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It’s annual inspection time, and your airplane is going in the shop.

Are you confident?  Are you prepared?  Will you be involved, and maybe even get your hands dirty?

For an airplane owner, annual inspection time can be frustrating and nerve-wracking, or it can be educational, positive, and hopefully, an efficient experience.  A significant part of the outcome depends on you, the airplane owner.

The owner-assisted annual.  It’s a concept that’s been around for a long time, and there are strong opinions about it.  Some owners love to help and be involved.  Others just want to drop the airplane off at the shop and have them call when it’s finished.

But if you’re looking for an opportunity to learn and save some money at the same time, the owner-assisted annual inspection can be a valuable experience.

Jerry is one of those owner-assisted annual types.  He’s been helping with his annual inspection on his Mooney M20J for many years.  Jerry takes pride in keeping his airplane clean, and in excellent condition.  Here are some ways Jerry saves money on his annual inspection.

1. Opening and closing inspection covers.  This is a task that almost any owner can help with.
2. Being willing to do “menial” tasks, like removing old Prop Guard tape from the propeller leading edges.  I can certainly do tasks like this, but it’s also a good opportunity for an interested owner to save on labor costs.
3. Asking good questions… “What does the POH say about that?”

I noticed there’s a “Ram Air” annunciator light in the instrument panel that illuminates when the control is pulled to the “Open” position.  However, when I checked the system in the shop, I noticed the light did not illuminate.  I could hear the microswitch clicking as I moved the control, but the light was not working.  I was about ready to remove a small cover plate on the instrument panel to take a look at the microswitch and wiring, but Jerry asked me a really good question… “What does the POH say about that?”  He pulled the POH out and sure enough, there was a revealing note in there.  Here’s the page from the manual:All of a sudden the light came on for me.  I realized that when I had checked the Ram Air system, I had the airplane on jacks and the landing gear retracted.  In this condition, the light does not illuminate.  And as I thought about it more, I realized this makes perfect sense.  The light illuminates when the Ram Air door is open  and the landing gear is extended, to remind the pilot of the potential of sucking ground-associated dirt and debris into the induction system.  In the air while flying, this is not such an issue, and the indicator light is not needed.  Once again, I learned some valuable lessons like “Don’t make assumptions,” and “Know the airplane systems,” and “The POH has a ton of good information in it… use it!”   Bottom line, I was glad Jerry asked me that good question the other day before I started taking things apart unnecessarily.

Here’s another interesting thing that happened during Jerry’s inspection.  During the compression test, we found that cylinder #3 was 47/80.  This seemed unusually low for a Lycoming engine.  After working with it for awhile, we managed to get 59/80, still not very stellar, especially for a Lycoming.  There was obviously some leakage past the exhaust valve, and we decided to take a look with the borescope.

Once again, I was reminded of the value of borescoping airplane piston engine cylinders.  I was surprised to find the exhaust valve and seat area looked quite good… a different situation than I usually see when borescoping exhaust valves in cylinders with low compressions.  So we made the decision to complete the annual, run the engine again, and recheck that cylinder.  Amazingly, we got 70 something during the recheck.  Another reminder of two things for me:  First, ALWAYS borescope the cylinders during annual inspection, both for Continental AND Lycoming engines.  And second, never rely on a compression test alone, to determine the health of a cylinder… it’s just not enough information.

So back to Jerry… because he helps with his annual, we are able to charge fewer labor hours.  (And at Classic Aviation, LLC, our labor rate is $85 per hour.)  Don’t expect to save much the first time you help with your annual inspection, because the time required for training and familiarization will likely cancel out the time saved by you helping.  But in future years, it is certainly possible to save on labor hours, especially if you talk about it with your mechanic or shop in advance.

P.S.  Listen to the audio for this episode to hear about how Dean was humbled this past week when he flooded an airplane engine, and it just would not start.  THIS was a great learning experience!

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A little pesky fuel leak can be aggravating.

Especially when you’ve already had it “fixed” in the past, but it’s still leaking.  That was the case recently on an airplane that arrived at Classic Aviation for a fuel leak repair.

