Travel maintenace items

[Morgan3820]

As a new owner of a PA-28-161 Warrior. I am soliciting suggestions for preventative maintenance items. While, I know to leave some flexibility in my travel plans, but both I and my wife have job schedules that prevent adding five days to a trip. Specifically, I am looking for those items that will leave me stuck at my destination airport, waiting for parts and at the mercy of an FBO or A&P that I do not know. One item that comes to my mind is servicing the mechanical fuel pump. Another is the magneto. It doesn't take long to swap out, if you have the part. Is it silly to carry a spare magneto? What about a spare inner tube? I know that life happens but I would like to do what I can to keep unexpected unpleasantries to a minimum, and when things do go bad that I am able to deal with them quickly.

 

[PilotAlan]

I have a PA-28-180.

Carry a left mag (left mag with impulse coupling can be installed on the right, right can't go on the left)

Carry a primer overhaul kit and the needed wrenches (it's some O-rings and fuel lube). Almost got stuck when the primer quit working at an unattended airport with no services, couldn't get the engine started. Turned the primer plunger and found one spot where a could get a 1/2in stroke and did that about 10 times to get the engine started.

Jumper cables/plug (depending on your setup). You may be able to find a power source, but no cables.

Inner tube's not a bad idea, but a shop will probably have one. But it's cheap, small, and light.

Boost pumps rarely fail.

The biggest item is to replace the battery at the first sign of weakness. Mine's getting replaced as we speak, but it's 9 years old and doesn't owe me a thing (Concorde AGM battery, RG35AXC).

 

[bnt83]

The biggest item is to replace the battery at the first sign of weakness. Mine's getting replaced as we speak, but it's 9 years old and doesn't owe me a thing (Concorde AGM battery, RG35AXC).

I'd say you got good use outa it.

 

[Skylane81E]

Depends, I don't carry spares but know plenty of folks who wouldn't dream of traveling without them.

If I was going to BFE I might change my mind.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Carry a left mag (left mag with impulse coupling can be installed on the right, right can't go on the left)

The impulse mag requires a deeper mount and they can't fit each other's holes.

By the time one carries enough spare parts along there's no room left for occupants or fuel or bags. Better to keep components current. 500-hour inspections on the mags and alternator will prevent 80% of the likely problems, since most problems tend to be electrical. If a tire is losing air, fix it. A leak will only get worse, and can get worse in a real big hurry. Oleos can go flat without warning and leak oil everywhere, but they're usually full of old O-rings that should have been changed long before. Same for brake master cylinder and caliper seals. They'll leak or fail suddenly much more readily in cold weather.

Dan

 

[Non Compos Mentis]

Whatever list you end up with, make sure it has:

-Credit Card
-Cell Phone.

 

[PilotAlan]

I'd say you got good use outa it.

Yep. Concordes forever for me.

If a tire is losing air, fix it. A leak will only get worse, and can get worse in a real big hurry.

I put in Leakguard tubes, to try to minimize chances of a problem on the road.

Try to identify the common failures that will make you stuck. Battery, starter, alternator, tires/tubes, primer. If one of them starts acting up, replace them, and replace them with better, more reliable components.
Concorde battery. Skytec or Hartzell starter instead of a crappy rebuild. Plane Power alternator instead of a crappy rebuild. Leakguard tubes. Carry a primer kit (it's $5 and 5oz, and 5 cubic centimeters).

Your chances of getting stuck go down significantly. Yes, something oddball can crap out, but A&Ps know what things commonly fail, as they're fixing the AOG transient aircraft that are stuck.

 

[JHW]

Tire tube, couple spark plugs, bicycle tire pump, fuses. That's enough. Chuckled about the primer comment. The throttle still works.

 

[SoloEqs]

By the time you've loaded every part that you might need, and the tools to install and test them, you've reached MTOW. And you're not even sitting in the plane yet.

There are very few parts for your plane which aren't on the shelf at every FBO in the country. If you find a good price on, say, mags, put each of them in a marked and sealed-to-ship FedEx overnight box, that anyone you reach on the phone can send to you in case of need. Each box should also contain the tools needed to install and test the part.

Horror stories aside, it's pretty rare to be grounded somewhere on a trip because of a parts issue with a plane as popular as yours, unless you've let maintenance slide and something really oddball fails.

Therefore, you need a roll of electrical tape, 10 feet of 12AWG insulated wire (yellow, so you can easily find it later) with insulated alligator clips on the ends and a couple of spare clips, a tube of cures-underwater epoxy, a wire coat hanger, a quart of oil, small flashlight and two sets of batteries, a fuel dipstick, a couple of gallon-sized Ziploc freezer bags, butane cigar lighter and a Gerber tool.

 

[bnt83]

The impulse mag requires a deeper mount and they can't fit each other's holes.

Dan

I saw that. I was thinking maybe he had some voodoo magic in his back pocket.

Some engine installations are so tight there is no way in heck I'd want to screw with the mags.

 

[AcroBoy]

You can get a mag, starter, or vacuum pump either fixed locally or sent overnight. For about the same money you can rent a car and stay in a local hotel, or get a round trip commercial ticket to pick up the plane when it's done.

