Airplane Owner Maintenance

A Maintenance Oriented Podcast For Airplane Owners, Pilots, and Mechanics

Month: June 2020

146 – Fixing an Obscure Oil Leak

June 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The part in the yellow circle is an oil scavenge pump that returns oil back to the engine oil sump after it lubricates the turbocharger center bearings. The right side of the assembly is the adapter that fits into the engine accessory case. The left side of the assembly is the hydraulic pump that is used for the landing gear system, the flap system, and the nosegear steering system in this Aerostar 601.

Inside the oil scavenge pump, there are two oil seals, (sometimes called garlock seals,) and two o-rings.

In today’s episode, we discuss this type of pump that reminded me of A&P school from years ago… it’s called a “gerotor pump.” It has a gear within a gear.

Listen to the audio for the details on fixing this oil leak.

We also talk about a Mooney M20K engine in this episode… we lapped the exhaust valve in cylinder #5. We might end up checking the exhaust valve in cylinder #2 as well to make sure it’s not sticking, after the owner had some classic “morning sickness” symptoms as described in Mike Busch’s recent article about sticking exhaust valves. The article is well worth reading.

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/july/pilot/savvy-maintance-valves

And while we’re on the subject of exhaust valves, I wanted to remind everyone this resource is available for free… for now. If you want to learn about what to look for when you’re borescoping exhaust valves, this is a great resource. I’m considering moving the guide into the paid section of resources, so grab a copy while you can.

Click here and sign up with your email, and you’ll receive a free copy of the guide, for at least another two weeks.

Click here to get the Exhaust Valve Borescoping Guide.

And if you have a friend, or a few friends who might benefit from this resource, please share this link with them: AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com/exhaustvalves

Post it on Facebook or Instagram, or wherever you like, so people can take advantage of it while it’s free.

Also in this episode:

  • A big “thank you” to Jeff Claridge who contacted me and did a conference call with me to demonstrate the smoke tester he has to detect leaks in engines. He suggested this would be a great tool for checking exhaust and intake systems for leaks on airplane engines… after seeing it in action, I totally agree! Thanks Jeff!
  • The tester Jeff has is an Autool SDT202. (If you make a purchase with the following link, I’ll get a small percentage… thanks so much!)
  • Thanks also, to Joe Godfrey for talking with us in episode 144, about engine monitoring and data, and how to use SavvyAnalysis.com to analyze that data. Joe used the data from the Cessna 172 Hawk XP that was discussed in episode 142, in the recent “puzzler” in the Savvy Aviation newsletter. Check it out: https://resources.savvyaviation.com/grok-savvy-analysis-puzzler-june-2020/. Thank you Joe!
  • I recorded a conversation yesterday with my friend, Aram Basmadjian, that will appear in a future episode. Be looking for that one. Aram owns and flies a V-tail Bonanza.
  • I also recorded a second conversation yesterday with Jim Weir, a gentleman I only recently became aware of. He has a very unique and strategic way of doing “owner assisted” annual inspecions. That one will also be in a future episode.

Thanks everyone, and have a great week!

The post, “146 – Fixing an Obscure Oil Leak” appeared first on AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com/146

145 – Seatbelt Airbags and Transient Voltage Suppressors

June 16, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

NOTE: I now have limited spots available on Fridays for one-on-one calls.

Here’s how it works:

Why would you invest in one of these calls?

  • General look-over of your airplane.
  • Troubleshooting an issue with your airplane.
  • Question and answer session.
  • General airplane advice.
  • Other ideas you may have.

And… it’s risk-free. Within 24 hours after the call, if you are not completely satisfied with the results, I’ll gladly refund 100% of your money… and we’ll still be friends 🙂 Your complete satisfaction is a top priority for me.

So schedule a one-hour call with me, Dean Showalter, today.

Just pick your time https://calendly.com/deanshow/60min

And make your payment for $100 PayPal.Me/airplaneownermaint

And we’ll be all set!

Now for today’s topics:

Listen to the episode to hear about a couple challenging issues on a Cirrus SR22 aircraft.

