Author: Dean Showalter (Page 23 of 26)

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Spark plug servicing… it’s one of the FAA-approved tasks that airplane owners can perform and sign off on their own airplanes.

It’s really not a complicated process, but one that deserves some careful attention to detail to make sure the work is done properly.

This is not a training course… it’s just information that hopefully will motivate you as an airplane owner to get some help to learn more about spark plugs.  Or, if you are already familiar with the process, perhaps there might be something new here for you to consider.

Remember, always get training for this type of thing the first time or  two, until you get familiar with performing the task yourself.

Here are some things you may need, or find useful, in servicing your aircraft spark plugs:

1.  Wrenches for removing the spark plug wires from your plugs, one either 7/8 or 3/4, and one for the smaller nut to keep the  wire/lead from twisting while you remove the nut.
2. A spark plug servicing kit, like this one from Aircraft Spruce, can be very helpful:  http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/sparkplugmaintkit.php?recfer=3551  And if you want to buy just the spark plug socket, they have that too.

3. A 3/8” drive ratchet for the spark plug socket.

4. A gauge for determining if the plug is too worn or not (The center electrode is perfectly round when new, so if it looks too much like a football, it may be too worn… use the gauge to tell.)

5. A pick for carefully removing lead chunks.

6. A torque wrench.

7. And finally, number seven, that amazing little tool, the gap expander, for those occasional times when you get the spark plug gap a little too tight!

As far as I’m concerned, this is truly a must-have tool for spark plug servicing!

At Classic Aviation, we keep a bin of annealed spark plug gaskets (left).  The annealed ones will seal better  when the spark plug is reinstalled.  (Check out the right picture above to see how easy it is to bend an annealed gasket with your fingers.)

Below are some more items you may want to use for cleaning spark plugs:  Blasting media for a spark plug cleaner, and a gap gauge to get the gap set properly.  If you buy a kit like I mentioned above, these may be part of that kit.

Here are some more helpful pieces of information on spark plugs if you’re interested:

For Lycoming engines:

http://lycoming.com/Portals/0/techpublications/serviceinstructions/SI1042AA_2_17_15.pdf

For Continental engines:  check out SIL 02-3C.

One final tip:  Keep a spare spark plug or two in your airplane, along with the proper tools to change it if necessary… one day, you may be glad you did!

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Episode #030… thanks Cliff Ravenscraft for all the excellent instruction in the course Podcasting A to Z!  That’s how I was even able to get this thing off the ground!

And, if YOU have a reason to start a podcast, check out Cliff’s course… it is top-notch!  For more information, check out PodcastingAtoZ.com

In today’s episode, I’m telling the story about troubleshooting a Precise Flight Pulselite system in an A36 Bonanza.  It was not working when the airplane came in for the annual inspection, and it took some digging to determine what was wrong and fix it.

It was worth it though… I’m a firm believer in pulsing landing lights, for the increased visibility they provide to other aircraft.

Locating the Pulselite control was a key part of the troubleshooting process.

                                                                                                        Finding the unmarked fuse holders for the Pulselite system was quite challenging… they were behind the circuit breaker panel on the pilot’s sidewall.

Turns out, the 20 amp fuse was blown!  Check out the picture of the blown fuse, along with a new one to replace it.

Hopefully, labeling these fuseholders and putting a placard next to the Pulselite control, may help someone in the future, if there is ever another similar problem with this system.

In situations like these, sometimes it may be helpful to have the installation records and 337 form for a modification like this.  So I wanted to mention that you can get a CD of these kinds of records from the FAA Certification Office for a very small fee… just $10!  If your 337 forms and records are scattered or incomplete, this may be something to look into.

As I think back on this whole scenario now, it reminded me of some things that airplane owners can do, to make the troubleshooting process more efficient for their mechanics, especially if it is an added piece of equipment, that may not have any information in the aircraft maintenance manual.

