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:
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.
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!
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!
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.
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
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
Be sure to scroll down to see how my Maui Gold Pineapple plant turned out! (It’s been growing in a pot here at our house for a very long time 🙂
Now for this week’s podcast:
I had the opportunity to do an annual inspection on Ben’s Piper Comanche, and he sent me this photo after he flew home when the work was completed… thanks Ben!
Ben and his wife, along with their A&P, had recently put a ton of work into the engine change. Just looking at the engine, you can see the great attention to details that makes it look amazing:
In this episode, I talked about some highlights from the inspection, and also included a voice message from another listener who also has a Piper Comanche. Be sure to listen to the audio for the details.
One issue Ben had was that a couple times, his starter would not turn at all… like there was an issue with the electrical system.
I found 2 things:
One, the battery ground cable connection to the airframe was suspect, so I installed a bigger ring terminal on the ground cable and moved it to a better airframe ground location.
Secondly, the battery positive cable connection to the battery contactor was not tight enough, and I could wiggle the cable back and forth… I noticed this because the split lock washer was not pressed flat and it was obvious it was not tight enough. Check it out:
Ben’s airplane was already very nice, and after we fixed a few more things during the annual inspection, I’m confident it’s even nicer!
Next up is my Maui Gold Pineapple…
Note: Thank you John and Leslie Caubble, for making this whole story possible!
Listen to the audio for the full story, but here’s a little about it:
I’ve been growing this little pineapple for a long time here at our house, and it finally grew a pineapple.
This little plant survived a few winter seasons here, being moved in and out of the house… it was a great day when it began to bloom, and that’s a whole story in itself:
Over time, the little pineapple grew.
… and grew.
Then one day, a thunderstorm hit our area and broke the stalk:
Thankfully, it was nearly ripe and I put it on the kitchen counter among other things Maria had there:
When the day came to cut open the pineapple, I was very pleasantly surprised… it was the sweetest and best tasting pineapple we’d ever eaten!
Now here’s an opportunity:
You can taste the awesomeness of Maui Gold Pineapples, and help the people of Maui at the same time:
This pineapple plantation lost a store front in the terrible fire, and one way to help during this very difficult time is to order pineapples… I ordered a case of them yesterday, and I’m inviting you to join me. Here’s the link:
And lastly for today… the motorcycle… listen to the audio to find out what happened to my truck, and why I quickly got my motorcycle re-registered so I could ride it while my truck is being repaired. (I’ve been trying to sell the motorcycle, and now I’m glad I still have it for now!)
In this week’s podcast episode, you’ll hear about:
King Air flying.
Listener feedback from the last episode on “Phantom Cylinder Cracks.”
The latest annual inspection I’m involved in.
… and a few other things!
I’m in the midst of an annual inspection on a Piper Comanche. I might talk more about this one in a future episode, but for now, I mentioned two strange things about this airplane in this week’s podcast:
The first strange thing was the oil quick drain kept seeping after I drained the oil and closed the drain valve.
I was perplexed when oil was collecting on the bottom cowling and seeping down over the nose tire.
Finally, I had to cut the safety wire and remove the Saf-Air P5000 drain valve to take a look.
Here’s what I found:
I removed the drain valve and put a temporary plug in the oil sump to prevent any further seepage. If you look closely, you can see a portion of the black o-ring holding the valve slightly open.
Here’s a closer view:
After opening the valve, I noticed the top o-ring had been pushed up off the valve, and it was the second o-ring that was holding the valve open. (Don’t worry, the other o-ring fell out of the hole when I removed the valve, so it’s not stuck somewhere in the oil sump.)
We will install new O-rings on the valve before reinstalling it in the oil sump. It actually has 3 total o-rings… the top 2 keep the oil from draining out of the sump, and the lower o-ring (that you can’t see in the photo) is slightly larger and it keeps oil from seeping out around the drain nipple during the oil draining process. McFarlane sells a kit that includes the three new o-rings and a new snap ring.
You can listen to the audio to hear more about this story.
… and hopefully, in a future episode, I’ll be able to update you on the weird electrical problem on this same airplane.
The post “231 – Piper Comanche Weird Electrical Problem and Seeping Oil Drain Valve” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com
Do you think these really are cracks between the spark plug bosses and the fuel injector bosses? (Cirrus SR22 Continental engine.)
The owner of a Cirrus SR22 was told by a service center he had 4 cracked cylinders on his engine.
However, after taking a closer look and bringing their most experienced technicians together to thoroughly clean and examine the cylinders, it was discovered they were not cracked after all.
The service center was very professional with their communications and the process they used to evaluate the cylinders.
This whole scenario was such a great example of healthy collaboration between an aircraft maintenance service center and an airplane owner.
Listen to the audio of this week’s podcast to hear the full story, and some email communications I had with the airplane owner.
After thinking about the situation, here are some thoughts:
If an airplane engine cylinder is truly cracked, it needs immediate attention.
Sometimes, what appears to be a crack, is not a crack after all.
Thorough cleaning and precise evaluation are required.
Sometimes a second and third expert opinion are helpful.
Excellent communication between airplane owners and service centers is key.
There was normal voltage at the alternator field terminal.
The field circuit resistance seemed normal as well.
But the alternator was not producing the normal 28 volts during operation.
Occasionally, it would produce a small amount of output voltage, like 25 or 26 volts, and then drop back down to battery voltage.
Clearly there was a problem.
After troubleshooting and seeking advice from a Cessna service center, we replaced the battery contactor and the alternator contactor in the MCU (master control unit) on the firewall. (The MCU is the electrical control box for the airplane. It’s located on the forward left side of the firewall.)
Replacing the contactors did not fix the problem.
After more troubleshooting and some calls to Hartzell Engine Technologies to speak with two different people, and after talking things over with the owner, we decided to order an overhauled alternator and a new ACU (alternator control unit.)
They arrived the next day, I installed them, and the system worked perfectly.
The alternator was back to producing its normal 28 volts. (I just wish I had taken the old alternator apart to see if I could determine the problem… I’m guessing one or both of the brushes were severely worn.)
The following photo shows what’s inside the MCU. The alternator contactor is the one in the top of the photo, slightly left of center. And the alternator control unit the the device to the left of the contactor that says “Lamar” on the side.
When replacing anything in this box, it’s very helpful to take photos first in order to put everything back in its place during reassembly!
Listen to the audio podcast for this episode to get the full story.
This episode also includes some of the email responses I received after asking if listeners wanted to continue receiving stories about exhaust valves.
Thank you to all who responded!
In a nutshell, everyone wanted to continue hearing about exhaust valves and the stories about lapping them and saving them, especially the stories that are instructive and educational.
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