It turns out the inboard fuel quantity probe in this aircraft is about six feet long, and the wing must be removed from the aircraft in order to remove the probe.  The probe threads are sealed with a special sealant, and in this case, fuel was leaking past the threads.

So… we had to bite the bullet and remove the wing.

With the wing removed, it was simple to access the fuel tank at the inboard end.  This nylon rope worked well to dislodge the fuel tank assembly from its position in the wing, so it could be slid out of the wing cavity.  The leak was at the bottom left hole in the inboard end of this fuel tank, where the fuel quantity probe screws into the tank.  The tank assembly had to be removed from the wing because when the probe is reinstalled, it must be inserted into a teflon bushing, and this is nearly impossible unless you can reach inside the tank at the outboard end… and the only way to do this is to remove the whole assembly from the wing.

Since it was a rare opportunity, I had to take a picture of the inside of the DA-40 wing, where the fuel tank lives.

You can hear all about the process of fixing this fuel leak, and some lessons I learned, in today’s episode of the Airplane Owner Maintenance Podcast.

And… if you have a Diamond Aircraft (or any other general aviation aircraft, and you need some reliable maintenance, give us a call at Classic Aviation, LLC.

Yev Bondarev, Manager  540-234-0226

classicaviationshd@gmail.com

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Have you ever experienced an electrical failure in flight?

If not, I’m sure you’ve wondered what it would be like, and at the same time, probably hoped it would never happen to you.  Unfortunately, it does happen.  There are however, some things you can do to help ensure your electrical system is performing reliably.  Listen to today’s episode for one special tip to make sure your split rocker master switch is wired correctly.

Here are some highlights in today’s episode:

• An iTunes rating and review of the podcast.
• An email from Jeff Bell sharing his experience about his pressurization system in his P-Baron.
• A story I heard about on the Fly Maui podcast with John and Leslie Caubble.  They talked about a story that was on the Aviation News Talk podcast with Max Trescott, and how a student pilot had a severe oil leak that covered the windshield with oil… totally worth listening to!  You can find it here:  https://aviationnewstalk.com/
• And the main story in this episode:  A Cessna 172, or more specifically, a military designation airplane… a T41.  Basically, a beefed up  Cessna 172 with a Continental IO-360 engine in it.  This airplane had an electrical failure, and we fixed to fairly simple, but extremely important things in this airplane to get them going again.

That’s it for this week.  See you in the next episode!

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Note:  CLICK HERE for more episodes of the Airplane Owner Maintenance Podcast. 

Classic Aviation needs one or two more experienced A&P / IA’s!

If you know of any good possibilities, contact our manager, Yev Bondarev:

540-234-0226 or classicaviationshd@gmail.com

Classic Aviation is a great place to get a well-rounded general aviation maintenance experience.

Website:  https://www.classicaviationshd.com/

Now for today’s episode:

Today is actually March 2, 2019, but I recorded the audio for this episode the day after my birthday, February 21, 2019.  So I reflected back over my time at Classic Aviation and talked about some of my experiences there, and about the changes of ownership and management that have happened over the years.

In my time at Classic, there have been three different owners:

Richard Kiser (the founder of the business.)  1993-2010.

Kyle London 2011-2018.

Rick Kelley 2018- present time.

Listen to today’s episode to hear about some of my experiences over the years.   I cover a wide range of stuff in this episode, including people I’ve appreciated and learned from, various airplanes we’ve worked on, and some people I’ve learned about more recently.  Some of these are:

Jason Catanzariti:  I found Jason online when I was looking for information about the concept of “Transfer of Learning.”  He wrote an article called, “How Juggling, Bulldozer Driving & Savvy Instructors Can Build Flight Skills.”  What an amazing article… well worth your time to read!  The article is about the fascinating reality that our past experience affects new learning.   Here’s a great example:  Jason says, “I’ve observed that bulldozer operators have no problems learning to taxi because they are already accustomed to steering with their feet.”  We need more flight instructors like Jason – the kind who are not just interested in “checking all the boxes of required training,” but instead, are interested in higher levels of training where a passion for aviation is ignited that goes far beyond the status quo.  Well done Jason, and thanks for writing that article!

