Piper Dakota Prebuy Report

DesertNomad

DesertNomad

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DesertNomad
I am trying to buy a plane in Texas and fly it home to Nevada. It is a 1979 PA-28-236.

My Prebuy mechanic said:

1. Mag check (L) 210 Rough, (R) 150 (Smooth)

2. Aileron and Flap Gap seals not fully touching control surfaces.

3. Evidence of fuel leaking (stained) around R/L caps.

4. Oil pressure hose from engine to firewall tube mfg 12/04 and stiff.

5. Oil cooler pressure and return lines mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.

6. Fuel lines from electric pump to engine driven pump and engine driven pumb to carb. mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.

7. When pained in 2010, no log reference to having rebalanced the control surfaces before reinstallation.

8. No 337 for control gap seals install.

9. SB 1244A "Aft Wing Spar Attach Fitting Inspection" no ref to having been done.

10. SB 1242 "Rudder Pedal Assembly Inspection" no ref to having been done.

Piper considers 9 & 10 to be mandatory.

Thought on these? I am meeting with my mechanic here but looking to see what folks here think.
 
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If it's not an AD and still airworthy, you have some wiggle with the seller. But, contrary to what Piper thinks, and I have read the bulletins, they are not mandatory.


The missing 337 should be addressed as an illegal mod., but it should be an easy fix. Otherwise, that sounds like a typical plane.
 
See the bold in the quote.
DesertNomad said:
I am trying to buy a plane in Texas and fly it home to Nevada. It is a 1979 PA-28-236.

My Prebuy mechanic said:

1. Mag check (L) 210 Rough, (R) 150 (Smooth)
- What does the manual say? Mine says something like no more than 150 RPM drop, no more than 50 difference between the two. You need a new/rebuilt on the left side ($1,200 reasonably likely). You may have to do the right one also since you will likely be outside of the difference between the two limit.

2. Aileron and Flap Gap seals not fully touching control surfaces.
- I wouldn't worry about that as long as they do not interfere with the controls. Get it fixed later, if you can legally ignore it for now.

3. Evidence of fuel leaking (stained) around R/L caps.
How does it leak around the caps up and out? I would worry about water getting in. Easy fix. O-rings are cheap.

4. Oil pressure hose from engine to firewall tube mfg 12/04 and stiff.
No opinion. Mine are at least that old.

5. Oil cooler pressure and return lines mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.
No opinion. Mine are at least that old.

6. Fuel lines from electric pump to engine driven pump and engine driven pumb to carb. mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.
No opinion. Mine are at least that old.

7. When painted in 2010, no log reference to having rebalanced the control surfaces before reinstallation.
No opinion.

8. No 337 for control gap seals install.
Get the 337 report from the FAA. Maybe they filed it when they did it.

9. SB 1244A "Aft Wing Spar Attach Fitting Inspection" no ref to having been done.
No opinion.

10. SB 1242 "Rudder Pedal Assembly Inspection" no ref to having been done.
No opinion.

Piper considers 9 & 10 to be mandatory.

Thought on these? I am meeting with my mechanic here but looking to see what folks here think.
Click to expand...
 
DesertNomad said:
I am trying to buy a plane in Texas and fly it home to Nevada. It is a 1979 PA-28-236.

My Prebuy mechanic said:

1. Mag check (L) 210 Rough, (R) 150 (Smooth)

2. Aileron and Flap Gap seals not fully touching control surfaces.

3. Evidence of fuel leaking (stained) around R/L caps.

4. Oil pressure hose from engine to firewall tube mfg 12/04 and stiff.

5. Oil cooler pressure and return lines mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.

6. Fuel lines from electric pump to engine driven pump and engine driven pumb to carb. mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.

7. When pained in 2010, no log reference to having rebalanced the control surfaces before reinstallation.

8. No 337 for control gap seals install.

9. SB 1244A "Aft Wing Spar Attach Fitting Inspection" no ref to having been done.

10. SB 1242 "Rudder Pedal Assembly Inspection" no ref to having been done.

Piper considers 9 & 10 to be mandatory.

Thought on these? I am meeting with my mechanic here but looking to see what folks here think.
Click to expand...

The hoses are relatively cheap fix if your A&P knows what he is doing. Buy the hose bulk and ends fittings and make your own along with installing new fire sleeve.

You should specify inspection of all wing attachment points as part of the pre-buy. (obviously my opinion but there's some experience behind it)

Gas cap gaskets are simple to replace if needed. Even new one can leak when the tanks are over-filled with cold fuel which then warms.

Mag check, hmmm, how much time on the mags? what do the plugs look like? Find an A&P who isn't afraid to open up the mags. No need to ship them off.
 
DesertNomad said:
I am trying to buy a plane in Texas and fly it home to Nevada. It is a 1979 PA-28-236.

My Prebuy mechanic said:

1. Mag check (L) 210 Rough, (R) 150 (Smooth)

2. Aileron and Flap Gap seals not fully touching control surfaces.

3. Evidence of fuel leaking (stained) around R/L caps.

4. Oil pressure hose from engine to firewall tube mfg 12/04 and stiff.

5. Oil cooler pressure and return lines mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.

6. Fuel lines from electric pump to engine driven pump and engine driven pumb to carb. mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.