First, the TVS’s, or “Transient Voltage Suppressors.”

There are two different types of these TVS’s. One type is installed in the wiring bundle and is hard to see because it’s mostly covered with heat shrink. The other type is a device about 2 1/2 inches square and about 1/2 inch or so thick. The inline type, along with the corresponding fuses, is pictured in the red circle.

These are used to help guard against lightening strike damage. In this particular airplane, the manual indicates there are 10 TVS’s. Each one has its own fuse, and is to be visually checked at the annual inspection.

Here’s a closer view of a couple of the fuses for this system.

The various TVS’s are located in different areas, including some in the center console area, accessible by removing the panel near the copilot’s left leg.

That’s one topic we discuss in this episode (Transient Voltage Suppressors.)

The second topic is seatbelt airbags.

The AmSafe system includes an EMA (electronic module assembly,) one inflator for the pilot seat and one inflator for the copilot seat, inflatable airbags incorporated into the seatbelts, and the wiring to connect all these components, including a test plug.

The test plug is used at the annual inspection. A test box is connected to the test plug, and the tester gives a pass/fail indication of the various parts of the system.

We talk about this system in today’s episode as well.

Remember, you can schedule a one-on-one call with me on a Friday by picking a time on my calendar: https://calendly.com/deanshow/60min and making a payment for $100 here: PayPal.Me/airplaneownermaint

After you’ve scheduled a time and paid for the one-hour spot, we’ll

Thanks, and have a great week!

The post “145 – Seatbelt Airbags and Transient Voltage Suppressors” appeared first on AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

144 – Joe Godfrey, Engine Data, and Savvy Analysis

June 6, 2020 / / 2 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Joe Godfrey is an expert when it comes to analyzing engine data from aircraft engine monitoring systems.

Joe is the Director of Operations at SavvyAnalysis, as well as a Columnist and Editor for SavvyAviation News.

Not only does Joe analyze airplane engine data, but he also owns and flies his own airplane, a Bellanca Viking.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the “Puzzler” in the Savvy Aviation Newsletter, where some real-world airplane engine data is discussed in a way to help us understand how to “read” the data. These puzzlers are from actual problems encountered in real airplanes.

Listen to today’s episode to hear Joe’s thoughts on the value of engine monitors in airplanes, and how to interpret the data that’s collected.

Savvy Analysis is by far the BEST platform I’ve ever seen for analyzing engine data. You can open an account for free, and upload your data, and look at all the graphs and features for free. If you need help interpreting what you see, you can pay a small fee to have Joe and the other experts at Savvy analyze your data for you and help you understand what it means.

Click here to learn more about SavvyAnalysis.com

While you’re there, be sure to check out the new technology being launched by Savvy to help detect failing exhaust valves before they become an in-flight issue. It’s called FEVA, which stands for Failing Exhaust Valve Analytics.

Joe Godfrey is also a very interesting guy outside of aviation… he plays multiple types of guitars, and he’s had some pretty cool experiences in the music industry. Check it out at his personal website: JoeGodfrey.com

Finally, listen to today’s episode to find out why I’m now kicking myself for not collecting the engine data out of an airplane that had the engine come apart recently. Thankfully, the pilot was flying alone and landed safely. It would have been a great learning opportunity if I could have seen the data on a computer screen after the #2 connecting rod punched a hole through the crankcase and broke the left magneto right off the engine!

Next time I’ll be more proactive to collect the data… it would have been so easy.

The instructions for doing this, and so much more, are at SavvyAnalysis.com

One last fun thing: I also discovered Joe knows a lot about jingles and ring tones… I mentioned to him that I’d been wanting to have a ring tone set up on my iPhone so that “Brown Eyed Girl” would play when my wife Maria calls me (she actually is my brown eyed girl!). The very next day, he sent me a custom ringtone… thanks Joe!

You can contact Joe through Savvy Aviation or through his website JoeGodfrey.com

The post “144 – Joe Godfrey, Engine Data, and Savvy Analysis” first appeared on AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

© 2024 Airplane Owner Maintenance

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