Year: 2017 (Page 2 of 4)

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Your airplane’s alternator is something you depend on, and if it’s not working dependably, it quickly becomes a serious situation.

In today’s episode, we talk about some actual charging system issues I’ve encountered recently in the shop where I work, at Classic Aviation, as well as some interesting discussion I found in some online forums about charging system troubleshooting… (it seems to me that much of that “troubleshooting” turns out to be wild guesses, but there is actually some good information in those forums, if you can sort through all the opinions and “armchair quarterback ideas.”)

Beyond the forums, there is A LOT of good information available online for aircraft electrical system troubleshooting, and one post I found was from Hartzell Engine Technologies.  This is the one I mentioned in today’s episode, that had the tip about using a hacksaw blade for a simple test… I’m going to try that one!

You can find that post here:

Top Tips for Troubleshooting Your Aircraft’s Alternator

Finally, here are some issues I’ve encountered just recently on a twin Cessna:

The “R ALT OUT” light was on, even with the engine running, and the alternator charging normally.

And here is the “Alternator Inop. Sensor” that turns that light on and off, under normal circumstances.  It’s mounted near the alternator at the forward, right side of the engine.

Listen to today’s episode, for a description of what the three wires are for, (the red, the white, and the black wire.)

Finally, the culprit was found… the wire that comes from the ground side of the alternator inop light in the panel, was shorting out on the air-oil separator, before it even got to the sensor at the forward, right side of the engine.  This caused the “R ALT INOP” light to be on, even though the alternator was working just fine.  After fixing that, the system returned to normal operation.  This one was challenging to find!

Here’s what that wire looked like after it was pulled out of that wire bundle.

And the corresponding area on the air-oil separator where that wire was shorting to ground.

Then there was another problem on the left engine, where the alternator would drop off line occasionally… this was different than the right engine, in that it actually stopped working.  It didn’t happen often, just occasionally.  Here is that alternator:

And here is what the brushes looked like when they were removed:

Needless to say, a new brush assembly has been ordered!

So, those were some interesting issues, and it’s good to finally have them solved.

In thinking about this whole area of charging system troubleshooting, here are several things to keep in mind:

1. We all tend to approach troubleshooting from the perspective of our personal experiences.  So, if we had a particular problem or two happen in the past, we naturally tend to think someone else may have that same problem.
2. It’s really easy to immediately think of the main components, like the alternator and the voltage regulator.  Unfortunately, these are some of the most costly times in the system, and many times, are not the cause of the problem.  Changing them without good troubleshooting, can be a shot-gun approach… it might fix it, but it might not.
3. Out of the ordinary issues are sometimes not covered in the maintenance manual, and these can be very frustrating to troubleshoot and figure out.  Like that chafing wire that caused the alternator inop light to stay on, even though the system was actually working.
4. Some issues I’ve seen, that have caused problems, have included:
   1. Loose connections (at alternator, at battery, at airframe ground, etc.)
   2. Corroded/burned contacts inside electrical master switch (field circuit side.)
   3. Chafing wiring in engine compartment.

So, as an airplane owner, what can you do?

1. Learn all you can.
   1. Read online, but be cautious!
   2. Study your POH.
   3. Work with your A&P if possible.
2. Ask questions.
   1. If you get obscure answers that sound confusing, ask someone else!
   2. If you get a defensive answer, definitely ask someone else.
   3. Example:  Can you explain to me why you think we need to replace the alternator?  (There should be a valid answer to this, other than, “It’s the most obvious thing to do.”)
3. Be as gracious with your A&P as you can.
   1. They’re not perfect, after all! 
   2. Some problems are complex.
   3. This is not someone you want to be ticked off at you!

Happy troubleshooting!

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Videos mentioned in today’s episode:

Mike Busch’s story about his aviation journey:  savvyaviation.com

(Scroll down on the home page, and the video is right there.)

Bret Chilcott and his new LED nav lights for his 1947 Stinson:

You can buy these nav lights at Aircraft Spruce:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/navstrobesextant40.php

(There is also a cheaper version of LED nav lights, but they are for experimental aircraft only.)

Bret also gave us a report on his starting procedure for his Stinson… thanks Bret!

Also in today’s episode, I share a question my wife asked me about how we start the lawnmower 🙂

And the featured topic of this week, is about overcoming resistance, to get to a new, significant place in life.  I was reminded of this when I was working on the nosegear of a C-182RG that drove me crazy.

The collar under the block of wood, was so stubborn to get off!

