Riley air conditioner/rear starter clutch

[Jerry De Santis]

Sorry guys, I can't make JXN this morning. Plane down for repairs..may be down for about two weeks.

Don, I would not make fun of you if you flew the Tomahawk. If you wanted to go to JXN, you can fly there... I would have to drive!

Clutch on rear starter slipping again and with a Riley Air cond. driven off of the clutch adaptor the engine has to be removed.

The joys and tears of a Riley Air Conditioner!!!!

Have fun all
Cheers
Jerry

[Guy Paris]

Jerry, are you useing Shell 15/50, did I read or hear somewhere that if the starter clutch slips sometimes changing to a different oil eg, Phillips the slipping might stop???? Guy. old72driver....

[Jerry De Santis]

Hello Guy! I use Aeroshell 100. At one time I tried the mult grades but with poor results.

I learned a lot about rear engine starter/clutch problems. I have a Riley air cond. which runs off of the rear engine starter adpt.

Well, with that system, if you have problems with the adpt. that the air cond. pulley is on, to get the adpt off, you must remove the engine. The engineer that came up with that ideal must have never gotten his hands dirty.

Heres what I learned. If you ever need to get the clutch repaired because of the clutch slipping, get the starter overhauled at the same time.

When you start the engine, the clutch spring coils around the adpt. shaft and when the engine starts, the spring uncoils and frees the shaft to rotate. Well, if the starter is old and dirt and grime gets under the brushes, there is a resistance for the coil to unwind. The spring when uncoiling must turn the starter shaft two complete turns in the reverse direction. If impeded to do so, the spring will drag on the adpt shaft wearing the shaft to the point it slips when trying to start. The wear from that situation can produce metal grinds which can get into the engine. I was lucky, cut the oil filter open and it was free of metal, but could have gone the other way also.

The rear engine starter can be removed from the engine for repairs without much of a hassel, but if the adpt must come off, than the engine must be removed.

The lesson I learned is to get the rear started overhauled every two years wheater it needs it or not. Don't permit the problem to begin.

Cheers
Jerry

[rick bell]

when we r/r our engs two yrs ago i noticed the rear bulkhead has a bolted and sealed access cover (if my menory serves me right the port was about 6-12"?) i wonder in the future requirements to service the back of the rear eng this may help?
it is located behind the interior on the back buckheal i think around the top 1/3 area. next time it may be worth a shot to open it up and give it a try?????? (ref 73p)

[Jerry De Santis]

The access in the rear of the cabin is ideal for getting to and working on the mag and alternator. The starter adpt. is located
above the acess opening and is useless in this situation. the problem is when trying to remove the adpt. it must moved toward the firewall and there is just not enough room. Don' know if the adpt. can be made shorter, about three to four inches. But if it can, that will solve the problem. Also, perhaps a different location for the compressor.

Jerry