Required 5-Year Rubber Component Replacement ???

Some food for thought regarding whether or not this Rotax manual requirement applies to an Experimental aircraft  Among many other requirements, my E-AB Operating Restrictions state "The aircraft may not be operated unless the replacement for life-limited articles specified in the applicable technical publications pertaining to the aircraft and its articles are complied with."  I am willing to bet that's a standard statement in most if not all operating restrictions issued for experimental aircraft.  So if I choose to ignore it, and the engine quits someday because I ignored it, and I walk away from the crash but my passenger doesn't, aside from my personal regret, my passenger's lawyer will likely make me financially regret not spending the money to replace all that rubber.

Hi Jim,

That statement is indeed in some Operating Limitations, but it isn't in all. Seems DAR's and FSDO's have some degree of latitude in what they can put in them or leave out. I'm sure there is a minimal standard, but have seen some differ. I have seen this statement in some and not others, but if I was ELSA or Experimetal I'd sure read the fine print in my limitations.

Liability could be high for failure to abide by the rule.

MARK JACKSON wrote:

The Rotax 17mm hose is available for £3.75 + VAT from car spares shops.( http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/ ) It is Gates hose, the same as Rotax use, so no problems there. That means it will cost less than £15 to change the top and bottom hoses and it takes about 30 mins. Its a no brainer every 5 years.

Mark

Is this the hose you are talking about?

https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/17mm-gates-heater-hose

If so, it seems like the cost has about doubled...

I saw somewhere that some of the newer fuel lines are not subject to the 5-year replacement.  Does anyone have further info on that?

The 17MM hose that Rotax uses is not Gates. I've talked to the MFG. 17MM hose is made and used in the European market. There is no US equivalent so just use the 17MM hose. US standards are either too small or too large.

"I saw somewhere that some of the newer fuel lines are not subject to the 5-year replacement.  Does anyone have further info on that?"

These are Teflon hoses and are expensive. I can do 20+ years worth of hose changes and never get close to what they want for Teflon hoses. A Teflon hose Mfg approached me once to put them on my plane at a cost of $574 vs about $1.30 per foot for normal fuel hose. Plus the $574 wasn't even for all the fuel hose. Just look at the price for the Rotax Teflon hose from the balance to to each carb and now multiply that times how many feet of fuel hose you'll need.