The piston at the bottom of the strut fork also needed to be resealed.

And during the reassembly, this little homemade block of wood, proved to be one of the most important tools in the process.

This whole deal, was a reminder to me, of how difficult it can be sometimes to press forward to a new level of anything in life.  Sometimes the resistance is overwhelming, but it’s worth it to keep moving forward!

And finally, back to Bret Chilcott… he had a question about some water droplets in his bottom cowling.  What do you think?  Are they from melted carb ice, or is there something else to consider?

If you have an idea about this, you can contact me, or contact Bret directly.  His contact information is at his website:  AgEagle.com

Thanks for listening to today’s episode!

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How do you start your airplane engine?  Is it perfectly “by the checklist,” or some other method?  We’ve talked about this topic in the past, and it will come up again in today’s episode.  Listen in, take the challenge, and see if it might be worth considering a small modification to your starting procedure.

Also, if you have not listened to episode 019, you might want to go back and catch that one… it goes into much greater detail on the subject of starting airplane engines, and some things to think about.  It might surprise you!

Also, in today’s episode, we give an update on the Lycoming connecting rod bushing issue.

Thank you, Mike Busch, and the Savvy Aviation team, for keeping us all up to date on this issue.   The recent email from Savvy Aviation is how I first discovered the FAA had issued an AD on this connecting rod issue.

Here’s a link to SB 632B:

http://www.lycoming.com/sites/default/files/SB632B%20Connecting%20Rod%20Identification.pdf

And here’s one for AD 2017-16-11:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2017-16968.pdf

And finally, one for Lycoming Service Instruction 1458G:

https://www.lycoming.com/sites/default/files/SI1458G%20Connecting%20Rod%20Bolts%20%281%29.pdf

Bottom line:  If you have a Lycoming engine that is affected by this AD, your local A&P may very well be able to remove the cylinders, do the inspection, and reinstall the cylinders, as long as your connecting rod bushings PASS THE TEST.  However, if you need to have any connecting rods changed due to failing the bushing test, BE VERY CAREFUL about having the work done by your local A&P… this is a task that just might be best accomplished by a reputable engine-overhauler.  Just read through SB 632B (great pictures,) and SI 1458G, and you will discover that “This ain’t no task to be taken lightly!”  Make sure it is done with the care and precision necessary  for reliable operation.

Also, in today’s episode, I talked a little more about the instrument nut that I recently found behind the instrument panel of a Cessna 182.  This past week, I noticed some good techniques for fastening instrument nuts in place to prevent them from falling down behind the panel.  Here are a couple pictures from a twin Cessna I worked on this past week at Classic Aviation, LLC:

Notice how the lacing cord is used to tie the instrument nuts in place.

And here’s another method of tying the nut in place with lacing cord:

Thanks so much for the feedback I received from Arthur Rosen, and from Joshua Swartz, both about the issue of starting airplane engines, and what they found helpful from episode 019.  (Listen to the episode to hear what their emails said to me.)  This leads me to the challenge I’m giving today:

The Zero-Throttle Starting Challenge:

To find any piston airplane engine, where this technique does not work… because I don’t know of any at this point.  (This starting technique is describe in great detail, in Episode 019.)

I also received an email from Bret Chilcott this past week… thanks Bret!  If you have not listened to the episode with Bret, he is doing some very fascinating things in aviation, both flying his own 1947 Stinson, and also, providing drones that are used to survey crop fields.  Take a look at the notes for episode 055 and the great pictures and videos that Bret provided for us.  AgEagle is the name of his company (AgEagle.com)

Thanks for listening, and for checking out the website… if you appreciate the Airplane Owner Maintenance podcast, please go to iTunes and leave a star rating, and write a short review, so that others can become aware of what we offer.

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What kind of “sticky” are we talking about?  Listen to today’s episode, and you’ll find out.

But first, we have a couple of other things to cover:

1. Update on the Cessna 182 that was mentioned in a recent episode, where some pitted lifters and a questionable spot on the camshaft, were found.
2. Follow up on a situation with a listener’s attitude indicator.

In today’s episode, we talk about a variety of things, including sticking exhaust valves in Lyoming engines.  Lycoming has a Service Bulletin (388C) that was issued years ago to address this issue.  (Thank you to Barry Sparonello, who requested some information about this topic in a podcast episode.)  The specific test on the valves and valve guides is sometimes referred to as the “wobble test.’  Here is a link to that Lycoming Service Bulletin:

http://www.caa.si/fileadmin/user_upload/pageuploads/AD-NOTE/AD-2006/093_sb_SB388C.pdf

Paul New, at Tennessee Aircraft Services, in Jackson, TN, is very experienced with this procedure, and has the necessary equipment to do it.  Here is a link to an excellent article that Paul wrote on this topic:

http://www.tennesseeaircraft.net/422/

Check out some other items in this episode as well, including when to overhaul your airplane engine… for Lycomings, SI 1009 might be helpful as a reference.

