Sport Pilot Talk

frfly172 · Joined: 08 Jan 2009 Posts: 67 Location: Quincy Mass

Any truth to rumors that the jabiru engine has cooling problems causing overheating.

Cub flyer · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 593

It all depends on your cowl setup, prop selection and baffle installation. Properly done they cool fine. But it can be tricky sometimes.

I had the original small head fin equipped jabiru cooling great in a Kitfox once I made my own baffles and sealed everything instead of using the stock ducts. More like a Lycoming style of baffle system.

The X air cooled ok with the stock fiberglass ducting and the current large heads. I did add intercylinder baffles to force the air to stay by the fins.

This was all on the 4 cylinder version. I don't know about the 6 cylinder.

smokiescfi · Joined: 12 May 2006 Posts: 53 Location: Hendersonville, NC

I have personally worked on a couple engines with Honda Ignition coils that failed due to heat.

ArionAv8or · Joined: 20 Mar 2010 Posts: 271

I have the Jabiru 3300 6 cylinder and it cools just fine. Of course mine was a factory installation in my Lightning and they know the engine better than anyone. All the Lightnings and Jabirus run this engine with no problems, as well as a lot of Sonex. I have even seen one in a Rans S-19 now. Cub is correct in the fact that setup is the key.

What are you thinking about putting it in?

smokiescfi · Joined: 12 May 2006 Posts: 53 Location: Hendersonville, NC

One of the coil failures I worked on was on a Jabiru J230 that was assembled by the guys in Shelbyville. The problem appeared to be inadequate cooling air flow. The Jabiru baffling included a tube that directs air onto the coils, if it is not aimed correctly, the coils get hot. This happened several years ago, on one of the early airplanes, and the guys in Shelbyville were aware of the problem.

The other coil failure was in a Lightening. The Lightening crashed at the Transylvania County airport after losing power while in the pattern, the builder and a local CFI died in the accident. The same airplane had suffered a previous engine failure, but I believe the problem was fuel related, and not an engine malfunction.

The Jabiru engines are really beautfiul machines, and I highly recommend them, just be sure to baffle and install correctly, as you would with any other engine.

Cub flyer · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 593

I haven't had any coil problems on the 4 cylinder versions and we ran pretty hot on floats while sorting out the prop. Might be a 6 cylinder problem.

I wish they would paint the engines. It looks great when new but you don't really have any way of stopping corrosion on the bare aluminum.