Is this a problem?

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UngaWunga

Pattern Altitude
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UngaWunga
Sigh....


i-bQvxmfG-XL.jpg


Attitude indicator started spinning off axis while I was playing with crosswinds on my downwind leg. Just another thing I wish I was allowed to work on myself.
 
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According to the suck gauge, you have no suck.
 
kgruber said:
You would not have the equipment to "work on that" yourself.
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Would I have the tools to take out the instrument and send it out for repair? There's generally 3 vacuum lines on the back of these, and a power line for any lights. Correct?
 
UngaWunga said:
Would I have the tools to take out the instrument and send it out for repair? There's generally 3 vacuum lines on the back of these, and a power line for any lights. Correct?
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You can pull it out and send for repair yourself. What you can't do is return it to service.
 
UngaWunga said:
Sigh....


i-bQvxmfG-XL.jpg


Attitude indicator started spinning off axis while I was playing with crosswinds on my downwind leg. Just another thing I wish I was allowed to work on myself.
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How do you know it's the gyro?
 
Blue is good Brown is bad. You are all Blue so you are double good today.
 
Tom-D said:
How do you know it's the gyro?
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True. I don't know if the heading indicator is electric or vacuum. I believe it's electric. I'll have to check. The turn coordinator is electric. The vacuum gauge was showing suction.
 
UngaWunga said:
True. I don't know if the heading indicator is electric or vacuum. I believe it's electric. I'll have to check. The turn coordinator is electric. The vacuum gauge was showing suction.
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When was the last time the vac filter was changed?

The Gyro need a certain amount of flow, the pressure usually shows higher when the filter is getting dirty, So change the filter first. see what happens.
 
Most heading indicators that are electric that I've seen say electric or DC etc on them, also most small GA six pack planes have a vac AI, HI and electric turn coordinator 90% of the time.

Check filters, check actual vac, send to kelly aerospace for rebuild if needed after that ($300ish).
 
James331 said:
Most heading indicators that are electric that I've seen say electric or DC etc on them, also most small GA six pack planes have a vac AI, HI and electric turn coordinator 90% of the time.

Check filters, check actual vac, send to kelly aerospace for rebuild if needed after that ($300ish).
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Might better remove the whole VAC system and replace with electric units.
 
UngaWunga said:
Engine isn't running. The vacuum pumps out 5 (psi?) when running at cruise.
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Remove the filter temporarily, turn the engine on and check again.

<edit; I see now someone has already mentioned that.>
 
Do your best contortionist imitation and get up under the panel for a look. Instrument plastic vacuum fittings crack, lines come loose, etc. Rule out the easy stuff before you turn it into a removal and repair.
 
It appears as if you're going 0 knots. OR 300kts, hard to say for sure. Either way it's the wrong speed for downwind
 
My instructor and I did some spins once in his dads 172. The artificial horizon looked eerily similar to that one as I recall when we were done.:yikes:
 
UngaWunga said:
Would I have the tools to take out the instrument and send it out for repair? There's generally 3 vacuum lines on the back of these, and a power line for any lights. Correct?
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You can do what I just did; go to school for 30 months and get your A&P.
 
UngaWunga said:
Are we going down this route?
ATOMATOFLAMES? Baked tomatoes are nice, but it depends on the dish they're served with.
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Baked tomatoes are better served with cole slaw.

You don't need an AI to fly VFR. Put a piece of tape over/by it that says INOP in black sharpie

Picture doesn't show much other than a tumbled AI, but if it was doing that in air, I'd give my non-technical answer that it died. Is it a problem? Hmmm, that depends on what you mean.

Do you want it fixed? Do you have the money to get it fixed?

Yes, Yes - no problem
Yes, No - money problem
No, Yes - no problem
No, No - no problem
 
Tom-D said:
How do you know it's the gyro?
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Spool it up and listen to it. Either use a stethoscope or place the tip of a screwdriver on the instrument and the handle on your ear. It should have a nice smooth high pitched hum. If you anything else, like grinding or clunking you will know for sure it's bad. That was an old USAF Autopilot troubleshooting technique.
 
Stewartb said:
Do your best contortionist imitation and get up under the panel for a look. Instrument plastic vacuum fittings crack, lines come loose, etc. Rule out the easy stuff before you turn it into a removal and repair.
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All of those things will cause low Vac pressure.

4.8 or less can cause a gyro to tumble but his gauge does not say it was low.
 
Hypothetically, what's to keep an owner from removing it, sending it out for repair, and reinstalling it when he gets it back... no LB entry?
 
GlennAB1 said:
Hypothetically, what's to keep an owner from removing it, sending it out for repair, and reinstalling it when he gets it back... no LB entry?
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Nothing other than the law and fear of punishment
 
GlennAB1 said:
Hypothetically, what's to keep an owner from removing it, sending it out for repair, and reinstalling it when he gets it back... no LB entry?
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You need more than 32 posts to give away all the forum secrets. Don't do that again.
 
GlennAB1 said:
Hypothetically, what's to keep an owner from removing it, sending it out for repair, and reinstalling it when he gets it back... no LB entry?
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Actually, you can remove it with an A&P's supervision, and reinstall with the same making the logbook entry yourself. I swapped out a broken turn and bank for a new one myself. It was actually really easy, the panel came off with like 6 screws and the instrument came right out. I've had a harder time working on my motorcycle. The A&P just made things legal and didn't even charge me a dime. I did buy the one at Oshkosh a beer, though.
 
BillTIZ said:
He's got no blow (speed) either, pic taken after landing. .? Said it turned turtle on downwind.
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speed <> vacuum, unless of course this is a venturi driven system. I'm going to take a pretty careful guess and say - no, not venturi driven so I don't give a wet, dribbly spit what speed the plane is, or is not doing. I care about the engine. If the engine were running(and the vac pump is connected, further info could be gleaned. But - the OP provided info relative to that condition, so next best is to check the flow rate change by offing the filter. If it's still sucks, and it's still sucks(as it were), then move on to the instrument provide the DG is acting fine.
 
The DG is vacuum as well as the attitude indicator. DG is fine. Works well. Vacuum pump gauge reads 5 when above 1500rpms. DG was fine in flight when AI decided to spin at funny angles.

I'll discuss me popping it out with my mechanic.
 
Removal is easy. Access is not. It should release from the panel with 4 little screws. Make sure to not drop the nuts. Some tape over them will hold them from dropping (and taping them in place will ease the re-install). Once you remove the screws the vacuum lines will determine how easily it drops out. Nobody can predict that for you. Remove the seats and get up under there for a look-see before you start. If the line routing isn't obvious label the lines so you know where they go when you put it back in. Don't get impatient. You don't want to pull wires or vacuum lines off of other instruments by accident. It's a simple job. It can be frustrating because of the tight fit and difficult access but it isn't highly technical.
 
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