There's no end to carrying spare parts and tools around, and all it does is add weight.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Tire tube, couple spark plugs, bicycle tire pump, fuses. That's enough. Chuckled about the primer comment. The throttle still works.

Primers almost never fail.

Dan

 

[MickYoumans]

Horror stories aside, it's pretty rare to be grounded somewhere on a trip because of a parts issue with a plane as popular as yours, unless you've let maintenance slide and something really oddball fails.

+1
I have popped fuses before but I have never had anything completely ground me. The key is good maintenance. When you start noticing a problem with something, get it corrected before it turns into a bigger probem that grounds you. Fuses, flashlight and a bicycle air pump is about all I keep in the plane. Like others have said, you don't want to use up your spare weight margin.

 

[frfly172]

A gold credit card and some air miles. Good maintenance is the key. If the airplane is well maintained any problem should be minor.

 

[PilotAlan]

Chuckled about the primer comment. The throttle still works.

Try starting an O-360 in a Cherokee 180 with the throttle. Doesn't work, especially when it's cold. And a really good way to start a fire.

Again, for less than $5 and a couple cubic inches, I think it's a good investment. You're free to think otherwise.

 

[bnt83]

Try starting an O-360 in a Cherokee 180 with the throttle. Doesn't work, especially when it's cold. And a really good way to start a fire.

Again, for less than $5 and a couple cubic inches, I think it's a good investment. You're free to think otherwise.

Try starting an O320 or O360 in 177s pumping throttle, works well.

 

[Tom-D]

The impulse mag requires a deeper mount and they can't fit each other's holes.Dan

the two mags can be used in either hole, the one with the impulse coupling has a longer gear shaft to mount the impulse coupling plus an adaptor to off set the impulse coupling length. The one which does not have the coupling has a shorter gear shaft, but will mount and run in either hole, as will the impulsed mag.

 

[JHW]

Try starting an O-360 in a Cherokee 180 with the throttle. Doesn't work, especially when it's cold. And a really good way to start a fire.

Again, for less than $5 and a couple cubic inches, I think it's a good investment. You're free to think otherwise.

Works fine. No more risk of fire than using the primers. Either way the gas runs out the bottom of the carb.

 

[Tom-D]

Works fine. No more risk of fire than using the primers. Either way the gas runs out the bottom of the carb.

Only when you prime / add gas by the throttle when not cranking the engine.

 

[bnt83]

the two mags can be used in either hole, the one with the impulse coupling has a longer gear shaft to mount the impulse coupling plus an adaptor to off set the impulse coupling length. The one which does not have the coupling has a shorter gear shaft, but will mount and run in either hole, as will the impulsed mag.

The accessory case studs are not the same length between the non-impulse and impulsed.

Carrying an impulsed mag will only be a quick replacement for an impulsed mag.

You'll need a gear, two longer studs, gaskets, and the spacer adapter at the very least to get the implused mag into a non-impulsed hole.

 

[Tom-D]

The accessory case studs are not the same length between the non-impulse and impulsed.

Carrying an impulsed mag will only be a quick replacement for an impulsed mag.

You'll need a gear, two longer studs, gaskets, and the spacer adapter at the very least to get the implused mag into a non-impulsed hole.

I wasn't speaking to the replacement issue, They will interchange side to side, the studs pull very easy. The replacement issue is the length of the gear shaft. the short shaft won't carry an impulse coupling, and vice versa.

 

[Bill Watson]

The biggest item is to replace the battery at the first sign of weakness. Mine's getting replaced as we speak, but it's 9 years old and doesn't owe me a thing (Concorde AGM battery, RG35AXC).

If you test the battery on a regular basis (and record results) I agree. If the first signs of weakness is difficulty or failure to start on a cold day, a different approach might be called for.

Replacing the battery at a fixed interval like 5 years might make sense, especially if your (IFR) panel is electrically dependent. Batteries rarely fail outright within a reasonable service life but alternators do occassionally fail. If that happens you may want to know that your panel will operate for say 30 mins. You definitely don't want to discover it's weakness is failure to run the panel for 5 minutes on a dark and stormy.

 

[Tom-D]

If you test the battery on a regular basis (and record results) I agree. If the first signs of weakness is difficulty or failure to start on a cold day, a different approach might be called for..

When you comply with the ICAs for your battery you won't have problems.

 

[timwinters]

Works fine. No more risk of fire than using the primers. Either way the gas runs out the bottom of the carb.

My O-470 primes directly into the cylinders, all six, no way it can run out the carb. Priming with the throttle, though I do it occasionally, does indeed present a far greater risk of backfire/fire.

 

[flyingron]

Depends, I don't carry spares but know plenty of folks who wouldn't dream of traveling without them.

I just prefer to stop and use the bathroom.

 

[mondtster]

My O-470 primes directly into the cylinders, all six, no way it can run out the carb. Priming with the throttle, though I do it occasionally, does indeed present a far greater risk of backfire/fire.

I've never seen an o-470 that primes directly into the cylinders. Even with the primer nozzles in the intake port near the valves gravity still works and it can head towards the carburetor.