And just now, I found another article Jason wrote about learning to fly.  It’s called “Instructor Report – Is Flying Hard?”  Another great article!

You can check out Jason at JasonCFI.com

Chris Palmer:  Chris has a podcast called “Angle of Attack.”  Chris says “There are pilots.  Then there are aviators.”  Chris is all about training “aviators” – pilots who have a passion for aviation that goes far beyond the standard requirements.  Check out Chris’ podcast and training opportunities here:

For the podcast:  https://www.aviatortraining.com/category/aviatorcast-podcast/

For aviation training opportunities:   https://www.aviatortraining.com/

I find it totally fascinating that Chris lives in Homer, Alaska!  This is by far one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited!

John and Leslie Caubble:  I’ve mentioned these great people before, and  I want to recommend their new podcast “Fly Maui.”  Recently, they had Chris Palmer on the show as a guest, and it was an EXCELLENT episode.  (Fly Maui episode 18 from February 11, 2019.)  Check it out here:  https://www.flymauihi.com/blog/chrispalmer

Rick Kelley:  Now I’m coming back around to the new owner of Classic Aviation, Rick Kelley.  I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Rick.  He loves aviation of all types.  In fact, that’s why he bought Classic Aviation.  Rick is also on the board of “Sheltering Arms,” an organization that is building a rehabilitation hospital in the Richmond, Virginia area.  Rick has his own fascinating story of recovering from a stroke 6 years ago, and he is super excited about the new opportunity for this new hospital that will serve the eastern United States.

Yev Bondarev:   I want to end this episode with a reminder to give Yev a call or send an email if you know of any good A&P / IA’s who would like to work at Classic Aviation.  We have a good opportunity to add one or two more right now.  Yev is the manager at Classic, and he would love to talk with you!

540-234-0226

classicaviationshd@gmail.com

Contact Yev today!

The post “My Story With Classic Aviation” appeared first on Dean Showalter’s website, AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

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How do you Lap an exhaust valve on an airplane engine?  That’s a good question, and this is the topic in today’s episode.

If you’ve owned an airplane for very long, there’s a good chance you’ve had a “low compression” at some point during one of your annual inspections.  What is perhaps not so common, is one solution for dealing with that low compression.

In the past, when a cylinder showed less than 60/80, it was automatically deemed “unairworthy” and removed for repair.  But with today’s technology, this is totally unnecessary in many cases.  If a borescope inspection shows a healthy exhaust valve, with no other issues noted in the cylinder, then there might be other options for dealing with that cylinder.

And “lapping” is one of those options.  “Lapping” is the process of putting some grinding compound between the edge of the valve and the valve seat, and spinning the valve, in order to restore a good fit between the valve and the valve seat.  Combustion deposits and irregular wear are contributors to a poor fit between the valve and its seat.  If we can safely restore the contact area between the exhaust valve and the seat, it’s possible that cylinder can continue in service for many more hours.  The good thing is that this process can be performed without removing the cylinder from the engine.  And when it’s successful, it has the potential to save time, money, and the risk of further issues that can be a by-product of removing and reinstalling a cylinder.

Listen to today’s episode for a description of two exhaust valves that were lapped with what appears to be significant success.  Time will tell, but so far, I’m hopeful about extending the life of these two cylinders.

Here is cylinder #1.  Note the slight burning spot at the lower left.  The compression test on this cylinder was 45/80, with significant leakage past the exhaust valve.  After lapping, the compression was 63/80 even when it was cold, a remarkable improvement… and, there was almost no leakage past the exhaust valve.

The following is cylinder #2.  It had a compression of 69/80, with significant leakage past the exhaust valve.  After lapping, this one was 74/80 cold, another remarkable improvement, also with almost no leakage past the exhaust valve.

This is the #2 valve seat before lapping… the skinny black line, is the good area of valve seating, not sufficient for a good seal and good heat transfer.  After lapping, the seating area was remarkably better.

The bottom line to remember in this episode is:

If you have a cylinder with low compression, you have options!

