AeroVee Kubota Regulator

[jwd3ca]

Greetings... can someone who's successfully using a Kubota regulator on an AeroVee please let me know what the Kubota part number is? Thanks!

[vwglenn]

I read somewhere some of the aerovees used the same generator setup as the Jab. Just replaced my regulator a week ago and the part number is...

RP201-53710

...After some research, I've come to the conclusion you want the Japanese part and not a cheap knockoff. Kubota dealers are everywhere.

You'll need to verify that is the correct part number for the VW.

[lgsievila]

Kubota regulator came with my CAMit 2200.
Onex33

[jwd3ca]

Thanks, Glen. The Sonex-supplied regulator (Nippo-Denso?) is a 3-wire configuration: AC B+ AC, with B- being the case ground, and one AC post jumped to the B+. The Kubota regulator has a B- terminal, that's OK, but it also uses/requires a sense line from the aircraft's buss. Hoping to hear from peeps who have actually used it with a VW/AeroVee.

[fastj22]

This thread has made me revisit replacing my regulator. The MGL guys seem to think my instrument gremlins are traceable to it.
I also am weary of the cheap knock offs I find using the google and the part number. So I called the local Kubota dealer and they have a genuine one for $54 but will take a week to get in. A bit better price than JabiruNA wants. Order placed.

[vwglenn]

The MGL guys seem to think my instrument gremlins are traceable to it.

The main issue I've had has always been the RPM pickup. I've never got it to work right. I'll be ordering the tach sensor from Camit shortly and hope that does the trick. When my generator quit on my way back from OSH, the first indication I had that there was a problem was my Enigma was tumbling on the HITS page. Then my radio went away about five miles from my intended fuel stop. That's when I noticed my volts were @ 11 (note to self: set low voltage alarm in MGL). The six pack page on the EFIS worked fine though.

As it turns out, I had a gremlin show up on the way to OSH. After one of my last fuel stops, my EFIS was cutting out intermittently. I assumed it was due to the heat as the sun was blazing on it as I was topping off the tank. I was holding a folder up to one of my air vents to direct air to the EFIS and it settled down after a few minutes. Now that you mentioned MGL gremlins, I think that could have been the warning that my regulator was going bad. The heat might have actually cooked the regulator.

I bought my regulator from Jabiru on drive back to repair the plane. It was about double what a Kubota dealer would sell it for but I knew they would have one and waiting on sipping was going to cost me more money than the difference.

[fastj22]

My gremlins come and go. Hence I'm suspecting a pending regulator failure. RPM pickup from the alternator never worked right, but when I changed it to the P-lead, its rock stable.
I also have a Yanmar tractor that needs a new regulator so I'll take the one off the plane and put it there for its end run.

It was very hot returning from OSH. Both Mike and I had some MGL issues after heat soaking while refueling, his wouldn't boot and my radio kept rebooting. But once back up to 8500ft and cooled down, everything was fine.

[gammaxy]

Both Mike and I had some MGL issues after heat soaking while refueling, his wouldn't boot

I had this same problem with my MGL Stratomaster. I left the plane on a ramp without a cover and at 9:00 am near the Florida panhandle it was already too hot to boot up. I'm considering getting something like those foil windshield covers to lay between the glareshield and seat back to reduce solar loading when the plane is on the ramp (without the inconvenience of having to put a canopy cover on).

[vwglenn]

My RPM is picked up off the mag after having a discussion with Matt. I had it working nice and steady for a bit with a certain dip switch combination but I had to install an inline resistor to keep the RDAC from grounding out and killing the mag. Think that resistor cooked itself and the thing started grounding out again on my way to OSH. Had to flip the dip switch back over and now the RPMs are inconsistent again. There are a couple times in flight where I noticed the engine take a quick RPM dip. Didn't feel like the old burps I used to get before the fuel system mod. Pretty sure that RPM pickup is the problem. I'm getting that RPM wire away from my Ignition as a form of troubleshooting. If engine dip goes away after the tach sensor install I'll know I conquered another gremlin. If nothing else, It'll be nice to see the readout on that side during a mag check.

After the overheat, I started laying my hoodie over it when it was sunny as well as trying to park is so the sun wasn't blasting on it. A small heat shield for fuel stops sounds like a good idea Chris.

[fastj22]

Mike just bought a 5 pack of 12v pancake fans for $9. We'll probably put one to vent the panel up blowing air up towards the windshield. I think a little air movement can go a long way.