1.  You can order a copy of your aircraft records from the FAA Certification Office.  You can get a CD for $10, that will include all the 337 forms that have been filed for your airplane.  This is an amazing resource!  Keep this information available to your mechanic, especially during annual inspection.
2. Whenever possible, make sure all your fuse holders are labeled, both for the component they are powering, and the proper amperage of the fuse.
3. Add a listing of all these fuse holders, and their location, and the proper amperage of the fuse, in your POH or owner’s manual.  (Perhaps in the section for the electrical system.)
4. When having modifications done to your airplane, ask questions about all this, and make a plan to ensure all these details are covered.  You’ll be glad you did if…
5. Whenever you encounter a problem like the one I described today, go ahead and label things at that time, if not already done.(I put a placard next to the Pulselite control, indicating that there were 2 fuses for this system behind the pilot’s circuit breaker panel.)

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Last Friday, I had an opportunity to do some flying with John Trissel at Eagles Nest Airport, in Waynesboro, Virginia.  John is the airport manager at Eagles Nest.

Check out this unique little airport here:

http://www.eaglesnest.aero/

AND, if you want to see what it’s like to land at Eagles Nest, check out this you tube video:

Here’s another picture from the airport’s website:

Last Friday, we were getting John checked out in Don Vreuls’ PA 24-250, a very nice Comanche, I might add!

This airplane also has a fairly impressive instrument panel, with enough toys to keep you occupied for hours, even on a long flight!  Check out the AOA indicator to the left of the airspeed indicator.  If you would like to see more information on this, you can go to www.alphasystemsaoa.com.  Mark Korin is passionate about using these AOA systems to save lives.  (He was one of my favorite speakers at a recent IA renewal seminar.)

So all in all, it turned out to be a great day at Eagles Nest, and I was grateful for the opportunity.

Thank you John… I really enjoyed flying with you!

And thank you Don… you have a very nice airplane, and it’s always a pleasure to work with you!

One more thing… If any of you out there have any good short runway stories or pictures that you would be willing to share with me, please send me an email:  deanshow@gmail.com.  Thanks!

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What is flight control rigging?

Flight control rigging, involves checking and making any necessary adjustments IAW the MM instructions, to make sure all cable tensions, control positions and movements, and travel stops are set within the MM specifications. 

When done properly, this ensures that the airplane will perform at it’s optimal capability, fly straight and level in cruise, and achieve the best airspeeds possible.

Some true stories about flight control systems being misrigged have turned out well, while others have not.

Listen to today’s episode and be reminded of the importance of  proper flight control rigging.

AD 2013-02-13 and Piper SB 1245A

When this AD and service bulletin are done on Piper stabilator control cables, it is a prime time to make sure of proper rigging when the inspection is finished.

McFarlane Aviation has all this information, along with new control cables, if necessary, on their website:

http://www.mcfarlaneaviation.com/Details.aspx?Article=402

What can you do as a pilot to make sure your airplane is rigged properly?

1. Do a rigging visual inspection.
   1. Center the control yoke.
   2. Make sure ailerons are evenly aligned with the flaps or the wingtips.
   3. If adjustable (like many Beechcraft models), make sure the elevators are evenly aligned with the horizontal stabilizers.
   4. Check to see that when the rudder is centered, the nosewheel is also centered.  (Unless of course you own a Cirrus, Diamond, or other airplane with a castering, non-steerable nosewheel.

2. Move cockpit controls and verify proper movement of control surfaces.

3. Check all trim system movements and indications.

4. Don’t just “gloss over” the controls check during preflight checklist.

5. Do a complete “free and correct” check in both directions…esp after avionics!

I’ve developed a check list called:

Aircraft Rigging Checklist for Pilots

It’s a step by step instructional checklist you can use to check your airplane control systems, that will help you to determine if your airplane is rigged properly.

It’s good for almost any airplane… Beech, Cessna, Piper, and many others.

I will send you this for free as a PDF  document if you send me an email… deanshow@gmail.com and mention you would like the Aircraft Rigging Checklist for Pilots.

