Well I received Service Letter # 72 telling me that ALL[b][/b] Airborne/Parker Air Pumps are beyond their Mandatory Replacement Time and must be removed from service. It goes on to say that I cannot have mine overhauled or even buy another "overhauled" Airborne/Parker unit. Nothing in my Vacuum system should be Airborne/Parker as of Feb 15, 2008 + 30 days.
Anyone have any recommendations on what Vacuum pump to buy?? I am currently doing IFR training so I will comply with this immediately. Just curious what pump others have had good luck with.
The scare letter does not bear any legal weight for Part 91 ops. It's a CYA for parker and their lawyers. It's not mandatory at all despite what it says.
I'd buy a Rapco pump. For example my Cherokee has an overhauled Airborne 211CC pump on it that has been working fine for 800 hours. When it goes, I'll buy the Rapco 215CC brand new, not overhauled, for $270 from Aircraft Spruce. I do not fly IFR.
That letter simply put means you can't sue Parker anymore. There is nothing wrong with the pumps... just too many stinking personal injury lawyers.
You can put a Rapco 215CC on there. They can be had for $175 (see link) and have a wear indicator built in so you can tell how worn they are. Continental engines spin the pumps faster than Lycomings do. In any case, you are pretty safe if you change the pumps at 500 hours, but realistically (and especially on a Lycoming) if you change them at 1000 hours you will not likely ever have one fail (if you keep the filter changed and have new fresh lines and hoses that won't put anything foreign into the pump).
[cgi.ebay.com]
I am trying to figure this Service Letter 72 out also. So if I have a 215CC pump if it is a Rapco it is fine but if it is a Parker forget, is that how I am to understand it. And is there an FAA AD out also. Who can set the record staright
I have a Rapco pump. I've had 2 failures in 10 years. I respectfully disagree with Flyguydon that you won't have a failure if you change them every 1000 hours. You can potentially have a failure anytime but you can expect one after about 500 hours. Otherwise Don is giving good advice.
One of my failures was on startup. The other was in IMC. I don't know the hours on either pump. Both failures occurred within 200 hours of buying a plane. Luckily I chose to install an STEc autopilot and it has an electric turn coordinator so it was a non-event.
I strongly encourage electric T&B coordinators. It can save your life especially if you don't do regular IMC and am out of practice on partial panel or no-gyro turns.
ds747, No,
there is no AD. No you do not have to do anything if you operate under 91. Parker has been issuing these for the last few yrs. I crumpled up mine and threw it in da trash.....
But, As Tom and others have said, If you fly serious hard IFR, you may consider replacing it or have a back up vacuum system installed.
Thanks for your reply and in the meantime what I found is that SIGMA-TEK also has a replacement instrument for the 215CC which would be the 1U128, according to my understanding.
[www.sigmatek.com] is the way to contact them or call them at 316-775-6373.
Rich W Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a Rapco pump. I've had 2 failures in 10
> years. I respectfully disagree with Flyguydon
> that you won't have a failure if you change them
> every 1000 hours. You can potentially have a
> failure anytime but you can expect one after about
> 500 hours. Otherwise Don is giving good advice.
>
>
> One of my failures was on startup. The other was
> in IMC. I don't know the hours on either pump.
> Both failures occurred within 200 hours of buying
> a plane. Luckily I chose to install an STEc
> autopilot and it has an electric turn coordinator
> so it was a non-event.
>
> I strongly encourage electric T&B coordinators.
> It can save your life especially if you don't do
> regular IMC and am out of practice on partial
> panel or no-gyro turns.
>
> Safe Flights,
> Rich
Do you know the history of the pumps, the gyros, and the hoses?
Pumps fail due to wear and contamination. On 4 cylinder Lycomings, pumps shouldn't be worn to the point of failure at 500 hours, and likely not even at 1000 hours. I've seen plenty of folks change failed pumps without replacing the hoses. I've seen folks put new pumps on 30 or 40 year old hoses. I've seen folks wash down the engine compartment without the appropriate precautions regarding contamination of the pump. All of these things (and many others) can lead to premature failure of the pump.
That being said, I agree that a backup electric instrument is the best defense against a pump failure, though I would suggest an electric attitude indicator, not just a T&B.
I have a hard time understanding why anyone that has premature pump failures and half a brain feels only the sock filter on the regulator is sufficient to protect the pump. Come on guys, open Your eyes and use just a little of the god given sense he gave even the lowest of his creatures! Check Your system from the very farthest point upwind and ahead of the gyros. If there is no filter, install one. Then install an inline filter after the regulator, just ahead of the pump itself. Just because Piper didn't include these Items doesn't mean they weren't needed.
I'm trying to get that half a brain going. Considering the vacuum pump the beginning of the vacuum system.
"Install an inline filter after the regulator, just ahead of the pump itself."
Are you saying to install a filter after the pump and before the regulator? What would you be filtering other than filtered air from the filtered inlet as my inlet already has a mini auto type air filter that is replaced annually?
An in-line filter between the regulator and pump will catch:
The small metal partials that enter the system as the gyros wear (and the larger ones that get shed if the gyros are run until they fail)
The airborne particulates that make it past the regulator sock filter (A sorry excuse for a filter) especially if the sock was carelessly installed and doesn't "Seal" all the way around on the top and/or bottom or isn't changed often enough. (Since that item is usually hard to see, reach, and is close to the firewall, it's not uncommon for an edge to be pulled back when it's slid between the regulator and the firewall, but careless installation is another issue/subject in itself)
And with the single exception of the very last piece of connecting hose, it will catch all the flecks of rubber that come off the inside of all the hose sections in the system.
In case anyone is interested, I use a 1J4-7 filter between the pump and regulator and a 1J7-1 ahead of the gyros. (The ones from Rapco are 1/2 the price of those from Airborne).
