Rotax oil question -

[JBMcClanahan]

Hey Group - I got back yesterday from 4 days of Rotax training at Lockwood Aviation in Sebring.

Here's Bob the horse at my AirBnb place.  Bob and I talked at length about Rotax since he hears it from the other Rotax trainees who stay there.  

Here's his answer to the oil question - straight from the horse's mouth -

These engines are very different.  The tolerances and fits are unbelievably tight and precise.

Given proper maintenance, the longevity, even at 5500 rpm is tremendous due to the fits, process control, and ceramic lined cylinders.

However, you must do exactly what Rotax says in their manuals or else..

Regarding oils - most of these engines have a slip clutch in the reduction gear box.  It protects the engine in case of a prop strike.

That slip clutch is a friction type unit.  That means the oil is critical.  If the oil additive package makes the oil too slippery, the clutch can slip and wear out.  If the oil isn't slippery enough, the engine wears out.  (Kind of like the oil requirements for a limited slip rear end.)  

Plus, there's only about 3 qts of oil in the engine being pumped around at over 16 quarts/minute - huge oil utilization rate!

Rotax has evaluated all this and come up with a near optimum solution, hence the tight oil specification.

So you have to take their advice and do exactly as they say so you'll have a happy engine for many hours.

And if you need help with carb synchronization or other Rotax issues, I'm up on all that (at the moment)..

Thanks -

John McClanahan