So… when do you know your airplane might need some rigging attention?

1. Your airplane does not fly straight and level in cruise.

2. Your flight controls or trim tabs do not match the cockpit control positions.

3. Your flight controls do not positively contact the stops.

4. You go through my rigging checklist, and notice something out of the ordinary.

Remember, when moving flight controls during any of these checks, make sure you are very careful and pushing on places with good structure.

Don’t lift elevators by the trim tabs.

Be careful about moving Piper rudders… cables are very tight, and because of the design, cannot be moved easily unless on jacks.

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In episode #26, I mentioned briefly the importance of flight control surface balancing.

Then, the other day, I got an email requesting more information about flight control balancing and rigging.

Thank you, Ashley Blythe, for sending that in!

In this episode, we discuss paint jobs, how to tell the good ones from the not-so-good ones, and flight control surface balancing.

Check out the following video that demonstrates why control surface balance is so important… you don’t ever want to experience this kind of flutter in flight!

Here is an article by Paul New of Tennessee Aircraft Services from November 15, 2009:

http://www.tennesseeaircraft.net/keeping-your-balance/

This is a helpful and easy-to-understand article about balancing.

Here is a Piper Comanche that I flew with my son to Dial Eastern States Aircraft Painting in Cadiz, OH years ago.

They do a very nice paint job!

You can check them out at www.desapi.com

You can also see a picture on their website of this same aircraft after the paint job… it turned out beautiful!

Here is the 15 step process they use to paint an airplane:

Balancing of flight controls should be a part of every aircraft paint job!

Here are some signs of a possible “Shady Paint Job.”

1.  The aircraft painted with the flight controls installed.  How to tell?  Paint on the mounting hardware;  leading edges not painted well, due to lack of access;  areas not painted very well fwd of ailerons and rudder, and elevator.
2. Little attention to hard-to-get-to areas:  flap wells, gear wells, etc.  A really quality paint job will give reasonable attention to these areas.  Maybe not as pristine as the other areas, but total neglect of these areas is a red flag!  (Sort of like the belly not being cleaned during a wash or detailing job.)
3. Paint in places where it should not be.  (bearings, moveable controls, hydraulic cylinder shafts, etc.)
4. Inspection panels and other covers were not removed for the paint job.  (Screws painted in place.)  This is a real problem because the paint will need to be broken the next time those screws are removed.  Sometimes, old rusted hardware and cowling fasteners are just painted over.
5. No documentation of flight control balancing.  Be sure the  airframe log entry for the paint job includes this!  After controls are installed and control rods attached, you can’t tell if the balance is within specs… you are depending on proper maintenance.

Next time you do a preflight inspection, take special notice of your flight control attachments and balance weights, to make sure everything is securely attached with no excessive wear.

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That depends!

Today, I share a story about a pair of ailerons that were damaged when a Piper Cherokee was backed into the T-hangar a little too far.  We talk about the repair options for a scenario like this.

Here is a Piper Cherokee rudder we removed for repair due to 2 cracks in the trailing edge.

Are any cracks or repairs allowed on Piper flight control surfaces?

What about Cessna?

The answers may surprise you.

Listen to today’s episode to find out about some clear information that airplane owners should know.

Regardless of what kind of airplane you own, today’s show can help to point you in the right direction to get answers for your flight control surface questions.

Don’t take a chance on a questionable repair… there are too many of them flying around out there.

These patches may have been considered acceptable many years ago, but not today!  Thankfully, this is not a flying airplane… it is now being used for A&P training.

Here are a couple other repairs I found…

This one is a Cessna 310 that is now being used for A&P training.  These patches were installed on the elevator many years ago.

