Sky-Tec starter failure - 1 year old

[Oldguy]

I have been having some trouble starting my J and had put it down to battery aging. It would do the old spin-a-blade-and-stop routine and I would have to back off the key and sometimes even cycle the master. Well, it gave me enough grief this past Sunday at KCHA I had my mechanic look at it. It seems the back end of the starter itself is loose and starting to fall off!

 

Of course we are flying to a wedding Friday morning in Florida, so I called Sky-Tec to see what my options were. Once she realized I did not want to send in my starter for a rebuild and then have them return it, we started discussing exchange options. Long and short of it is I get to buy a new starter at list, send them mine to have an evaluation made as to whether it is a warranty-covered failure and then receive a credit for the new starter purchase if it is a warranty problem. Hilarious thing is, the one that failed was installed on July 21, 2014. Ain't that a hoot? As close as I can tell without the log book sitting in front of me, that was about 100 hours ago.

 

Has anyone experienced something like this before? I have always seen good PIREPs on Sky-Tec and want to think this is an anomaly. I will post pictures after I get out to the airport Wednesday when - hopefully - I can test fly the plane before I head out to Florida Friday morning.

 

And the stress on getting it fixed and ready to fly in a short week like this? All on me. Something changed in the way my plane was starting, and I did not get my mechanic to take a look. I may not be happy with a part failing, but I had the opportunity to fix this earlier and didn't. Am just thankful it was not something that would drop me out of the sky.

 

Lesson learned.

 

John

[Skybrd]

I had problems with the Skytec LS starter and exchanged it for a type NL starter. I found out the LS type uses over 100 starting amps more to crank versus the NL geared one. I wouldn't give two cents for the LS type.

[The-sky-captain]

Sky Tec treated me good. When I purchased my plane it had a Sky Tec that failed a year or so after I bought the plane and well after their warranty period. Without me asking, they swapped me out a new one at no charge when we sent it in to OH. Good folks.

[Browncbr1]

The front aluminum bell housing that holds the end of the bendix broke off on mine...  I just bought a new one for $380 from spruce, but I saw that I could have ordered a new one from skytec and sent mine in as a core for credit making the net difference $255 for a new starter... I sent them photos of mine and they never said anything about warranty.. . they just said send it in as a core, and it was new in 2008... I think you could do the same, no?

[EDNR-Cruiser]

I saw a Cessna with a rather new SkyTec starter die just infront of my Mooney after I asked my shop for one and they refused because of bad experience. I now have a brand new Bendix and I do not regret the choice.

[OR75]

I just installed a sky tec starter a few months ago. So far, so good. Works as advertised. I have not sold the old MZ4222. I probably should keep it for now. Just in case.

I switched for the gain in weight and for the high crank speed

[slowflyin]

I bought a 170 years ago with a skytec on board.  A few months later it began to drip oil.   Of course the wife and I were scheduled to fly out several days later for a short vacation.  I called skytec and they ask me to ship it to them.  Fedex next day air delivered as promised and they had it right away.  To my surprise they called promptly  to let me know they were going to warranty the starter and ship it back next day air at their cost so I could make my trip.  I immediately let them know I didn't' buy the starter from them.  They told me it was a manufacturing flaw and they didn't care if I was the original purchaser.  Shipped on Tuesday- they fixed it on Wednesday and shipped it same day- I had it back on the AC Thursday.   We departed on schedule.   Skytec customer for life!

[N33GG]

Sorry you had the problem... that sucks!  And things never seem to break at a convenient time, especially with aircraft.  Just good you didn't have it die at some remote location with no mechanics for miles.  I have been there, done that.  As a result, at the first hint of a problem, I have a mechanic jump all over it.  Call me paranoid... I just call it experience!

[philiplane]

Some of the LS series starters had bolts that were 1/16" too long, so the motor would not be solid against the base. After 50-100 hours it would loosen and the motor needs to be tight to have a ground path to the engine. The simple solution is to pull the two long bolts, add a washer, and re-torque the bolts. It solves the weak turning problem that develops because the motor is not properly grounded.

 

Any plane with 200 hp or more should use the NL version. The LS is only good up to 180 hp. Skytec will tell you that as well.

[M20F]

Had a Skytec installed at annual that went bad on the flight home. Hit it a couple of times with a rubber mallet and it kicked over. Put a new one in (they shipped no issue and paid shipping of old one back). No issues in about 200hrs on the replacement.

[Lood]

John, do yourself a favor and get a B&C starter, instead. My Skytec also failed and here in South Africa, I can't just quickly send it in to the agent. So, I switched to B&C and I've never looked back.

It's also lightweight, extremely powerful and seemingly very, very reliable.

[MB65E]

Skytec has always had amazing Customer Service. I had an old LS on my E that lasted more than 25 years and 1200hrs. I replaced it at overhaul with another LS. The old one was still working. I'd rather have the NL, but I didn't have a spare core at the time.

They are a great family company!!

-Matt

[Steve Dawson]

John I had the same thing happen on my SkyTech on the 23rd month of the 2 year warranty and they replaced it with new within the week. I'd recomend them any day.

[Shadrach]

I've had an NL in my plane since 2013. Has about 130 hours on it. I like it quite a bit. I installed a new concord battery at the same time. The combo has been bullit proof in all weather.

[N33GG]

I know the SkyTec guys are great, and have a great product that saves some weight, perhaps valuable weight depending on the particular aircraft.  But when I hear about many failures people have had with their products, it makes me wonder.  In all of my decades of flying, thousands of hours in single and multi engine GA aircraft, many different aircraft owned, I have never had a single starter failure.  Ever.

[Shadrach]

I've had 2. Neither was a sky tech.

[N33GG]

Maybe I have been very lucky??? 

[slowflyin]

Update- I was doing some PM and noticed my SkyTec was separating between the halves.  (mine is an inline unit)  Shipped it to SkyTec and got a call the same day they received it to notify me it was repaired.   Since it was several years out of warranty I ask about the charges.   Response-this never should have happenned, no charge.  I gladly offered my FedEx number and a giant thanks.     

Something went wrong, the company acknowledge it and made things right.   My kind of folks!

 

[Bob_Belville]

I had to go back to Dec. 1997 to find where my M20E got a new Skytec Flywt starter (7.8#).

18 years and ~900 hours. Still there. Knock on wood.

[Oldguy]

Similar to slowflyin, mine ended up being a warranty replacement due to the nuts holding the starter together apparently losing their torque. Replaced without a question and only charged for shipping on the replacement.

Just hope I get the same time out of this one Bob has gotten out of his so far. That would make it about 2300 hours on the engine!

John

[steingar]

Companies in aviation give poor customer service to their own peril.  We are a vanishingly small community, and word gets around.  That said, I've had naught but really good service from just a bout everyone in aviation.