Battery and Vacuum pump

My battery is 3.5 years old and the vacuum pump is going on 350 hours. Both
are doing OK as best I can tell. What is the collective opinion reguarding
replacement of each of these? The factory recomended replacement time for the
vacuum pump (Aero Accessories AA-215CC) is 1200 hours but the old one (Sigma
Tek) sure didn't last that long.

Chuck

I'm in about the same boat with my annual due this month. Since I have
nasty IFR here in the Great Lakes region, the vacuum pump is going to get
replaced for sure. I'm tempted by the dual pump and the wet pump, but they
are both really expensive, and I don't fly enough to justify it.

The battery is cranking fine on cold days so I plan to try for one more year
on it.

"PaulaJay1" wrote in message
...
My battery is 3.5 years old and the vacuum pump is going on 350 hours.
Both
are doing OK as best I can tell. What is the collective opinion
reguarding
replacement of each of these? The factory recomended replacement time for
the
vacuum pump (Aero Accessories AA-215CC) is 1200 hours but the old one
(Sigma
Tek) sure didn't last that long.

Chuck

PaulaJay1 wrote:

My battery is 3.5 years old and the vacuum pump is going on 350 hours. Both
are doing OK as best I can tell. What is the collective opinion reguarding
replacement of each of these? The factory recomended replacement time for the
vacuum pump (Aero Accessories AA-215CC) is 1200 hours but the old one (Sigma
Tek) sure didn't last that long.



Pump - Do you fly IFR? If you do, I would replace prophylactically at
500 hrs. If VFR only, use it till it breaks.

Battery - Same question, if you fly IFR, replace it now. VFR, use it
till it quits, or replace it at your convenience. My personal opinion
is that you're living on borrowed time now. Conventional lead-acid
aircraft batteries don't normally last much longer than yours has.

dutch wrote:
I'm in about the same boat with my annual due this month. Since I have
nasty IFR here in the Great Lakes region, the vacuum pump is going to get
replaced for sure. I'm tempted by the dual pump and the wet pump, but they
are both really expensive, and I don't fly enough to justify it.

I have the dual-rotor vacuum pump from aeroadvantage.com and I'm happy with it.
It's going to cost you about $1000 but you keep your existing, working pump, so
you have a backup in the baggage compartment. If you replace your pump with the
standard pump, it's going to cost you a good fraction of that, and you'll have
to turn in your old pump. Get the dual-rotor pump.

Dave
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