Also, listen to today’s episode, to get some good information about the new Service Bulletin on Lycoming connecting rod bushings – MSB 632B.

Don’t take your Lycoming engine apart just yet if you don’t have to.  Let the dust settle on this service bulletin, and then make a decision.

Here are a couple Interesting / Startling things I found recently:

An instrument nut, that had fallen into a wire bundle behind the instrument panel in a cessna 182.  Thankfully, it was not shorting anything out!

A razor blade that was riding around in the tail of a twin Cessna for who knows how long!

Have a great week everyone!

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When you taxi up to the maintenance shop, how do you park?  And when you pick up your airplane after maintenance, how is your situational awareness when it comes to starting and taxiing operations?

These are a couple of items we discuss in today’s episode.

We also cover some listener feedback.  One is a Piper owner who has a situation with an attitude indicator… we talk about that a little.

The other is a Grumman Tiger owner who had some requests for future topics.

Thanks so much to both of you for contacting me!

Finally, in today’s episode, I share a surprising thing I found in an airplane I was working on.  Here are a few pictures:

The aircraft battery has been removed from this area in the tail of this Aerostar.

This is the view inside that tail area after the plastic cover is removed at the forward side of the battery compartment.

And this is what I found in there!  A stubby 5/8 wrench… who knows how long it has been riding around in there?

If you have any questions or comments, leave me a voice message by clicking the tab over at the side of the page, or send me an email:  dean(at)airplaneownermaintenance(dot)com.

Thanks!

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In today’s episode, we talk about a real life situation that is in process right now.  Someone walked in the shop a couple days ago and asked my opinion about some lifters and the cam shaft in this C-182 engine.

The following pictures ARE NOT the lifters I referred to in the podcast.  These pictures are from a C-310 years ago that had a severely worn lifter and cam shaft, which resulted in that engine being overhauled.  If lifters look like this, they must be removed immediately, (most likely the cam shaft too.)

Many times, lifters will show just a bit of pitting.  The ones I referred to in the podcast, had a small area on each one.

If possible, this is the type of thing you definitely hope to find BEFORE you buy the airplane, if possible.  Many times it’s hard to know what things look like inside, unless you remove a cylinder and take a look.

Here’s where you can go to watch that 2:13 video I referred to, and hear from Adam Sipe about their prebuy services:

https://www.airplaneprebuy.com/

And by all means, whatever you do, and whoever you choose to hire, ALWAYS do a prebuy inspection… and consider carefully what action to take, based on the results… you just might avoid a costly situation in the future.

Send me any prebuy stories you’d like to share, to dean(at)airplaneownermaintenance(dot)com

Thanks!

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Sometimes, a “One-Time” AD might need some further attention.

In today’s episode, we highlight one of those AD’s.   AD 91-17-01 affects Beechcraft Bonanzas, Barons, Debonairs, and Travelairs.  Listen to today’s episode to hear about the details, and when you might need to be especially aware of this AD.

Here are some pictures of the left and right elevator trim actuator areas and where the identification paint markings need to be applied.

We also discuss a couple other AD’s on a Cessna 182 that might also need some further attention, even though they are written as “One-Time” AD’s.

 And here’s the pictures I mentioned in this episode… the red velvet pancakes, and the strawberry orange cream cheese crepe!

That’s it for this week… please send any feedback, questions or comments to this email:

dean(at)airplaneownermaintenance(dot)com  (trying to avoid the crazy web bots picking up my email!)

And, you can always click the button on the right side of the page at airplaneownermaintenance.com

Thanks!

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Real-Life maintenance lessons from a Beechcraft Baron that could apply to many different kinds of airplanes:

• ECI cylinder AD.

• Fuel selector issue.

• Cigarette lighter anomaly.

• Heater decay test.

• Simple check for engine controls.

• Oil drain plug safety wiring.

• Oil leakage at oil cooler.

• Continental throttle body support studs and nuts.

The top area  with the dark residue, is where the missing nut and worn stud, were located.

• Aircraft battery connections.

• Hydraulic fluid leakage at parking brake valve.

