Woohoo! First flight on new engine!

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PoAdeleted5

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[font=verdana, arial][font=verdana, arial][font=verdana, arial] Woke up bright and early to blue sky this morning. Got on the freeway to head to RHV, and wow, low clouds directly over the airport. Weird. Hoped it wasn't an omen.[/font][font=verdana, arial]Anyway, met my A&P/CFI friend Patrik at the plane, did a good thorough pre-flight and fired her up. Quick taxi and run up, then up to orbit the field at 2000 feet for the next 45-50 minutes at 75-80% power. [/font]

[font=verdana, arial]Everything went well. Oil temperature stayed just a hair under the 180 degree mark, pressure right in the middle of the green, ammeter held charge, the radios all worked. [/font]

[font=verdana, arial]Only problem we noticed was the vacuum regulator was cranked up too high. With the new pump, it was pulling about 6", when it should be around 5. Will have to pull the seat to reach the adjustment. The old pump was very worn. I took it apart the other night to look inside of it. The vanes were barely long enough to stay in the slots. Someone must have really turned it up to try and compensate.[/font]

[font=verdana, arial]Pulled the cowl after the flight, noticed a little oil dribble from the oil temperature probe. Noticed a little dribble from the hose fitting on one of the new oil hoses. Tightened them up, see what happens. [/font]

[font=verdana, arial]All in all, everything went well. Towards the end of the flight pushed the throttle open to see what she would do. Had no problem pulling right into the yellow arc straight level. On the ground she felt nice and smooth afterwards.[/font]

[font=verdana, arial]Oil consumption about 1/2-3/4 of a quart. Burned about 10-13 gallons running hard. [/font]

[font=verdana, arial]I'm so glad that this long ordeal is over. Man, it was a chapter that I didn't think would ever end sometimes. [/font]

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Larry,

Good feeling isn't it? Congratulations on the new engine. Break it in hard and enjoy many good years of life out of it.
 
Be careful. It may not be over....but I sure hope it is. When the Seneca II was new (to me) and was a right runout, left near runout, I did the right engine L-TSIO360-EB1B the following month. The left had a year to go, or so I hoped. It had oil everyplace but no specific place to stop it. We looked and looked. Finally on a long trip to Colorado the left main tank came up 7 gallons short (3.8 hrs of flying). The tank took full load minus 2 gallons (too close for comfort). We couldn't find any clue as to where it was going- the plugs were nice and gray....no fuel stains anyplace.

I said to heck with it and did the left engine. That did do it until the right propellor started leaking oil....so it goes.
 
HURRAY!

I'm very glad to hear it, Larry! It never ends, but it does slow down! I had a great $200 hamburger today. (Fuel prices and two engines...sigh). I never do that, but my wife actually suggested it.

If that wasn't great enough, the best part was ZERO SQUAWKS!!!!!!

Now, you always have it in the back of your mind...your airplane is there...the way you left it...waiting for you to take it flying...24/7/365. Soak it up!
 
Congradulations:) What kind of motor, who did the work? Plane type?

My motor went off the the overhauler last week. Ever since I found out I was gonna need a new motor my stress levels have been off the charts...is that normal? I cant wait to get the thing back in the plane and have everything buttoned up and working properly. Sure will be a relief after two years of owning a timed out but low time motor. That sucker was just bleedin' me to death.
Unfortunately, when it's done I'll be in texas and it will be in north dakota, so the a&p will have to break it in and fly it regularly until i can come up and get it.
Pete
 
It's a Cherokee 180, Lycoming O-360-A3A. Sent it up to Air West in San Carlos, California for the overhaul. Had 4 new Milleniums put on it.

While it was off, did the engine mount, discovered the exhaust system was a big mess, got brand new mufflers and shrouds from Piper, stacks done at Dawley. Got a new V-pump and a fresh overhauled alternator, a complete hose kit, new control cables, fixed the airbox and the list goes on.

Sigh, as Bruce says.

The plane is pretty ugly to look at, unless you pull the cowling off. :)

Stress levels, Oh yeah, I hear you. I took the owner participation route and got my hands involved, buying parts, hardware, clamps, mounts and on and on, doing the research and phone calls and parts ordering. 6 months of that.

If you have a shop you trust, just give 'em a check and tell them to call you when it is done.
 
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larrysb said:
If you have a shop you trust, just give 'em a check and tell them to call you when it is done.
Click to expand...

Dont trust anyone that much:) I'm doin the parts thing too. Sent mine to zypher in florida. I have to buy new lycoming cylinders at 1700 each, no pma's for angle valve yet. New skytec starter, slick mags, new cam, spin on filter adapter, oh'd prop gov, new engine analyzer, oh'd exaust, oh'd fuel injection, new mix and prop cables, new gear biscuits, tanks re-sealed. I took the mount to a local body shop to get it sand blasted and painted..only $127.00, cant believe I actually got something airplane related done for less than $500 :) I'll be lucky if this all comes out to less than $28,000. Hmm...lets see, whats left, still needs paint, could use fuel bladders, 201 wind screen mod, cowl closure mod, auto pilot....anyone wanna buy a 1964 mooney m20e for $80,000? Like new....160 kt cruise:)
Pete
 
The annual isn't done if there's still money in the account....
 
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