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The GPL electric start kit supplied for use on Rotax Aircraft
engines has a number of problems, some with the hardware supplied,
some with the starter design.
 The
bolts that come with the GPL are both standard and metric. The
bolts for the starter are standard the bolts that screw into a
Rotax component are metric! They ARE NOT interchangeable!
Before assembly, owners should screw the bolts in finger
tight and note the proper bolt locations. The
standard thread
bolts that hold the starter on are too short and need to be
longer for proper threaded length into the aluminum adapter.
There
are also two adapters, one used on the air-cooled Rotax engines
the other on the liquid cooled series. The air-cooled adapter has
a cut out in the adapter to allow it to fit over the fan pulley.
BUT this adapter WILL fit on the liquid cooled series of engines
but is the wrong length! The adapter for the liquid cooled
532/582/618 is flat, and BUT will fit on the 447/503 but will not
sit flush up against the fan pulley. Which if used will result in
severe engine damage and possible failure!
The gears on the starter engage at 90
degrees to each other. The distance the starter ring gear is in
from the face of the
adapter is critical. GPL lists several colors of ring
gear mounting plates but, the GPL parts often do NOT match and poor
starter and ring
engagement, cause the starter to drag during cranking
locking the starter up or damaging the ring gear due to lack of
sufficient engagement.
Before installing the GPL starter kit make sure
- all the bolts are the proper thread
- all the bolts have had Loctite applied to them
- all the bolts are the proper length - too long of a bolt
will destroy the stator coils
- the
gear engagement is proper
GPL news bulletin released December 2001: GPL
Enterprises, manufacturers of electric start systems for Rotax
engines, has announced changes to the internal spacer on their
electric starter kit for the Rotax 447 and Rotax 503 2 cycle
aircraft engines. "This new spacer eliminates the shimming
problem present on a small percentage of past starter kits"
"This allows the user to install the shim, or remove it for
tight fitting installations, eliminating the need for a
replacement spacer." The new updated kit identifiable by the
green spacer, is currently being shipped with affected GPL kits.
"This change was made in GPL's quest for better customer
satisfaction and product quality," according to Gary Lutke
President of GPL Enterprises. For more information contact GPL
Enterprises, 1220 Tangelo Terrace #A10 Dept. UF Delray Beach FL
33444 561-274-2247
hoverinc@aol.com
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