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Service Bulletins Airframe
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Service Bulletins Engines
Service Bulletins click here

Six Cylinder Engines
On 3300 engines, 2 of the HT leads can rub on the top of the carb, so much so that in both cases they'll wear a deep groove in the carb top. This can lead to damaged HT leads or carby top. At worst, this could lose the vacuum in the carb which would drop your engine to idle and at best, you'd get misfire(s) on the mags. Its worth checking the cable routings and periodically this at service intervals to prevent a failure or worse...

Spark Plugs
Because of the auto type we use change at every 100 hours is advisable. At 50 hours a clean and regap is a good idea. Gap to 0.023 inches or 0.58mm. If you need to replace the connector ferrule on top of the plug, ensure it is fully tightened because relative movement between the ferrule and thread can create aluminium dust which can short out the plug.

Starting
The keys to getting your engine to start right on the button in cold weather are 4 things.
Priming the engine - turn the prop by hand with fuel pump on. 4 to 6 blades are best
FULL choke (make sure the choke operates on fully. If choke is not 100% on in cold weather the engine will be a lot more difficult to start)
ZERO throttle
Good Battery
If the throttle is even slightly cracked open or the choke not 100% on then the engine probably won't start.
Gradually drop the choke off ASAP after starting. Even when very cold you should only need it for 20 seconds or so. It’s always good practice to turn the engine over by hand prior to first start of the day. This is because:

It gives you practice to sense if a cylinder is low on compression
It gets the oil flowing into the internals
It draws some fuel mixture into the engine for an early start
You can listen for any untoward noises, either mechanical or hissing sounds that might imply a leaking head/ valve etc.
Remember to check the mags are off prior to turning the prop by hand but nevertheless assume the engine is LIVE!

With a properly serviced engine, if you have there things right you’ll make all those Lycoming flyers envious of right on the button starts. Cold Starts ~ Use of Multigrade Aero Shell 15W50 or BP Multigrade Aero Oil certainly is more suitable for cooler climates.

Static Line
If you are leaving your aircraft in the rain for any length of time, you must cover your static line. Rain water can get in and give you wild ASI and altimeter readings. A condom is ideal, but if you're worried about what the neighbours think, get a pitot tube cover with a 'remove before flight' ribbon.

Spinner
Ensure that your Spinner is not in contact with the prop. If it is, then it will wear a groove in it.

Tappet Adjustment
Tappet clearances should be checked and adjusted if necessary in accordance with the Head Torque document (243kb). It is imperative to do this at 5, 10, 15, and 25 hours running for new and zero houred engines, after first checking head bolt torque. Valve clearances are 0.010" (0.25mm) for both inlet and exhaust.

Thruster Owners
The installation of the Jabiru engine in a Thruster is a little unique but many hours have now been put on them. A few considerations:
The engine is exposed and therefore electrical components and in particular the Starter Motor, must be protected from the rain. It ain't waterproof!
In damp weather, the carb de-ice system doesn't always fully keep the ice out for the engine. On descent and low power settings, it is important to keep some throttle on and 'test' the engine from time to time by blipping the throttle.
Take care about shock cooling - school aircraft frequently run from full power to idle with a cold blast of air on the cylinders. Thrusters don't have the cylinders shrouded like cowled aircraft and so the engine can get a bigger blast of cold air than most.

Top End Overhauls
We are confident in defining these at 1000 hours on engines from s/n 711 (2200) and 119 (3300). This is also providing a number of criteria have been met. Costs are worked out depending on what needs replacing however in general, conrod bearings, cylinder hone, new pistons & rings, all 'O' rings, gaskets, new valves, heads reconditioned etc. Typically, parts would cost £900 for 2200 and around £1,500 for 3300. For a 2200 that works out at £1 per hour for parts for the engine fund!

Tacho
Its important to check that your tacho is reading correctly as interference etc and false triggers can give rise to false readings. An accurate tacho is important to give an idea of the power output from the engine, amongst other factors. Calibration is best carried out using an Optical tacho, available at Southery or at a good airfield near you! Common practice now is to take the Tacho impulses from one side of the alternator. For 4 cylinder engines you get 5 pulses per rev, and for 6 cylinder engines 6 pulses, however those with 3 phase alternators give 4 pulses.

TBO
Interesting facts of engine service time around Australia. There a many flying schools who have logged around 4000 hours with some in excess of 5000 hours and have produced many new pilots as a result. A high degree of maintenance has also been a factor in their success. Some of the engines had been overhauled at least 2-3 times. The usual interval between overhauls have been around 1000 hours. For engines from serial number 711 (2200) and 119 (3300), provided their service life meet a number of criteria, only a top end overhaul need be undertaken at 1000 hours. Bottom ends have proven to be particularly rugged.

Tyres
These get quite a hammering (especially with my landings!) so keep an eye on pressures. Low tyre pressures can cause tyre bulging giving rise to popped spats! Soft tyres can also lead to brake disk damage

Teleflex Cables
When installing these take care to ensure nothing is rubbing against the outer sleeve or tube outboard of the cable anchor. If any pressure is bought to bear, a large increase in control circuit friction will result. high hours aircraft will need to have these replaced (refer to manual).

Undercarriage
Lift one wing to check wheel bearings and main leg tightness. There is a PFA mod 10818 for the 2 seaters which permits an increase in the size of the rear bolts to AN6 which provides a much more secure undercarriage mounting. In any event, ensure that undercarriage legs are not loose by getting an assistant to lift a wing and shaking each leg in turn.

Undercarriage Bolts
Be very careful to ensure that these don't become thread bound. If this happens, you'll lose clamping action on the undercarriage leg assembly and the undercarriage will become loose. If this happens, the undercarriage will flop about, and in extreme cases, this could lead to the undercarriage bolts breaking from being bent back and forth due to plastic deformation.

Putting a few washers under the nuts can prevent the bolt from becoming thread bound, but you should ensure you still have at least 1.5 threads showing at the top of the nut. Due to the nature of aviation bolts, the threaded past isn't long so you may need to replace the bolts with those of slightly different length so as to provide correct fit. Note that we strongly recommend the replacement of the rear bolts to AN6 as per the PFA's modification approval ref 10818 on all 2 seaters.

Valve Control
As suggested in the engine manual under “Daily Checks” turn the prop to check engine/ valve condition. There have been many instances over the years with engines either being returned for maintenance or overhaul where if this simple task is done, valve seal rectification work would be required to a lesser degree. When poor valve to seat condition is allowed to go on unchecked eventually valve distortion and eventual failure could result. When good pre-flight and maintenance procedures are carried out a better standard of aircraft and pilot would follow.

There are 50 hours between inspections and the “daily” should be treated with all the seriousness and respect it deserves. Be especially on the look out for a weak valve seal on the “daily”. This is something, while not very common, is often overlooked. We've seen an older engine that had 2 exhaust valves distorted and obviously not sealing. This had gone on for a fair period of time. Poor valve seal can result from “normal” operation with rubbish infiltrating the valve seal area. Mostly by the engine operation this material can be dislodged. Operating the engine outside recommended CHT’s, incorrect valve clearances, fuel standard and type, blown exhaust gaskets, lean running etc, can all contribute to build up and leakage in this area. Valve clearances should be adjusted in accordance with the maintenance manual.

Remember preventative maintenance is much better than maintenance repairs. In Australia they now have tens of thousands of hours with some flying schools having operated Jabiru aircraft for 4000-5000 hours and beyond. To date we have something in the vicinity of 500 engines sold in the UK as of November 2004.

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