Airplane Owner Maintenance

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

Author: Dean Showalter (Page 2 of 26)

242 – Your Airplane’s Alternator: Neglected or Well-Cared-For?

June 20, 2024 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this podcast episode, we’re talking about alternator maintenance!

Here’s the alternator I removed from a Beechcraft Bonanza to inspect the drive coupling and the brushes… note the brush assembly in the lower right side of the photo:

The brushes had plenty of length left, but they needed a good cleaning due to carbon dust that had collected from normal brush wear. Check it out:

After a good cleaning, the brushes looked great and were ready to reinstall.

Another thing (and perhaps more important) I wanted to check on this alternator is the elastomer drive coupling:

There have been numerous cases where these drive couplings have come apart and caused serious engine damage and / or failure.

Since it had been nearly 500 hours since this alternator was removed and inspected, I wanted to verify the drive coupling’s condition.

I performed the following: (Reference Continental M-0 manual.)

  • Verified no slippage at 140 inch pounds.
  • Verified proper coupling attach nut torque.
  • Installed new cotter pin.
  • Cleaned off old gasket and installed alternator with new gasket.

If you have a belt driven alternator, it’s important to keep the belt tensioned properly and in good condition.

How about you?

Do you have a plan for proactive preventive maintenance on your airplane’s alternator?

If not, you may be interested in listening to the audio for this episode, and then make a plan that best fits your situation.

It’s certainly a good idea to check alternator brushes each 500 hours.

And for gear driven alternators, it’s probably wise to check the drive coupling at a shorter interval than that. There have been too many stories of these couplings coming loose and / or coming apart, and if we can prevent that, it’s always a good thing!

For some additional discussion on this topic, here’s some interesting info I found on the Pilots of America site:

When to Overhaul / Replace Alternator

The post “242 – Your Airplane’s Alternator: Neglected or Well-Cared-For?” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

241 – Best Airplane Engine Overhaul Shops

June 12, 2024 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When it’s time to overhaul your engine, who do you call? Where do you go?

Listen to this episode to hear ideas from other airplane owners who have had good experiences with various engine overhaul shops around the country.

I always love meeting podcast listeners, and I was surprised when I met Ken Blow recently at the King Air Gathering in West Virginia… a bunch of us were at the Lewisburg airport one afternoon looking at all the King Airs, and Ken mentioned he listens to the Airplane Owner Maintenance podcast. Great to meet you Ken! (Ken is the Executive Vice President of Kadex Aero Supply in Ontario, Canada.)

The post “241 – Best Airplane Engine Overhaul Shops” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

240 – MEI Check Ride Struggles

May 7, 2024 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This ‘ol Piper Apache served me very well to get my MEI training and check ride done.

Listen to the audio for this episode to hear how my check ride went… it was a challenging one!

This part of the podcast is toward the end.

This episode also covers something we did for our son Seth around the time of his birthday… we found someone to take him for a helicopter ride!

It was truly an amazing day!

The post “240 – MEI Check Ride Struggles” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

239 – When Your “Perfect” Airplane Gets a Prebuy

April 13, 2024 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Note: Scroll down to see who I unexpectedly met in Florida this past week!

Now for the Prebuy… it was some months ago, and I did a prebuy inspection on a nice airplane on behalf of the buyer.

I also became good friends with the owner / seller, for which I was grateful, because sometimes these can end up being sticky situations.

The owner / seller (who is a really great gentleman) seemed to think his airplane was nearly perfect, and there should be very little wrong with it.

And by all means, it was a very nice airplane indeed. So much so, that if I was buying it, I’d be thrilled!

Nevertheless, I found some things that needed attention.

Listen to the episode to hear about the things I noted, which I categorized into three parts:

  • Significant Items
  • Miscellaneous Observations
  • Items to consider during next annual inspection

I’m not going to list them all here, but I talked about them in the audio for this episode.

Here’s a photo of one item I found… the right flap forward rib had a large crack in the leading edge – a very common problem on Bonanzas. (The flap was sent out for repair, and reinstalled, as part of the selling process.)

This crack can be seen by looking outboard and forward inside the open inspection hole in the flap in the following photo:

The following photo shows the forward nose gear rod end that was replaced, along with the nose gear down spring and some other hardware (note the small grease zerk in the side of the rod end… rod ends that are drilled for a grease zerk have been known to fail, and it’s wise to replace them with the solid type.)

Note: American Bonanza Society (ABS) recommends replacing all three rod ends for the Bonanza nose gear system every 2000 hours.

For me, the prebuy was a great experience, and I’m hopeful both the seller and the buyer feel the same way.

In my estimation, we took a really nice airplane, and made if even better… and that makes me happy!

How about you? Is your airplane perfect?

One way to see how perfect it is would be to get some other eyes on it from time to time… take it somewhere different every few years for the annual inspection.

Then, when it comes time to sell it, perhaps it will be just a little closer to perfect!

Now for my huge surprise in Florida this past week… I met a very fine gentleman at the Orlando Executive Airport, and even got a photo with him:

This is Mr. Bob Showalter, of the Showalter Flying Service in Orlando, which the family sold back in 2015.

I was grateful to meet such a fine gentleman that day, and to learn more about him and his family, and how they have contributed in such a huge and impacting way to the world of aviation.

So many people have asked me over the years if I was related to the Showalters who have the FBO in Orlando, and my answer will now be, “Not that I’m aware of, but if I was related to them, I’d be proud!”

If you’re interested in some fascinating history of Bob’s family and Showalter Flying Service, here’s a link with all kinds of interesting information, as well as a large assortment of really fun photos from years ago.

Showalter Flying Service

And here’s another one:

Showalter Airpark

Enjoy!