So, after talking about control surfaces, here are a few things you might want to consider:

1.  Take a look at your airplane… do YOU have any cracks in any of your flight control surfaces?  If so, do whatever needs to be done per the service manual… after all, even though unlikely, you don’t want to get stuck because an FAA inspector has grounded your airplane.
2. Take a walk around your airport and look at all the flight control surfaces… it might surprise you how many there are…  if nothing else, it will give you an idea of the kinds of cracks that can happen, and the places that tend to crack easily.
3. Be careful when you do your preflight inspection.  If you hear that “oil canning” effect when you move your flight controls, you are pushing too hard on it… if you must move it slightly, do it between the palms of your hands (preferably at a rib if possible), rather than grabbing the trailing edge with your thumb and finger.  (There’s good reason for that “NO PUSH” placard.)

And remember, even if you CAN legally repair a flight control surface, it must be balanced after the repair and paint are completed.

If you have any good stories about flight control surfaces, please contact me and let me know.

deanshow@gmail.com, or use the comment button on this episode, or leave me a voicemail by using the button on the right side of the page at airplaneownermaintenance.com

Thanks, and if you like this podcast, please go to iTunes and leave me a rating and review.  I would really appreciate it!

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Do you own an airplane?  If so, have you ever changed the oil on your  engine?

The engine oil change is one of the FAA approved maintenance tasks that owners can perform on their own airplanes.  Just make sure you are familiar with the process, and have the proper tools and equipment.

Listen to today’s episode to hear a story from many years ago about an oil change that turned out bad… thankfully no one got hurt, but it was quite a fiasco, none the less.

Also, if you have not listened to episode 011, you may be interested in that one also… it’s called “Oil Changing Basics for Airplane Owners.”

Just the other day, I found some something on a Piper Cherokee that was worth talking about today… hopefully, something we can all learn from as a reminder to do all our airplane maintenance to a standard of excellence.

First of all, the safety wire tail on the oil filter was not bent back into itself… the end should be bent to avoid a sharp end.

Secondly, I was surprised to find that the filter was very loose.

Check out this video:

If an oil filter is torqued properly, you should not be able to move it at all with your hand.

The torque spec. is 16-18 foot pounds.  The bottom of that range is plenty tight, which equates to 192 inch pounds.

Along with the oil filter, another item to be checked on Lycoming engines (and some Continental engines) at the annual inspection, is the oil suction screen which is in the bottom of the oil sump.

This oil suction screen had a lot of carbon in it after about 120 hours of operation.  In this case, it might be a good idea to clean it again in 50 hours, instead of waiting until the next annual inspection.

So, after considering the story about the unfortunate oil change from many years ago, and after considering the loose oil filter from just the other day, here are several recommendations:

1.  Be sure you use a torque wrench on your oil filter.  (When torqued properly, you should not be able to tighten it any more at all by hand.)

2. For Lycomings, if you fly a lot and change your own oil, consider cleaning the oil suction screen at least every 100 hours, perhaps 50 hours if you find carbon like the one in the picture above.

3. Always do a ground runup and check for leaks after an oil change.

4. If your oil filter is difficult to loosen, when you remove it, be encouraged… that is a sign that it was torqued properly.  (Use a box end wrench or a socket… an open end wrench will round off the corners of the nut on the back of the filter.)  An automotive style oil filter tool is also a good option if it fits on the filter housing.

If you have a story about an oil change that became a problem, that we could all learn from, please send it to me.

Or, if you have any other comments, questions, or topics you want to hear about, you can:

1.  Leave me a voice message.  (Use the button on the right side of the page at airplaneownermaintenance.com)
2. Leave a comment on any of the episodes.
3. Send me an email at deanshow@gmail.com

Thanks, and happy oil changing everyone!

Dean Showalter

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Yesterday, I traveled to another airport to take a look at a Bonanza that had not flown in over a year due to an engine problem.  Specifically, it would not idle.

Continental fuel injected engines must be set up properly per SID 97-3G, in order to achieve optimal performance.

You can find this information here if you would like to take a look at it:

http://www.ramaircraft.com/%5CService-Bulletins-and-ADS%5CSID97-3G.pdf

One problem with this engine was that the mixture control was not hitting the full rich stop at the fuel control on the engine.

