will test in havasu soon.447 cruised at 4800 maybe I can get to 4600 only weighs 9 lbs more. I loved the 447 for 105 hours so I bought all the gaskets for a top end decarbon at 150 but came across a 503 first.will sell it if anyone is interested it was the last 447 out of north wing am told it is a 2011 model when production was stopped.has exaust and carb no box I used it on the 503

  • Monty

    hi dean, i share you'r sentiments re chinese pishkins on a 503, but me being CHEAP when my pistons both seized in my 503 a few years ago i bought every thing for top end PLUS crank seals for $240. thats pistons, rings, snaprings gaskets and seals, delivered in a week from florida.. i've flown it about 100 times since, so far i'm happy. if you only knew how many chinese parts are whizzing down the freeway alongside you here in the us you may be a bit worried! sure, forged pistons weigh more than cast, are denser and probably stronger, though most pistons in use are cast which is cheaper to produce (more $$$ for the mfr), but are obviously up to the task. i have noticed the chinese 'stuff' has improved a LOT over the years, the problems i've noticed have been due to poor assembly of units (some units being put together by unskilled farm workers in 'cattle' sheds.) the actual engineering of parts seem to be much improved over the years. incidentally, many " rotax aviation' parts are identical to certain snomobile parts, even bearing the same forging #. at much less $ than 503 aviation parts.(DONT mention aviation to a snomobile dealer,figure out which year and model used these parts. probably not 'dykes' top ring! )
    of course i'm not suggesting using ANYTHING but genuine replacement parts in your engine, but i'm using the chinese stuff to prove a point, how cheap i am! ps the dual ignition system is a residue left over from the pre-war magneto which did occasionally suffer failures . present day electronic ignition systems must be reliable or freeways would be littered with 'sparkless suvs! pps my van's plugs won't need changing for 100k mls. now thats progress!

  • Ken

    Interestingly enough the only ignition I have had fail is one of the dual ignitions on a rotax 582 aicraft engine with only 150 hours on it at the time.

  • Dean Coleman

    Did both mags fail ken? Seems like this would only happen if something came apart in the stator.Got a chance to fly 503 for 15hrs in havasu and runs great extra power climbs like a rocket and fuel burn is the same as the 447 cause its not working as hard.If rotax would build a 2 cyl 4 stroke I would be all over it

  • Ken

    No - only one failed. Traced it down to one of the the stator coils. $750 beans to replace!! Ouch

  • Dean Coleman

    Hi monty thanks for the comments you are right modern ignition systems and fuel systems are very reliable.but they do break sometimes or I wouldn't have a job.i am often asked what makes and models are the best and I reply none of them or I would be broke :)