When your A&P contacts you and says, “You have a cylinder that’s 57/80 and we need to remove it for repair,” here are some questions you can ask:

1. 1. Is it leaking out the exhaust valve, and how bad is the leak?

1. 1. Have you looked at it with a borescope?  (This should be a requirement of yours.)

1. Are there any other options besides removing the cylinder?

Your A&P should be able to answer and discuss these questions without getting defensive.  If not, it might be time for a second opinion.

The most important goal in all this, is safety, and I’m absolutely in favor of removing engine cylinders when necessary, but it’s also true that many cylinders have been removed unnecessarily.

Also, I’m not telling you to “lap” your exhaust valves.  I’m just hoping to add some worthwhile information to the conversation, so you can make an informed decision whenever you face an issue with an exhaust valve.  Do your research.  Learn all you can.  Then make your decision.

Contacts and resources mentioned in this episode:

Dave Pasquale of Pasquale Aviation and Savvy Aviation.  Dave has written great articles and produced some very helpful videos about exhaust valves and their inspection and maintenance.  Here is just one of Dave’s videos:

Video:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/136005688@N02/38098941925/

Mike Busch, founder of Savvy Aviation.  As always, Mike’s articles, resources and services are incredibly helpful and educational.  https://www.savvyaviation.com/

American Bonanza Society (ABS.)

www.bonanza.org

AOPA:  Anatomy of a valve failure, by Adrian Eichhorn.

https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute/valve-safety

(You can also download the chart with pictures to help identify healthy and unhealthy exhaust valves.

An article written for automotive applications, but educational for airplane applications as well:

Valves and valve seats – There’s more than meets the eye.

https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2017/03/valves-seats-theres-meets-eye/

An article that very compellingly describes the difference between “grinding” exhaust valve seats, and “cutting” exhaust valve seats.

http://inlandaviationspecialties.com/2017/09/17/dont-call-power-section-nothing/

Another article from Back Country Pilot, that talks about exhaust valves, including “lapping.”

https://backcountrypilot.org/forum/leaking-exhaust-valve-what-are-my-options-15921

Ok, that’s all for today.  And if you’re interested, you can check out the video I posted on Instagram, of the Lockheed Electra doing taxi testing yesterday at KSHD.  Definitely the coolest thing I saw at the airport this week!  (My username at Instagram is airplanedean.)

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New spark plugs every year?

Yep… that’s what happened for five annual inspections in a row, with the A36 Bonanza I’ve been inspecting and working on.  From 2013 to 2017, the spark plugs were replaced every year.  Four of those times, the spark plugs being replaced, had less than 150 hours on them.  That is not a very long life for a spark plug, and I can’t imagine why they were replaced so soon.

Aviation massive spark plugs should easily last from 300-500 hours, and fine wire plugs should last at least 1000 hours, and perhaps more.

In today’s episode, we talk about several ways to maximize the life of your spark plugs:

1. Regular servicing, at least every 100 hours.
2. Rotate the spark plugs properly.  (Use a tray for this purpose.)
3. Avoid large bead blasters.  (Use a small one designed for spark plugs.)
4. Use proper torque when installing spark plugs.

These tips should help you maximize the life of your spark plugs, save you some money, and keep your engine running reliably and efficiently.

If you need more detail about spark plug servicing, check out episode 031 – Spark Plug Servicing For Airplane Owners.

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Happy New Year Friends!

This week on the podcast, we’re talking about simple fixes with just a little lubrication.  Sometimes on airplanes, there are parts that might need some lube, that can easily be overlooked.  We have several of these examples in today’s episode.  Here they are:

1. A Beechcraft Debonair with a starter problem.
2. A Mooney M20J with a speedbrake issue.
3. An A36 Bonanza with a “GND COMM” switch that would not turn off.
4. An Aerostar with a nose gear steering problem.

In the end, all of these situations were solved with some simple lubrication… spray silicone, LPS-1, and a grease gun with a special adapter, were what solved the problems.  Listen to the audio to get the details, and consider any areas on your airplane that might need a little lube.

AND… be looking for some pictures on Instagram in the near future… I’m planning to open an Instagram account for Airplane Owner Maintenance real soon.

Have  a great weekend!