Because working on installation of the Rotax 912
ULS engine is right around the corner, decided over the weekend that it would
be in my best interest to visit the Rotax site and download all the pertinent manuals
and service bulletins. Each one of
the manuals was printed and placed in a binder. Have to say Rotax does provide an abundance of documentation. However, finding some information can be a little helter skelter because it can be scattered between the manuals, but it is seemingly all there.
Rotax 912 ULS documentation from left to right …
Illustrated Parts Catalog, Heavy Maintenance Manual, Operators Manual, Line
Maintenance Manual and Instillation Manual.
Each of the manuals has information that can
often be found in another manual … but one unlikely manual stands out for being
a great quick source of information and that is the Illustrated Parts Catalog. In
addition to showing the parts lay-out and part numbers of the Rotax 912 ULS engine's
components, the Illustrated Parts Catalog is also a good resource for torque values for the Rotax
engine’s nuts and bolts, along with identifying special sealants or lubricants
that are required. As an example, the default torque value for a typical M6
screw is 90 inch pounds (listed in the front of the catalog), this default
value will not be shown on the drawings … However, say the required torque for that
particular M6 screw is a non-standard 115 inch pounds, the Illustrated Parts
Catalog will show the non-standard torque value for the screw at that location
and will also identify if any special sealant or lubricant is required. Very
handy! The only downside to this manual
is it is the only support manual that is not available entirely in English … there
are pages of German intermixed with pages of English which adds an interesting
flair when sifting through the catalog.
The Line Maintenance Manual will see a lot of
use … it is the main reference for performing required engine inspections. The
Line Maintenance Manual contains inspection checklists, plus spells out inspection
intervals, guidelines for making various scheduled and unscheduled inspections,
along with spelling out replacement intervals for various parts that have a
useful life time limit such as rubber hoses, fuel pump, etc.
The Operators Manual is much the same as an
automobile’s owners manual in that it defines recommendations for fuel, coolant
and oil, along with providing checklists, operating instructions and limits for
the Rotax 912 ULS engine.
The Instillation Manual is a reference for the instillation
requirements of the Rotax 912 ULS and support hardware such as the oil tank and
radiator. Of course, Van’s has already worked out these details for the RV-12 builder
… but it is a handy manual to use as reference.
The Heavy Maintenance Manual is, as the name implies,
for doing major engine work. Serious engine teardown is not for the timid and best
left to an authorized repair facility that has the myriad of specialty tools
required to work on the guts of this engine.