P mag reviews

[airlina]

As winter is ready to set in here in Western New York ,I am bringing my IO-240 powered Series 5 Outback from the airport back to my home shop to do some major upgrades after 14 years and 800 hours of flying her. One of the maintenance items that I am overdue on, is the slick mag inspection which is recommended at 500 hours. After doing a bit of research I have found this to be an expensive proposition even if the mags are in good shape. As an alternative , I am considering a dual P mag installation to replace the original slicks. I know Phil (Papau pilot) has one of each on his IO-240 and he recommends the P mag. Just like to find out if any of you legacy Lycoming , Continental operators have an opinion on the P mag. I found an article in Kitplanes from Paul Dye who did the changeout on both his RV's with good results, but I like to do my homework before dropping the big bucks (they ain't cheap) Thanks guys, Bruce N199CL

[jrevens]

Hi Bruce,

Here's a little info, for what it's worth -

I replaced the original Bendix mags for P-Mags on my O-320 Lyc. (on Thorp T-18) quite a few years ago. They had some "teething pains" at that time, so I did some more homework, and being the conservative guy I am about such things finally decided I couldn't trust them, and changed them out for new Slicks. There were a few reports of problems resulting in engine damage (proven), and one actual loss of an airplane (never really proven, to my knowledge) because of them . Two of those incidents were suffered by good friends of mine. It's a long story, but the bottom line is that they made design and manufacturing changes that have resulted in what I believe are very reliable units. The ability to have variable timing, a "hotter" spark to use automotive plugs and a larger gap than a magneto is comfortable with, and a self-contained generator that makes them self-powered in the event of aircraft power loss (above something like 800 RPM) are all great attributes. I realized better starting, better fuel economy, a lower smooth idle speed, and a slight increase in power as measured by top speed and RPM when I had the early ones. They are sensitive to heat due to the on-board electronics, so you have to minimize that as much as possible with cooling air blast tubes, etc. There are a lot of them in service now, and with the improvements that have been made over time, I think they would probably be a very good retrofit.

[airlina]

Thanks for the great report John, So far my research has revealed exactly what you talked about with the early issues , then a better product of late. On a side note your plane looks great and is looking like its ready to leave the nest. Great job , hope to see it in person perhaps at OSH. Thanks Bruce N199CL

[PapuaPilot]

I just heard last week from a sales rep that there is new electronic ignition that is coming out for certified engines that could potentially get rid of the existing Slick and Bendix mags. It should be on the market very early in 2018. The price is going to the same or lower than buying new Slick or Bendix mags. It may be less than the cost of a P-Mag. The mags will not require a 500 hour inspection or any other intermediate maintenance and will be able to go the full TBO of an engine. The only moving part is the bearing. They are plug and play; matching to your existing harness and require a one time setup to time them. It sounds like the setup is just like doing the P-Mag (very easy).

One big advantage will be not having to do the 500 hour inspections, you will eliminate the expense of this 2-3x in the TBO of an engine. Like you said the 500 hours inspections can be very expensive, especially if any parts need replacing. I do my own 500 hour inspections, so I may keep my Slick mag, but I may consider buying one of these to go along with my P-Mag.

You might want to wait a couple of months for the introduction of this new mag. The rep said every FBO he has visited wants to buy some of these new mags right now.

[airlina]

I just heard last week from a sales rep that there is new electronic ignition that is coming out for certified engines that could potentially get rid of the existing Slick and Bendix mags. It should be on the market very early in 2018. The price is going to the same or lower than buying new Slick or Bendix mags. It may be less than the cost of a P-Mag. The mags will not require a 500 hour inspection or any other intermediate maintenance and will be able to go the full TBO of an engine. The only moving part is the bearing. They are plug and play; matching to your existing harness and require a one time setup to time them. It sounds like the setup is just like doing the P-Mag (very easy).

One big advantage will be not having to do the 500 hour inspections, you will eliminate the expense of this 2-3x in the TBO of an engine. Like you said the 500 hours inspections can be very expensive, especially if any parts need replacing. I do my own 500 hour inspections, so I may keep my Slick mag, but I may consider buying one of these to go along with my P-Mag.

You might want to wait a couple of months for the introduction of this new mag. The rep said every FBO he has visited wants to buy some of these new mags right now.

Phil , do you happen to know the name of the company that is developing this product? Sounds like it would be worth the wait to see what they are offering. thanks Bruce N199CL

[PapuaPilot]

Sorry, I don't know who the company is. It seems like it is one of the big names, not a startup company. I will let you know when I find out.