Rotax Wizard wrote:
Hi all
i know Roger and I disagree a lot about aftermarket parts. For me use the OEM part, it meets the standards Rotax set and if anything should happen that Rotax part has a warranty, just like a new engine. Aftermarket requires some blind faith that the part is really the same. In addition if there is an accident all such parts would be noted and you can draw your own conclusion from what that may or may not create.
As for the spark plug dual ground it was developed with Rotax working with the supplier. The concept of a branded Rotax plug was due to liability as many parts are in aircraft supply chains.
Now if you have an experimental then that is up to you. As for SLSA the FAA has completely trashed its original concept of the aircraft manufacturer in control of maintenance call outs. Currently you have the worst possible problem as there is no FAA oversight or STC on any Light Sport aircraft. There is no form 337. This is because the LSA aircraft are produced without certifications which by its very class demands production certificates on the manufacturer and oversight of the manuals and all other major links within the supply chain. So in LSA there is none of those in place and yet they allow maintenance to be done as if they had any input to the material you get. The regulators have no input other than to issue the airworthiness certificate based on self declaration by the builder that he complies. No actual checks are done by the regulator to confirm that. ...I know, now i opened a can of worms for Roger to jump in.
Cheers
Thanks, Rotax Wizard. I'm not sure I'd call it an "aftermarket" part though. It's a Bosch part, and so is the Rotax part -- Bosch makes it, not Rotax. Do you know what if any differences there are between the Bosch fuel pressure regulator and the "Rotax" fuel pressure regulator? Best I can tell, the only difference is one has a Rotax part number and the other has a Bosch part number, but they are exactly identical inside and out. In other words, Rotax buys the Bosch part, stamps their unique part number on it, and then sell it for 20x as much.
A fuel pressure regulator is a pretty simple device. So as long as it's the same pressure rating (3 bar), and it fits the same hole and the same hose, I can't think of anything that could be different. Can you?
If the Bosch regulator and Rotax regulator were closer in price, I would just default to the Rotax part. It's not worth thinking about for a few bucks more. But when you're talking about $20 for the part versus $400 for the part, it really makes you stop and think. Nobody likes to get screwed.
I know this is a game the car manufacturers play, too. VW Group owns Bentley, Audi, and Volkswagen. Go to all three dealers for the exact same Bosch part and Bentley will charge you $400, Audi will charge you $200, and Volkswagen will charge you $100.
