Fuel Pump ASB
Before closing out the skin above the firewall, I really wanted to address an Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) issued by Rotax in 2022 against the factory fuel pumps. The fuel pumps attach through the firewall and are secured on the inside with lock nuts that are not easy to reach once the dash is installed.
I did try to address this right away back in 2022 when the ASB was issued, but replacement fuel pumps were scarce and I was put on a waiting list at Lockwood Aero. I forgot to follow up with them, and they never called me back. At the time I was super busy dealing with the climate system so this task fell into the backlog.
Fast forward 2 years, I decide to just try getting the replacement pumps kit from Aircraft Spruce – that wound up being a mistake! I ordered the kit from Spruce, part # 481377. However, the kit contained replacement pumps that were also part of the recall batch. After some back and forth emails and calls with Spruce, they issued an RMA, and hopefully I’ll get my money back.
Meanwhile I called Lockwood and they connected me right away with one of their techs, who was already familiar with the ASB, said she could take care of it right away. I sent in my fuel pump assembly and they performed the retrofit within a day – great service! They’re also filing a request with Rotax for reimbursement – hopefully Austria will approve.
One thing I learned from talking to Lockwood is that Rotax will soon use a completely new design for the fuel pump assembly for new 915/916 engine purchases going forward, and it will be optional for approximately $2500, yikes!