 

[Tom-D]

My O-470 primes directly into the cylinders, all six, no way it can run out the carb. Priming with the throttle, though I do it occasionally, does indeed present a far greater risk of backfire/fire.

The primer nozzle may be in the cylinder head, but they are outside the intake valve, and the intake pipe is down from there. There is nothing to stop the fuel from running down to the carb from there.

 

[flyingron]

I've had a couple of mag failures (mostly heat on ancient Bendix mags) but carrying a spare isn't in my real of needs. Not only do you have to replace it but you do have to retime it. Frankly, it's not that difficult, but it's a lot of weight (especially if you have all the equipment involved as well) and really helps to have a second hand.

What I do carry is a spare plug and a gasket. Bad plug or a fouled one, it's easier in the field to just replace it and bring the bad one home for further rehab.

 

[Dan Thomas]

When you comply with the ICAs for your battery you won't have problems.

Exactly right. When we do annuals we run the battery capacity test and find out exactly where that battery is at. It might crank OK, but when the test indicates a failing capacity, you know that the owner will either replace it now or get stuck somewhere sooner or later.

Dan

 

[Dan Thomas]

Try starting an O-360 in a Cherokee 180 with the throttle. Doesn't work, especially when it's cold. And a really good way to start a fire.

Again, for less than $5 and a couple cubic inches, I think it's a good investment. You're free to think otherwise.

What's your experience with failed primers? In my years as a mechanic I have replaced the O-rings in maybe two leaking primers out of the thousands of times I've inspected one, or cleaned one to cure stickiness. And the leakers only leaked when the primer was moving.

Dan

 

[SoloEqs]

My O-470 primes directly into the cylinders

I'll bet it doesn't.

I don't know your engine, but if it did, how would they keep from having the pressure from one cylinder shooting into the other cylinders through the primer tubes?

You probably have priming into each leg of the intake spider. Depending on the spider configuration, there might be low spots where the gas would collect, but prime enough and you'll fill these and then have gas get to the carb.

Getting back to whether or not to carry a primer repaid kit, why not? You'll probably never use it, but it will weigh pretty much nothing, sit in the back of the glovebox and not be in the way.

That said, I find it hard to believe that a primer would go from working perfectly to no worky without warning or in one day.

 

[Dan Thomas]

I'll bet it doesn't.

I don't know your engine, but if it did, how would they keep from having the pressure from one cylinder shooting into the other cylinders through the primer tubes?

You probably have priming into each leg of the intake spider. Depending on the spider configuration, there might be low spots where the gas would collect, but prime enough and you'll fill these and then have gas get to the carb.

The primer nozzles fit into the same ports an injected engine uses for its injector nozzles. They're located right next to the manifold side of the intake valve.

Dan

 

[JHW]

My O-470 primes directly into the cylinders, all six, no way it can run out the carb. Priming with the throttle, though I do it occasionally, does indeed present a far greater risk of backfire/fire.

No it doesn't. And it also is not installed in the nominated Cherokee 180.

 

[kenjr]

What about non aspirated engines like the O-540 with accelerator pumps? I know the Piper manual calls for priming, which we do, but have seen video's of guys starting various Pipers similar to mine with 3 or 4 fast pumps of the throttle as long as it's not too cold.

 

[JHW]

What about non aspirated engines like the O-540 with accelerator pumps? I know the Piper manual calls for priming, which we do, but have seen video's of guys starting various Pipers similar to mine with 3 or 4 fast pumps of the throttle as long as it's not too cold.

That's the most common method of starting.

 

[denverpilot]

I'm going with "credit card". No one of any consequence has ever complained about any maintenance delays when I've been caught away from home with an airplane problem.

 

[timwinters]

The primer nozzle may be in the cylinder head, but they are outside the intake valve, and the intake pipe is down from there. There is nothing to stop the fuel from running down to the carb from there.

I stand corrected.

But it's a long way downstream from the carb, still far less chance of fire and that was my point.

 

[JHW]

I stand corrected.

But it's a long way downstream from the carb, still far less chance of fire and that was my point.

Not really. If you prime wih the engine not turning you'll be amazed how quickly you get gas pooled in the carb. Take a cover off your air box and have a look. It will be an eye opener and you will become less critical of priming wih the accelerator pump. Do it either way with the engine not turning (and sometimes that is necessary) and the effect is the same.

 

[timwinters]

That may be true for many engines, Jeff, but I doubt it is for an O-470. There's a lot of horizontal intake pipe that the fuel would have to navigate before dropping into the carb.

If I have to prime that much to start my engine, a fire may be just what I need.

BTW it wasn't me who was critical of priming with the throttle. I do it occasionally myself (and stated such in my original post on this topic) but I do so with the opinion that it comes with more risk.

Edit: and now that I think about it more, when prime using the throttle, I do so as I'm cranking so maybe the hazard is minimal either way.

 

[AdamZ]

Lots of good answers here. With a Warrior I tend to agree that the best emergency equipment is your credit card. Carrying lots of stuff will use up your useful load. The CC can buy you the parts and service, book the motel room, get the rental car or commercial flight home.