FFS. I need a new hobby.

Jim K said:
Got ahold of an actual lawyer this morning after a couple failed attempts. He was very sympathetic but basically said there's not enough there to be worth pursuing legally. So that's that. His suggestion was to make a report to the FAA.

That is my intention, although this thread: https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/filing-a-complaint-with-local-fsdo.140293/ and a very, very similar one on BT (that @SCCutler commented on) give me pause. According to the great majority of posters, making a report like this to the FSDO triggers a rectal exam for the aircraft owner as well. I'm pretty fastidious about maintaining my airplane, and I'm certain my logbooks are in order, but I also realize that they will find SOMETHING if they dig deep enough. In the end, I think it's still something I have to do as I don't want this guy to do this to someone else.

Unsure if I should call the AL FSDO directly or submit a report via the FAA reporting "hotline" website.
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Sounds to me like a Service Difficulty Report, but I’m not 100% sure what that entails…but maybe ask your mechanic for the appropriate venue to submit it.
 
Racerx said:
That almost looks like someone attempted to weld it themselves. But it doesn't look like it was machined or ground. Fugly nonetheless.
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My old one has some similar weirdness in the same area, but not to that extreme. Divco said that it's an area where aluminum flows in from two directions during casting, which usually leaves a line, but in this case looks like it wasn't hot enough to completely fuse/fill out the mold.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Sounds to me like a Service Difficulty Report, but I’m not 100% sure what that entails…but maybe ask your mechanic for the appropriate venue to submit it.
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That could be appropriate especially considering the P/N on the most recent part shipped wasn’t what the P/N on the bag said it was.
 
Jim K said:
The set screw is supposed to be an AN565B1032H5. That breaks down like this:

AN565-military designation for a setscrew
B-conical point
1032-10/32"
H5-length 5/16"

What was in the bag, which according to the 8130 came from Mother Lycoming herself, is an AN565D1032H5. It's a cupped point, not a conical point, and would barely engage the hole in the idler shaft, if at all. Both the bag and 8130 label it as a "B" conical point. $5.31, BTW:
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NOW imagine that WAS NOT AN AN565 part number but some dumbass Continental or Lycoming part number like LW-12345 or STD-12345, I haven't read the SB relating to this but who would catch this screw-up?
 
I read the SI... just wow. There should be actual pictures of the setscrews and warning about how to verify correct parts.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
EAA benefit used to be Solidworks, now it's SolidEdge... Which is why I'm not gonna depend on EAA to make CAD affordable enough. I don't want to have to learn a new one when they change sponsors.

Personally, I'm learning Fusion360 (which I think they're rebranding to just "Fusion" now). It seems to be one of the most popular ones in the online 3D printing communities I'm part of, there's a ton of resources for learning it, it's parametric and cross platform... OnShape seems to be the next-most popular, but there are a lot of options out there.
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I got started on Fusion360 a few years go - I even paid the ?$70? for a short-term subscription. Then I jumped to OnShape (can't remember why), which is free (with the caveat that your designs are available to other OnShape users). Now I'm trying to get back into OnShape - mostly because I can run it on my Samsung S7+ tablet. I haven't tried Fusion360's mobile app yet, so can't comment on its performance requirements. They both worked well for the limited use I was doing - mostly designing furniture type stuff at that time.
 
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bnt83 said:
I read the SI... just wow. There should be actual pictures of the setscrews and warning about how to verify correct parts.
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That's a great point. To that end, I called Lyco tech support (for the third time in two weeks). He seemed concerned and asked me to send photos, which I did. Maybe I'll get my very own service bulletin.
 
Jim K said:
My old one has some similar weirdness in the same area, but not to that extreme. Divco said that it's an area where aluminum flows in from two directions during casting, which usually leaves a line, but in this case looks like it wasn't hot enough to completely fuse/fill out the mold.
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If it's anything like the Continental 3d models I worked on about 10 years ago to have new casting molds made, the molds were worn out 30 years ago and have been repaired to hell and back and have needed to be replaced for 20.
 
Jim K said:
That's a great point. To that end, I called Lyco tech support (for the third time in two weeks). He seemed concerned and asked me to send photos, which I did. Maybe I'll get my very own service bulletin.
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20 years as an A&P and I can see myself getting bit here. This is a mess. Getting the correct parts and being able to verify you have the correct parts should a simple task, and sometimes it is not.

I just finished assembling an O320 in April, an engine that was new in 1968, the new parts manuals don't even cover that generation of engine. Mine doesn't use body-fit through bolts and has doweled main bearing saddles.
 
I've had fewer issues buying tractor parts on ebay in a lifetime than you're having buying certified aircraft parts from actual aircraft suppliers for one project.
 
This thread is starting to give me pause. Now when I have work done I will always wonder, did the A/P and/or his assistants REALLY verify that the correct parts were installed? Did they REALLY RTFM, the ADs, and the SBs? Is the job REALLY done correctly?

I my entire life have done all of the repair and maintenance on every vehicle I’ve owned. The only time my cars ever go in is to a tire shop for new rubber, that’s it. On the motorcycles, I even change my own tires. I do RTFM and do verify that the job is done per manufacturer procedure.

:-(
 
Bill said:
This thread is starting to give me pause. Now when I have work done I will always wonder, did the A/P and/or his assistants REALLY verify that the correct parts were installed? Did they REALLY RTFM, the ADs, and the SBs? Is the job REALLY done correctly?