7. When pained in 2010, no log reference to having rebalanced the control surfaces before reinstallation.

8. No 337 for control gap seals install.

9. SB 1244A "Aft Wing Spar Attach Fitting Inspection" no ref to having been done.

10. SB 1242 "Rudder Pedal Assembly Inspection" no ref to having been done.

Piper considers 9 & 10 to be mandatory.

Thought on these? I am meeting with my mechanic here but looking to see what folks here think.
Click to expand...

My questions would be. What type of hose was installed, Teflon and stainless ? they are life time hoses. if they are the black rubber steel reinforced I'd have them changed to teflon and stainless and covered with a fire sleeve.

Then I'd have the plugs cleaned re-gaped and try the mag check again, If it fails again trouble shoot the ign system.
 
Clark1961 said:
Mag check, hmmm, how much time on the mags? what do the plugs look like? Find an A&P who isn't afraid to open up the mags. No need to ship them off.
Click to expand...

Why not try the easy stuff first, clean and re-gap the plugs see if that fixes it.

If not? then see about the mags.
 
DesertNomad said:
9. SB 1244A "Aft Wing Spar Attach Fitting Inspection" no ref to having been done.

10. SB 1242 "Rudder Pedal Assembly Inspection" no ref to having been done.

Piper considers 9 & 10 to be mandatory.

Thought on these? I am meeting with my mechanic here but looking to see what folks here think.
Click to expand...

9 & 10:

These many times become ADs, these may or may not. but if you are buying and the seller will have them done, do it.

be certain the log entries are correct in format and will show all pertinent info. So, when/if it becomes an AD you will have the info to sign off the AD as already complied with.
 
Having purchased a 79 Dakota last October myself the squawk list below is not problematic at all IF your mechanic has done a solid & thorough pre-buy. If this is all that was found and the logs & test flights pass you got a good candidate and I would negotiate the price based on some of the items of the pre-buy.

The mag check is probably one to get deeper into. Find out the history of the mag. In a Lycoming 0-540 this is the dual mag so find out when it was last overhauled and when the last 500 hour inspection was (make sure that was done). 210 drop and roughness is something to investigate. May be something simple as bad/fouled plugs or needing the mag OH. Regardless something to discount of the price.

The others are small stuff and realize that SBs are not mandatory so you can't expect a prior owner to have them all done.
DesertNomad said:
I am trying to buy a plane in Texas and fly it home to Nevada. It is a 1979 PA-28-236.

My Prebuy mechanic said:

1. Mag check (L) 210 Rough, (R) 150 (Smooth)

2. Aileron and Flap Gap seals not fully touching control surfaces.

3. Evidence of fuel leaking (stained) around R/L caps.

4. Oil pressure hose from engine to firewall tube mfg 12/04 and stiff.

5. Oil cooler pressure and return lines mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.

6. Fuel lines from electric pump to engine driven pump and engine driven pumb to carb. mfg 1st qtr. 2004 and stiff.

7. When pained in 2010, no log reference to having rebalanced the control surfaces before reinstallation.

8. No 337 for control gap seals install.

9. SB 1244A "Aft Wing Spar Attach Fitting Inspection" no ref to having been done.

10. SB 1242 "Rudder Pedal Assembly Inspection" no ref to having been done.

Piper considers 9 & 10 to be mandatory.

Thought on these? I am meeting with my mechanic here but looking to see what folks here think.
Click to expand...
 
If the plane has a engine analyzer the mags are easy to troubleshoot without even touching a tool
 
Tom-D said:
That's not the point is it?
Click to expand...

Yeah tom it is.

Point is figure out the problem and associated costs as quickly and inexpensivly as possible, if the plane as a analyzer that makes the job much faster and easier.
 
One other thing that should be very minor...

- Left and Right side fuel tanks placard improperly - no quantity on either side and fuel grade sticker is torn on one side.

I assume these are easy to fix without damaging the paint?
 
Tom-D said:
Why not try the easy stuff first, clean and re-gap the plugs see if that fixes it.

If not? then see about the mags.
Click to expand...

What part of "what do the plugs look like?" did you not understand?
 
Check out http://arrow4graphics.com/ and go to the online catalogue exterior placard section and #709 is the one you want if I recall correctly.

DesertNomad said:
One other thing that should be very minor...

- Left and Right side fuel tanks placard improperly - no quantity on either side and fuel grade sticker is torn on one side.

I assume these are easy to fix without damaging the paint?
Click to expand...
 
James331 said:
Yeah tom it is.

Point is figure out the problem and associated costs as quickly and inexpensivly as possible, if the plane as a analyzer that makes the job much faster and easier.
Click to expand...

Point was, do the easy stuff first.
 
Tom-D said:
Point was, do the easy stuff first.
Click to expand...

It's easier to look at a instrument during a engine run, then de cowling and removing plugs.

Take the info the that run and focus on the area that the analyzer pointed you towards... or just go fumbling about until you find the problem :rolleyes2:
 
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