Another problem, and perhaps the biggest reason it would not idle properly, was a huge induction leak, due to the induction coupling between cylinders 2 and 4 being installed beside the gap, rather than over the gap.

With this induction leak, the engine was too lean at low RPM to run properly.

After fixing these issues and adjusting the idle mixture, the engine idled very nicely.

Now, that Bonanza is ready for a fresh annual inspection, then a complete fuel system setup per SID 97-3G, and then it can go flying again!

A good place to have SID 97-3G performed is Tennessee Aircraft Services, Inc.  This shop is run by Paul New, a well known A&P / IA, who was selected in 2007 as the FAA Maintenance Technician of the Year.

Here is an excellent article that Paul wrote about the importance of Continental fuel system setup:

http://www.tennesseeaircraft.net/tcm-sid97-3e-again/

Take your airplane to a shop where they specialize in this procedure.  (They do a lot of them, have the proper equipment, and have a reputation for doing excellent work.)

In light of today’s episode, here are some things you can do as an airplane owner if you have any engine issues, or if you just want to confirm things are as they should be:

Remove cowling for access to engine controls.

1.  Check engine control rod end bolts… should not be able to rotate with fingers.

2.  Move all engine controls and verify they hit the stops at the engine when moved both directions.  Not familiar?  Get help and have someone point them out to you.

3.  Turn prop through in reverse direction of rotation and listen for any hissing sound, which could indicate an induction leak.

4.  Visually look for any induction system leaks or chafing areas.  

5.  If you suspect any issues with your Continental fuel system, take it to a reputable shop that has the proper equipment and experience for the task.

PLEASE, if you find this show valuable, go to iTunes and leave a rating and review for this podcast… that way, perhaps other airplane owners can find out about it.

Contact me with any questions or comments either here on the website or by email:  deanshow@gmail.com  (my favorite way would be for you to leave me a voice message by clicking the button to the right.)

Thanks!

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Thanks to my wife, Maria, for joining us on the last episode!

Now, today she is back to ask me some questions about some of my pet peeves related to airplane maintenance.

Here is my pet peeve list that we talk about in this episode:

1. When maintenance shops will not allow owner-assisted annual inspections.
2. When airplane owners don’t want to fix things.
3. When the airplane paperwork and maintenance records are a wreck.
4. When pilots buy more airplane than they can handle or afford.
5. When pilots and / or mechanics try to act like they know more than they do.
6. When airplane owners make unfair judgments about maintenance procedures.
7. When airplane owners get over-charged for maintenance.
8. When airplane owners don’t do enough in-flight troubleshooting.

Well, there’s my list, and I hope it motivates you as an airplane owner to:

1. Take part in an owner-assisted annual inspection.
2. Fix known discrepancies as soon as possible.
3. Organize your maintenance records.
4. Only buy airplanes that you can keep well-maintained and fly often.
5. Be a humble aviator.
6. Be gracious when you don’t understand a maintenance procedure, and ask questions.
7. Be willing to pay a good price for excellent maintenance.
8. Check all systems regularly, in flight, and gather as much information as possible when something goes wrong.

Thanks for listening!

PLEASE… click that button to the right, and leave me a voice message if you have any questions or comments.

OR, send me an email at deanshow@gmail.com

Thanks for your help today Maria!

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This week I’d like to introduce my wife, Maria.

It’s a great time to have her on the podcast, since we are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary on May 18, 2016.

After we were married in 1991, we moved to Tennessee, where Maria worked as a home health nurse to put me through aviation school.  Thanks Maria!

She’s got some great stories from our time in Tennessee!

If you listen to today’s episode, you’ll hear a few of those.

Although Maria is not a big fan of flying, she does make a fantastic copilot!

Maria has been a huge encourager for me in my aviation career… I couldn’t have done it without her!

Happy anniversary Maria!  I love you Baby!

Let me know how you liked today’s episode.   You can leave a comment at the top of this post, or leave a voice message with the button on the right, or send me an email at deanshow@gmail.com

Thanks!