And Mr. Bob, it was a real pleasure to meet you sir! I was very inspired to hear you are still going strong and still flying a jet with your son!

The post “239 – When Your “Perfect” Airplane Gets a Prebuy” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

238 – Check Ride Thoughts & Piper Door Stop Repair

April 5, 2024 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This podcast episode includes the following:

  • Update on my CFII check ride from March 8, 2024
  • A description of several maintenance items on a Piper Cherokee
  • Some emails I received from podcast listeners, some encouraging me about my check ride, and some sharing inspiring stories of what they are doing in their aviation journeys… I love hearing about what you guys are doing!
  • Two resources I recommend for people who are about to take a check ride:
  • One is an article in the March 2024 AOPA Pilot magazine titled “Impress the Examiner” by Catherine Cavagnaro.
  • The second one is something our friend Leslie Caubble is doing through her new website, UltimateAviationAcademy.com (She’s providing mock oral check rides to prepare pilots for the oral portion of the check ride.)

Here’s a photo of the Piper Cherokee door stop I repaired by installing a new spring, P/N 65730-00. Now the door stop snaps nicely into the open detent, instead of closing on you while you’re getting in or out of the airplane.

The post “238 – Check Ride Thoughts & Piper Door Stop Repair” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

237 – Checkride Butterflies!

March 5, 2024 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

My CFII checkride is in three days! Yikes!

I’m excited, and I have a few butterflies as well… I just hope they are friendly butterflies 🙂

Today’s podcast episode is about checkrides, and some encouragement for all of us to move forward with whatever that next step is… whether it’s a private pilot certificate, an instrument rating, or something else.

If you’re thinking about getting a new pilot certificate or rating, I encourage you to go for it!

Let me know how things are going… I always love to hear from you guys!

The post “237 – Checkride Butterflies!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

236 – Spare Parts and Tools to Carry in Your Airplane

February 2, 2024 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Check out this spare parts case my friend Bill created!

Although you might not want to carry that much extra stuff in YOUR airplane, it still might be worth thinking about some items to have in case of emergencies.

This podcast episode will include the following:

  • Some feedback from others about spare parts.
  • A story about a communication blunder I made a while back.
  • Update on getting my CFII.
  • And… some fun laughs and goodbye’s from my little grandson!

Enjoy the show, and leave me a message if you like!

The post “236 – Spare Parts and Tools to Carry in Your Airplane” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

235 – Ugly Propellers and What to Do About Them

October 12, 2023 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The paint was eroding on the King Air 350 prop blades. After a lot of research for paint and new Hartzell decals, I was ready to begin.

Here’s where I bought the prop paint and new Hartzell decals:

aerotouchups

It was important to NOT get paint on anything other than the prop blades…

Finally, after finishing the black and gray paint, it was time to paint the white stripes (my favorite part and the part that makes the whole blade pop!)

I was very happy with the end result:

Always consult your maintenance manual before painting prop blades. It’s also a good idea to check in with your favorite prop shop for tips and advice as well.

Other items discussed in this podcast episode:

  • The bad audio in episode 234 and how it’s been fixed.
  • Finishing the Aerostar annual and the two surprises at the end.
  • King Air fuel quantity issue, and replacing a fuel probe.
  • King Air battery capacity test and reconditioning charge.

The post “235 – Ugly Propellers and What to Do About Them” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

234 – Why the Airplane’s Heater Didn’t Light Last Winter

September 23, 2023 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

I’ll get right to it… I think it was because one of the brushes in the heater combustion fan motor was severely worn, and when the motor / combustion fan did not run, the heater did not light.

Here’s a comparison of the old brushes and the new brushes I just installed:

(The 2 old brushes are on the left.)

This episode also includes the nose gear support structure rivets that needed to be replaced:

Now you might be wondering, “What kind of airplane is this?!”

It’s an Aerostar… a great airplane, but like all airplanes, it does take some maintenance.

And one area that needs to be inspected closely is the nose gear support structure. (The rivets in the above photo are in a bracket that supports the nose gear door rod shaft. The bolt below the center red arrow holds the left side of the shaft in place in the nose gear well.)

Listen to the audio to hear the complete list of squawks being addressed in this year’s annual inspection.

Have a great week!

The post “234 – Why the Airplane’s Heater Didn’t Light Last Winter” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

233 – Mike’s Owner Assisted Annual on His F33A Bonanza

September 8, 2023 /

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Mike Garcia has become a good friend over the past year or so.

Recently we completed his annual inspection together, and he really enjoyed working on his airplane while learning more about what’s under the surface!

Mike was my guest on the podcast this week, so be sure to listen to the audio for that conversation.

Mike’s wife is also learning to fly, and one of their favorite ways to use the airplane is flying from Virginia to New Mexico to see family!

And of course they take their favorite companion, Rama along on these trips as well!

Now for all you maintenance geeks out there, you might like a couple photos I took from the old parts we removed from Mike’s Bonanza.

First, the crankshaft seal that came out in pieces, along with the lock nuts we replaced when we reinstalled the prop:

And here’s the pile of rusty hardware we replaced when we installed the new tail pipes:

(I sometimes hang on to old airplane parts and pieces, to the point of driving my wife crazy… but if I can do something useful with them like including photos for a podcast episode, I feel better about throwing them in the trash! 🙂

Links mentioned in this episode:

Flight-Insight.com (This is the resource Mike Garcia mentioned that he found helpful.)

MauiPineappleStore.com (You can help these people recuperate from the terrible fire that destroyed their store in Lahaina, by buying pineapples… I ordered a case of them, and they are the best tasting pineapples ever!) My grandson helped me open the box when they arrived!

Have a great weekend!

The post “233 – Mike’s Owner Assisted Annual on His F33A Bonanza” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Airplane Owner Maintenance

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