I my entire life have done all of the repair and maintenance on every vehicle I’ve owned. The only time my cars ever go in is to a tire shop for new rubber, that’s it. On the motorcycles, I even change my own tires. I do RTFM and do verify that the job is done per manufacturer procedure.

:-(
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I had the exact same thoughts. I started a new thread to discuss it.

www.pilotsofamerica.com

"This is Why We Don't Have Flying Cars Yet", Vol. 147

This is a tangent from @Jim K 's thread about his most recent maintenance woes. First, Jim, thank you, bless you, and may you find the departure end of the runway soon. But reading his experience -- which I recommended that he document at book-length under the title I've given this thread --...
www.pilotsofamerica.com www.pilotsofamerica.com
 
If you do decide to stick with aviation as your go-to hobby, I'd suggest one of the rebuild shops rather than Lycoming. Lower cost, possibly a better build (more detail to matching weights on moving parts) and quicker turnaround. I bought a rebuilt engine from LyCon last year (a Lycoming O-360) and it tested at 203 Hp on the dyno. Even though I paid extra for cylinder head porting and flow matching, it was $30K cheaper than what Lycoming charges for a stock engine and the engine build only took 6 months.
 
eman1200 said:
aka he can't make any money off it. but money wasn't your primary goal, correct? so, looks like he absolutely had his best interests in mind.
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Most lawyers would take this kind of case on an hourly fee basis, with a healthy retainer to get started. The risk to the lawyer is only opportunity cost (could he have taken a more lucrative case?) and reputation cost (if you pay him a bunch of money to get nothing in return, will what you paid him offset the bad reviews you leave online?) I think most lawyers are honest enough to tell a potential client not to send good money after bad. Some are willing to take your money to squeeze the turnip for you, but the honest thing to do is warn you that turnips don't have any blood.
 
Wow, a whole week since my last update. Bunch of nothing happened. Divco, to their credit, turned around that accessory case in 2 days; they shipped it back to me today. He said he hoped to get the crankcases out to me this week yet. We'll see. Today marks 4 weeks from the date he gave me a 4 week estimate.

G&N OTOH, hasn't done much. Today also marks 3 weeks since I dropped off the cylinders and steel parts with them. His estimate was 3 weeks to NDT/overhaul. Yesterday's update was cylinders are honed, valve guides in, crank magnafluxed, not polished or measured yet. 2-3 more weeks. Sigh. So that will probably be the holdup.

Still going back & forth with Airpower over the messed up parts. It appears they only check their RMA's once a week and don't bother to read the comments or look at the pictures, because they keep asking me things I've already answered. Today they asked for pictures. Sigh. It's like trying to sell something on Facebook.

Nothing back from Lycoming on the set screw fiasco.

Nothing from Alabama FSDO.

Farm stuff has been keeping me very busy. Did manage to get some time in the shop today on what's probably the last non-jacket day of the year to build an engine stand:

IMG_20241119_194356008.jpg

Ran out of primer, so I guess I'll have to paint it in the heated shop later. S-C-S did the mounting flange. Casters are repurposed; had to straighten one of the flanges out. Couldn't help but think the tooling was appropriate for Lycoming engine work:

IMG_20241119_173331617.jpg

Inherited that from Dad when I bought farm (literally, not figuratively). Not sure how I lived without one before. I guess I beat on stuff against the floor or something. A good anvil is a beautiful thing.
 
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UngaWunga said:
Your welds look like mine: ugly but functional. :lol:
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Yeah...I didn't spend much time on fitup. I am capable of making nice looking welds, but generally not patient enough to do so.

You know the old saying, "grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't".

Unfortunately I'm too lazy to grind the ugliness off too.:dunno:
 
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I wish I had pictures of the thing I welded…or, more correctly, melted. Two pieces of 1/2” rod to a piece of U channel to bolt onto the pickup hitch for pulling the airplane (tailwheel first) to my uncle’s airstrip.

The U-channel was mostly recognizable as such, but the 1/2” rods weren’t.

Edit: I’m the only one in my family who can’t weld…my mom can weld to some degree.
 
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bentmettle said:
I'd let that slide. 304 rod or something else? I'd have stuck the tip coming around the corner to get under the threaded elbow.
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308. I like using that over steel when welding those fittings, don't really know what China dumped in the kettle. Bobcat tilt cylinder. Putting that aerospace cert to use.
 
AirPower seems to only RMA by phone and it takes a couple reminders. Their web process didn’t work for me at all.
 
masloki said:
AirPower seems to only RMA by phone and it takes a couple reminders. Their web process didn’t work for me at all.
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FWIW - Air Power when I ordered my cylinder was all done on the phone. Try calling them over and over.

Welding. I've always admired people who can do that, and now that I'm retired I looked into taking an intro to welding class as our local vocational / community college. All intro classes are filled - I hope this is a sign that people are turning to useful and lucrative trades vs going to university for puppetry arts (yes, in ATL there is a school for puppetry arts). :cool:

I'll have to sign up earlier for next semester's welding class.
 
bentmettle said:
I was jealous of the top plate and glossed right over the welds. The last one I made was done with a man killer single speed drill and a giant hole saw. The handles on the sides of drill were galvanized pipe. It was terrifying to use.
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One summer in college, while working for my dad (contractor), I got sent to drill a bunch of holes for vents that had been overlooked by the framing crew.

There I went with a 6” hole saw and a regular Milwaukee holeshooter…no clutch, just a screw-in handle for support, 15’ up on an extension ladder. It’s great being young and invincible. Pretty sure my wrists still hurt from the hole saw catching…
 
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