Stolen 582 Engines

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Tumbleweed
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby Tumbleweed » Mon Jul 16, 2012 4:32 pm

This is disgusting.

Recall all visitors to the hangars in the last 3 months, especially those who have been out of the flying scene for a while. A cleptomaniac can't sit on an oppertunity for longer than that.

Send the info to Namibia, Botswana and Zim.

My thoughts of the culprits. Obviously previously / involved with flying. Mechanically savvy rebuld/ homebuild type. More than likely white, not neccisarily struggling- these bastards would take from their grandmother rather than from their pocket and bribe screw their way through life in general.
I hope we all realise that the economy could not afford for theft to stop - WHAT I hear you say well it's true about 10% of new cars sales are from theft and that goes for lots of products purchased. sad but true if theft was to stop tomorrow our economy would not survive!
Spoken like an insurer or car salesman. This is why the prospect of Australia, Canada and USA is appealling. They don't spend on 8 foot walls, armed response, hi tech alarms, gorrilla grips, tracker systems, survaillance, private courriers, private security, private schools, no more bicycles. Car guards. :twisted:

Let the car and TV dealers go without selling replacement to the insurers for 6 months? If panelbeaters were'nt such ripp-offs, there would be no need to support backyard repairers who replace car componants from wherever.

Why should society have to adjust and just pay for this? Imagine if we would free up 20 % more of our diposable income?

I'm gatvol, from being cleaned out by trusted staff, car smash & grab, bumping my car in car park to fu$%^ing washing taken off the line. Evertime that happens I get just a little more reluctant to be charitable. For the next 6 months they can all .......!.

Good luck retrieving your stuff.
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby John.com » Mon Jul 16, 2012 4:39 pm

Bugwar wrote:If they needed the engine, why leave the carburetors? Spares maybe? Scrap metal more likely!!
I noticed this in the picture as well . . . . and this is a possibility: selling aircraft motors for the value of the aluminium content!

Just thinking out aloud . . . . the fact that the 582s were different engine types (one a blue top, the other not) would indicate that these engines MIGHT NOT have been taken by an aircraft owner looking for an engine, with the other as a spare, as these two engines are different in a many ways (or am I wrong here people?).

If this is the case I shudder to think of the implications once this news hits the townships! R100 per Rotax 582! :shock:
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby German » Mon Jul 16, 2012 5:42 pm

A while back there was a new 582 stolen from a Koala I think, any news on that one?- cant remember where and when.
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby kloot piloot » Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:08 pm

John dot, if it was for scrap allie, why did they leave the lawnmowers, but go through the effort of undoing (with spanners I assume) the 582's ?

The theft looks scruffy with the one carb left behind; were they in a rush or does it appear that they time at their hands once they were inside ?

BMW F650's have single Rotax engines. Bikes are stolen, engines removed and (engine) then slipped in small coffers, matresses, boxes etc via Komatiepoort border gate. This is a known fact to the SAPS and tracking companies. The powerplants are used to drive waterpumps. My previous 650 is now providing water to some Mocambiquens :evil:

What are the hours on the motors ? How many more 582's at Klip ?
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby Bundy » Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:13 pm

I dont think this was a "scrap" motive?

Did they cut off the drab struts, profile tube, axle tubes or anything like that? Far easier than removing an engine if you ask me?...Why did they not take the batteries (easily sold)?

No....I believe this was probably a carefully orchestrated theft plotted by someone seriously desperate for an engine. The fact that they vitrually "ripped" everything out tells me that the persons doing so were not the "end user"....prob hired to do it.

Lots of desperate "PDI's" who will do anything for a few bucks. Tell them where to find it and they will get it for you. :evil: The reason they took two could simply be that they did not which one to take?

The chances of finding the perp's who broke in are next to zero....but I'm convinced these parts will turn up somewhere....sometime.

Watch the junkmail and bid or buy....

Really sorry this happened guys, what is the "estimate" to repair? :wink: :(
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby zoobie » Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:31 pm

hi all

I have just been back down to have a look at my aerie now that my head is a bit clearer and I am not spitting mad.

In answer to some of the mails above, It looks like they tried to cut the carburettor throttle cables but were not ablt to cut through, hence maybe why they simply cut the holding rubbers and left the carbs behind.

Today I also noticed that they tried to cut the engine mount with a bolt cutter but again were not successful....see the attached picture.

Finally, it looks like they simply ripped the bottom cowl right off without even trying to unscrew it....see attached picture

Having given much though as to why they took my prop and not the other one off John's trike trike, I can only summise that because I had a very tight fitting spinner, and the prop bolts were very difficult to get to, they simply got frustrated and took the whole lot.

thanks for all your support guys...it is much appreciated.

Joe
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cut engine mount.jpg
cut engine mount.jpg (34.76 KiB) Viewed 2656 times
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby Vatso » Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:32 pm

@tumbleweed I am no car sales men or broker unfortunatley the truth is not always fair or nice! Life is not always fair and yes we should not have to put up with this but I do want to remind you that the people of south Africa have voted for what we have today has hard as it might be to suck up its true!

I think as a group we should work together to make our hobby more safe in every aspect. Rather then fighting with each other we should work together. I am worried that my stuff might get stollen my trike is really the one thing i enjoy and would be beyond words if it was damaged or stolen
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby zoobie » Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:52 pm

Bundy wrote:I dont think this was a "scrap" motive?