• Propeller slow to feather and unfeather.

• Crankshaft seal leakage.

  

Since the prop had to be removed, it’s a perfect time to replace the crankshaft seal.

• Required POH placards.

Thanks to Adam Sipe and Don Sebastian for having me as a guest on the Airplane Intel Podcast!  It was a great conversation with them and you can find that episode here:

 https://www.airplaneprebuy.com/020

Also, while you’re there, take a look around at all the valuable resources they provide.

I’m incredibly grateful to all the people who have taken the time to leave a rating and review for the podcast on iTunes.  I caught up on sharing those in this episode, with the latest 4 reviews.  If you appreciate the Airplane Owner Maintenance podcast and have not left a rating and review, I’d be grateful if you would do that, and the process is simple:

1. Go to iTunes.

2. Click on “Store.”

3. Type “Airplane Owner Maintenance” in the search bar and press enter.

4. Click on the little square podcast picture.

5. Click “Ratings and reviews.”

6. Select and click your star rating.

7. Click “write a review.”

8. Type and submit your review.

Thank you so much, and if you would like me to share your real name and a website, just leave that in the text of your review, and I’ll be happy to do that for you!

Here’s a new podcast I’m recommending, that I found out about through Don Sebastian:

The “Aviation News Talk” podcast with Max Trescott, who was the 2008 National CFI of the Year.”  You can check out the podcast and resources here:

http://aviationnewstalk.com/

In his latest episode, he had some excellent tips on mag checks, both in flight and on the ground, before shutdown.

Send me any questions and feedback to dean@airplaneownermaintenance.com

Or, leave me a voice message on the website. Thanks!

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It was such a pleasure to meet Paul and Helen New, the owners of Tennessee Aircraft Services, Inc. in Jackson, Tennessee.   In addition to running the maintenance shop, Paul is a writer, speaker, consultant, and technical advisor for the Cessna Pilot’s Association.

Paul soloed the day after his 16th birthday, but he operated the controls of an airplane long before that… listen to today’s episode for some fascinating stories.

Also, be sure to check out Paul’s website, TennesseeAircraft.net.  He has some great articles there, as well as several videos.  Paul is a great resource for general aviation, and as he mentioned in the interview, he can be reached at tasnew@gmail.com.

Paul pointed out that Helen is an IA also… she’s the “Intelligence Auditor!”

What a necessary position, to make sure the maintenance record entries are legible, and will be preserved for future use.

Paul also gave us some tips about what NOT TO DO, and what TO DO, when it’s time to take your airplane to the maintenance shop.

One of these tips could help you not to lose your maintenance records, which is vitally important, since missing maintenance records could reduce the value of an airplane by about 30 %!

We both gave a shout-out to our English teachers… mine was Miss Beachy, and Paul’s was Faye Hardin.  We might have “endured those English classes years ago, but today, it’s a valuable skill to be able to write maintenance record entries that are concise, accurate, and that make sense.

The Cessna 210 is one of Paul favorite airplanes, and if you have a 210 with a specific maintenance need, you might want to consider flying it to Jackson, TN!

Paul shared a life lesson that he learned from aviation… “It’s not the bounce… it’s the recovery that counts.”  It’s not the things that happen to you in life… it’s what you do and how you react and respond to those things, that really makes the difference.  What a great life lesson!

And finally, on my way out, I stopped in the FBO and looked around… what an incredibly nice pilot’s lounge, complete with a “massage chair!”  This is worth walking inside for, if you ever fly to Jackson, Tennessee!

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Here’s one of the recent videos I put on YouTube:

You can check out my YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb2jZzMk6R_eyUjsS-Wj5ig

Be looking for more, and improved videos real soon.

In today’s podcast episode, I gave an evaluation of the safety wiring video, and some ideas about things I’d like to do differently next time.

Today’s episode also includes the rest of the dual magneto story from a couple weeks ago.

And finally, I got a listener question that I thought was worth answering on the show, so that’s in there as well.

Thank you Chris McGough, for the excellent question… it made me dig a little, and hopefully others will benefit from the information as well.

Here are some links from today’s episode:

The AvWeb article about safety wiring techniques:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb2jZzMk6R_eyUjsS-Wj5ig

Excellent article by Jeff Simon called: EATING THE ELEPHANT: USING EXPERIENCE TO QUALIFY FOR YOUR A&P CERTIFICATE:

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2014/may/21/using-experience-for-ap

An Airframe and powerplant Q and A:

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/lbb/local_more/media/ap_testing.pdf