I have a 1000 with the original (smaller) starter motor. I'm only getting about 3-4k RPM while pushing the air button, and it sounds like its slipping. What kind of RPM should I be getting and does anybody have a solution for slipping other than the new starter motor ??

Sounds like you just need a new O-Ring on the starter. Easy to do. they are Viton (spelling?) but there used to be two sizes. Best bet is to call Carlos at RTI

Turbulence

I had the same problem last week. If you did not hear any metal to metal noise odds are your "O" ring is fine. I removed the front cover and cleaned the "O" ring and nut with lacquer thinner. That solved it.

O- ring it is,

make sure you tell Carlos the color of the O-ring as they are two diff sizes very **Important *** but that sounds definetly like the O-ring has worn.


Good Luck........Johnny Hernandez

my hub was just too slippery. used a dremmel to roughen it up a bit where the o ring seated. has worked fine since.

That older JALB starter really doesn't spin the engine fast enough during the start even if it's in good shape. And if the O-ring slips, which is very common with that system, it's even worse. This results in overtemping the turbine wheel during the fuel ramp. Since my 1000 has an airstart line, I've dug out my air bottles and I'm using air during the start. A little more trouble maybe, but a lot easier on the engine.

I'd like to say that the new starter spins it better, but the engine I had converted to an "X" blew up after 10 runs. I haven't gotten it running since so I have very little experience with it.

Pilots,

I think the main problem with these starter motors is that the brush assembly can not stand up to the 25 to 35 amps that it draws when starting our turbines. Lets say you have just peaked your 6 cell ECU pack-and you push the start button-that starter draws around 25 amps on a Ram 500-a R1000 even more-and it has to run for at least 10 seconds-depending on your fuel ramp setting-if you look at the brushes when its starting-there's some SERIOUS arcing going on-the brushes are being burned away.....the speed 300 electric motor (this is the motor used on most turbines) needs a brush assembly like the ones used on the R/C car motors-carbon/copper matrix brushes (spring loaded replaceable) with the wire lead embedded in them-and ball bearings. This would solve 95% of the starter motor problems. Remember that 8 volts at 30 amps =240 watts of power-that is almost 1/3 of a horsepower and a LOT of heat. Look at your starter sometime-looks like a arc welder in there.

Jackjet