wrote:
It looks like the AI on my Cherokee finally bought the farm. My
friend who just flew it on a cross-country said it laid over and died on
the way.

So, the question is, used, overhauled, or new? Any thoughts on
this? Brands to get/not get? I'm leaning away from overhauling the gyro,
since I don't know how long it's been alive. I'm pretty sure it's old and
hasn't been touched in over 20 years.

Just wondering what folks think. I'm currently finishing my
instrument training and plan to use it for some light IFR cross-country
trips later on.

-Cory


Back in nineteen and sixty nine, I worked in an avionics & instrument
shop. I would watch George, who was also a watchmaker, overhaul
gyros. The most interesting part was resurfacing and polishing
the tiny rotor journals, and replacing the ball bearings and races.
He would then spin them up, listening closely to an almost imperceptible
ticking sound as each ball would roll up over the top of the journal
then fall down upon the descending ball below! The sound had to
be just-so, or he was not happy. Anyway, I would think a unit properly
overhauled would be as good or better than new. We did lots of
overhauls, but I don't recall ever installing a new one.

Tom Pappano, PP-ASEL-IA