Really sorry this happened guys, what is the "estimate" to repair? :wink: :(

Alan, I got a quote today for a 582 and gearbox...cost R80k, then still need the prop..approx R 8000...plus repairs to the damaged stuff etc etc...I estimate R100k .

I guess there might be a bushbaby for sale minus the above equipment advertised soon. Still have to get my head around all of this.

cheers
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby Vatso » Mon Jul 16, 2012 7:30 pm

Now that is not fair some rubbish stops you doing your hobby!!! They need to catch these people
zoobie wrote:
Bundy wrote:I dont think this was a "scrap" motive?


Really sorry this happened guys, what is the "estimate" to repair? :wink: :(

Alan, I got a quote today for a 582 and gearbox...cost R80k, then still need the prop..approx R 8000...plus repairs to the damaged stuff etc etc...I estimate R100k .

I guess there might be a bushbaby for sale minus the above equipment advertised soon. Still have to get my head around all of this.

cheers
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby Blue Max » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:11 pm

Hi guys, (**)
I am in Canada at the moment.
A county where there are no thieves crawling at nite to see what they can steel from people who are more fortunate than others..
I have commented to my daughter more than once during my stay in Canada that people in SA steel because they are hungry..
I think once you are here, far away from SA you get the opportunity to look at SA with 'other eyes'..You see prosperity and wealth all around you..In canada there is no need to steel..
In SA there are plenty reasons to steel. I dont need to mention them and we all know there are poor, jobless hungry people all around you..
We dont think about that because we live in relative luxury and we own an aircraft, motor vehicle ect ect..
But go to the squatercamps and you will see the need..the need to steel..
Judging from the pictures it was not some -one in the aviation who did the stealing..
If it was an aviator he would have known there is ample time at nite to remove an engine without having to rip it from the airframe.. he would have brought the correct spanners along to do the job quick and effortlessly wihout dammage..!!..Those thieves did not have proper tools or equipment..because they cant afford it..and their method is proof of that..They wanted to remove the propellers cause it would give a problem to transport the engines and it would also cause suspision if seen with the engines..
It offers me a measure of relieve to know that it is persons from the same group of people who are responsable for all the shit we experience daily in SA.
Good luck in catcing the thieves..
My investigation will start with the persons who work on the airfield..They and their buddies with whome they drink with in the sjebenes at nite..!!!
Ek praat jou thaal...
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby John.com » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:16 pm

Good People, Fellow Aviators!

It is so important to throw every thought and idea around without taking anything personally!

In this way maybe something bubbles to the surface and these sons of dogs get nailed to the wall!

I sit here, in a pub in Glasgow, reading about "Stolen 582 Engines" on my iPhone, such am I insensed by the matter!

I want to believe that they WILL get caught.

Based on the latest posts, here is my thinking:
> they did not have the knowledge and/or the right tools with them, just bolt cutters, knives and the like, otherwise they would have taken the carb tops off and removed the cables (to the experienced this is two screws and 1 minutes work)
> this is borne out by them trying to cut the mounting brackets with bolt cutters

So, an AP-type, or mechanical expertise? Not sure anymore!

Anyway, I'll give it some more thought over another Guinness!

Joe, we are with you on this. Keep your chin up buddy!
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby Broker » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:49 pm

Hi Joe and Co... strongs to you both! John dot, I have a hunch - should the investigators not perhaps get the detail of all AP's in a reasonable radius from Klip, or get a name list from Niren of regular Rotax part buyers or mechanics from that area. Have their premises checked out, It might even be "Sipho" the mechanic's assistant, having identified or overheard a "need" for a new 582 block, or the likes.....?

I am probably on the wrong track, but so the moer in, I just cannot think straight.


:cry:
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby Bugwar » Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:42 pm

Any person with half a mechanical brain would have taken a screwdriver with. Sounds to me like the thieves did not have a screwdriver: a- cut through the carb rubbers, did not loosen the clamp; b- did not even take the top cover off the carb, could have "harvested" most of the carb; c- ripped the cowl off, did not loosen the screws.

How daft must you be to try and cut the engine mount instead of just loosening the bolts?

Why take a silver top? Surely there must be newer engines in other hangars? If you know what you are doing and taking the risk, you will go for the best you can get.

Leave the AP's alone and visit the local scrapyards.
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby Gus » Mon Jul 16, 2012 10:08 pm

Iewers langs die pad slaan die blinde sambok die wat dit verdien..
Hulle sal hulle loon kry, een of ander tyd
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Re: Stolen 582 Engines

Postby Bundy » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:23 am

zoobie wrote: I guess there might be a bushbaby for sale minus the above equipment advertised soon. Still have to get my head around all of this.
cheers
Zoobie...take some time and don't be too hasty. Emotion does not allow you to think of every avalable possibility. I remember standing next to the wreckage of my own flying dream on a desolate koppie not so long ago.... The route to the top of the "mountain" you now face is not always clear. Hang in there guys. :wink:

We are all extremely angry about this...especially as it now seems more and more likely that the theft was indeed based on a scrap metal motive.

I, on a personal level, and indeed many of your fellow aviators are most aggrieved that this incident could result in your flying dream coming to an end. I am willing to help and I garuantee you there are many others that will too. The way I see it is that you have two aircraft to repair? Go get a proper repair costing done first on each...then we can see how these funds can be raised... To fit a new motor may not be feasible....but there are a lot of used motors (not stolen :wink: ) with low hours that may make your dream achievable...at a much lower cost.

Don't give up Zoobie... (^^)

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