High CO Readings

[Dan Thomas]

Some aircraft ( Cardinal RG ?) have scoops on the fuselage to slightly

pressurize and reduce drawing in CO.

You'll see that on later 180s and 185s, too. On the left side, away from the exhaust.

 

[Dan Thomas]

I've got pretty effective vents so easy to get airflow into the cabin. The gear leg holes open into the area under the floorboards. My floorboards are not even remotely airtight because I did not install carpet. I'll start keeping the vents a scoshe open except when it is really cold.

Just use some black duct tape over that gap, right on the nice new fabric and paint.

Might be able to stuff some closed-cell foam against the gap from the inside.

 

[Ed Haywood]

Just use some black duct tape over that gap, right on the nice new fabric and paint.

Might be able to stuff some closed-cell foam against the gap from the inside.

It's easy to access that area from the inside with belly panel off, or by pulling the floorboards out. I was thinking of making a gasket out of baffle material. It's fairly low on my list of concerns, as it only triggers a warning when I am descending on idle with mixture rich.

 

[Gary Ward]

I guess I better replace that cracked fairing on my upper gear leg. It never ends with these old planes.

 

[Magman]

I guess I better replace that cracked fairing on my upper gear leg. It never ends with these old planes.

My take is you have a newer one.

You ought to see some of the stuff that folks bought because they were “ low maintenance “.

Often the are the start of projects.

 

[Ed Haywood]

My take is you have a newer one.

You ought to see some of the stuff that folks bought because they were “ low maintenance “.

Often the are the start of projects.

Was helping a buddy work on a 204 yesterday. A braided steel hydraulic line had sprung 4 pinhole leaks and was spraying tiny streams of fluid in the engine compartment. All the fuel and oil lines were rock hard. The owner said he'd get to them "one at a time." I just don't get it.

 

[Magman]

No problem with fixing squawks like preceding “ one at a time”.

As long as the aircraft doesn’t fly in between..

 

[Dan Thomas]

It's easy to access that area from the inside with belly panel off, or by pulling the floorboards out. I was thinking of making a gasket out of baffle material. It's fairly low on my list of concerns, as it only triggers a warning when I am descending on idle with mixture rich.

And that belly panel reference reminds me: American Champion recommends replacing those gear bolts every 500 hours. They are NAS bolts, with special countersunk NAS washers to accommodate the radius under the bolt head, and NAS nuts, which were new every change. Not cheap, but a broken bolt is a lot more expensive.

Another is the front spar/strut attach fittings; the aluminum ones need NDI every 1000 hours. I believe that one is an Airworthiness Limitation. Check your maintenance manual and/or POH.

 

[Dan Thomas]

All the fuel and oil lines were rock hard. The owner said he'd get to them "one at a time." I just don't get it.

Owners are fond of flying stuff until it fails. Mags, vac pumps, alternators, lots of stuff. One wonders why they bother to put gas in the thing.

 

[Dan Thomas]

I guess I better replace that cracked fairing on my upper gear leg. It never ends with these old planes.

Stene Aviation for that stuff. Fiberglass, which is repairable, and they are far cheaper than the OEM plastic junk.

 

[Ed Haywood]

Owners are fond of flying stuff until it fails. Mags, vac pumps, alternators, lots of stuff. One wonders why they bother to put gas in the thing.

Some of those things have reasonably acceptable failure modes. My alternator died on a trip and it was a hassle. But a burst oil hose or a fuel line spraying avgas on your exhaust can be a really bad day.

 

[Ed Haywood]

And that belly panel reference reminds me: American Champion recommends replacing those gear bolts every 500 hours. They are NAS bolts, with special countersunk NAS washers to accommodate the radius under the bolt head, and NAS nuts, which were new every change. Not cheap, but a broken bolt is a lot more expensive.

Another is the front spar/strut attach fittings; the aluminum ones need NDI every 1000 hours. I believe that one is an Airworthiness Limitation. Check your maintenance manual and/or POH.

Gear bolts have about 300 hours on them. First thing I changed when I bought it. Though the bigger risk is the old style U bolts, which mine had. Those are replace on sight IMO.

The Decathlon had an AD for the spar-strut fittings after a wing departed in flight. Corrective action was a steel fitting, which mine has.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Some of those things have reasonably acceptable failure modes. My alternator died on a trip and it was a hassle.

An alternator or vac pump failure at night, especially over sparsely populated areas, or in IMC, can be a really bad deal.

 

[Magman]

Wallowed out gear attach points on 7AC is another “ low maintenance aircraft”.

Fabric Pipers should have attach bolts removed and greased every 100 hrs. Many have paint from the

last recovery on them. Then they seize and break.

T-crafts have a lube port on the gear leg that is often found painted over.

Fixes can be $$$.