ROTAX 912 5YR RUBBER REPL KIT

ive heard the rubber replacement increased the tbo of the 912 engine.. is this true... .. or does the engine have maditory teardown. at 1500hrs.. talking about basic 912.. not S or LS

Rubber replacement is basic maintenance, it doesn't affect the TBO of your engine.

I think it's absurd. Has anyone looked at the hoses after 5 years and proven that they needed replacement? I have 280 hrs on the last rubber replacement. It's due again next month.

My opinion is that Rotax likes to cover themselves on any given situation, even if unnecessary.

$850, maybe more, for hoses? Another corporate rip-off in my opinion.

Hi Rich,

No one likes to spend money on some things, but we own aircraft that can be dangerous and make us liable if we make bad decisions.

A couple of things. Hose companies do research on this very subject of hose failures and time limits. Users don’t do these studies.  I’ve read several. They see how many failed in one year then two years and so on. Most recommend 4 year replacements. Do hoses last at times longer, yes, but now it may be a roll of the dice with severe consequences. The middle section of the hose may not even be the problem as I have found the problem areas are where the hose is crimped. It gets cut and starts disintergration under the clamp from the clamp pressure and from the fitting. Especially from a very common barbed fitting. 
Then the other issue is these aren’t cars you can just pull over to the curb. The liability to you and others is far greater. If you have a passenger or run into someone or something on the ground you are fully liable because you ignored the aircraft and industry standard. Paying your $850 vs a million in a lawsuit sounds like a no brainer.

it’s always better and smarter to fall on the right and safer side vs paying out for a possible catastrophic event.  This holds true for any profession. It’s always better to error on the good side. Sometimes rolling the dice doesn’t come up in you favor.

it’s there to protect you and others.