NoWingsAttached
Unobtainium Member
- Joined
- May 21, 2006
- Messages
- 4,897
- Location
- Columbia, SC
- Aircraft
- Air Command Tandem w/ Arrow 100hp; GyroBee w/ Hirth 65hp; Air Command Tandem w/ Yamaha 150hp
- Total Flight Time
- >350
Over the past couple of years my good friends at Tango Gyro have discovered an Achilles "heal" with the Yamaha Genesis 3-cylinder (YG3) engines they use exclusively: The water pump impeller is plastic. It breaks and spins off the shaft, causing the engine to overheat. In most cases this results in a blown head gasket at the very least, and worse. In each case I am aware of the pilot was able to land under power.
In at least one case there have been multiple impeller failures on a single engine.
Last week I did some research and discovered that this has been happening to sledders running YG3's since the introduction of the YG3 series in 2006, on sled models including Viper, Nytro, and Vector, and newer Sidewinder and Wild Cats (Artic Cat). It has been happening on brand new sleds, sleds with low miles, sleds with medium miles, sleds with lots of miles.
It is indiscriminate, and you need to:
CHANGE YOUR WATER PUMP IMPELLER if you are flying ANY Todd Reick YG3 aircraft, or ANY Tango Gyro.
Please contact [email protected] for replacement parts made from billet aluminum and hardened steel shaft.
Cost is $249.95 + S&H.
NOTE: THIS DOES NOT AFFECT YG2 OR YG4 ENGINES. All of the YG4 and YG2 engines (RX1, Apex, Phazer, etc.) have been built with a metal impeller, not a plastic one. MAC has not sold any YG3 engines or kits, so this notice does not affect any MAC customers.
In at least one case there have been multiple impeller failures on a single engine.
Last week I did some research and discovered that this has been happening to sledders running YG3's since the introduction of the YG3 series in 2006, on sled models including Viper, Nytro, and Vector, and newer Sidewinder and Wild Cats (Artic Cat). It has been happening on brand new sleds, sleds with low miles, sleds with medium miles, sleds with lots of miles.
It is indiscriminate, and you need to:
CHANGE YOUR WATER PUMP IMPELLER if you are flying ANY Todd Reick YG3 aircraft, or ANY Tango Gyro.
Please contact [email protected] for replacement parts made from billet aluminum and hardened steel shaft.
Cost is $249.95 + S&H.
NOTE: THIS DOES NOT AFFECT YG2 OR YG4 ENGINES. All of the YG4 and YG2 engines (RX1, Apex, Phazer, etc.) have been built with a metal impeller, not a plastic one. MAC has not sold any YG3 engines or kits, so this notice does not affect any MAC customers.
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