SonexBuilders.net

Jason,
Nice to meet you too - plus Ken and a few others I am probably missing. Also my thanks to Kathy and Wayne. What a great BBQ!

Edit: this was my 2000th post! John is right, should spend more time building.

Anyone happen to have a 3300A Alternator? Currently stuck in southern IL.

vwglenn wrote:Anyone happen to have a 3300A Alternator? Currently stuck in southern IL.

Sorry to hear. That's damn bad luck. Any hope to just charge your battery for starts and use an alternate battery in parallel for the EFIS and radios? Recharge at fuel stops? Just to get home?

Hi glenn,
Sonex Factory had a few new stators on their fly market table $200. To get one from jab costs w shiipping around $400. U sure thats the prob ? Not the battery or voltage regulator? Give sonex a call maybe get one out overnite shipping. Good luck and good to meet u!
WaiexN143NM
Michael

WaiexN143NM wrote:Hi glenn,
Sonex Factory had a few new stators on their fly market table $200. To get one from jab costs w shiipping around $400. U sure thats the prob ? Not the battery or voltage regulator? Give sonex a call maybe get one out overnite shipping. Good luck and good to meet u!
WaiexN143NM
Michael

Not entirely sure it's the problem. I will say this, the wires leading from the alternator to the regulator were crispy. The connectors and the wire leading to the regulator (last three inches) look good. There was no shielding on either alternator wire keeping them from touching each other from point A to point B. I cut the outer shield all the way back to the engine and all I found inside was copper and melted plastic. I read somewhere that they've made some improvements to the thing. It might be worth the extra few dollars to get one from Jab. Camit also has a Alternator coversion which looks good but I'm not sure it will fit on the Sonex. It looks too big.

Hi glenn,
Also to change out a stator, does the engine have to come off the mount? Also visited the camit booth the new alt. 20 or 40 A and side mounted and belt driven. They said it would clear the legacy jab/camit 3300 mount. How is your progress?
WaiexN143NM
Michael

It's not going to be fun but I think it'll clear. Might have to pull the dizy caps. Looks pretty straight forward. I'm back in GA today trying to line up my ducks. Sonex has overnighted a new stator. My plan is to swing by JabUSA on my drive back up tomorrow to see if they have a regulator. I figure it'll be harder for them to ignore me if I'm smashing on their door @ 9AM. Their record of never returning any of my calls remains intact. If they aren't there, I'll see of I can get the Kabusa regulator somewhere local. The only question marks after that is the battery, fuse, and grounds. I just need to get my plane home.

I didn't see the Camit Alternator in person. I think it's the way to go if It'll fit. I question the clearance on a 3300 Sonex though. I think the fuel fill will be in the way.

I know a bunch of you guys are in IL. If you're bored and want some place to fly to tomorrow, I'll be bleeding my knuckles in Effingham IL in the afternoon. Might be nice to have some moral support.

At least one Waiex is flying with the large 40 amp CAMit alternator, and the new 15 amp compact unit looks to be the better choice for most. Camit created a side mount version of each primarily to fit Sonex. 15 amp sounds like a step back, but that unit will charge while taxiing, and its belt drive provides some additional damping. The 15 amp unit uses the same Kabota regulator as the old flywheel units so very little if any re-wiring, and is reported to save a bit of weight vs the flywheel unit. The 40 amp is heavier and if using the engine driven pump, the pump most be offset with an adapter base which is not needed for the 15 amp.

Space limitations in Sonex with 3300 engines means doing most anything to back end of engine is much easier if just go ahead and pull the engine.

David A. Sonex TD #1327, CAMit 3300 # 0004

Got her home. Landed at dusk. Not sure if the problem was the stator or if the regulator fried it. Either way, the stator looked bad when I pulled it. I did get it out without pulling the engine.

Hi glenn,
Glad u got rosie home. Did u stop by jab usa, or order and install a new regulator too ? How did the regulator look? And whats the trick to removing the stator on an engine thats on an airframe?
WaiexN143NM
Michael