Learning from an owner annual

After 6 years of Mooney ownership I'm doing my first owner assisted
annual. Most of my previous annuals have been done by factory service
centers. I'm quite a good wrench around cars so this experience is
mostly about me learning the standards & practices of aircraft work.
I'm amazed by a couple things...
1) The number of things I found that were not done that I'd paid to
have done at previous annuals.
2) The number of things done wrong (like no cotter key in the wheel).
3) The amount of work an annual really requires. It took me 6 hours
just to remove all the inspection panels (including drilling out
several dozen screws). Lubing the 150 lube points wont go too quick
either.

Its also interesting to me how many things are safety wired while other
things (that seem more important) are not. Brake calapers are safety
wired but fuel lines are not, etc. Its quite depressing to see my plane
in so many pieces. I've also discovered that its extreamly irritating
that the aircraft parts places are closed on weekends.

I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft owner who is
comfortable with a wrench.

-Robert

Good maintenance takes time and time equals money. There is
too much poor maintenance, sometimes because the aircraft
owner just doesn't have the money to do the work and
sometimes because the shop, trying to keep cost down cuts
corners. All aircraft owners should have the basic library
of the shop manuals and FAA regs in parts 43 and 91. The
FAA manual 43.13 [latest edition and all parts] as well as
some of the mechanics handbooks that are on the commercial
market will help the owner do a better job and save money
[and maybe lives] in the long run.

You will understand more about your airplane, why certain
parts are cheaper to replace anytime you have access to
them, such as alternator belts when the prop is off. You'll
know why it costs $30 in labor to put 15 cents worth of
grease in a landing gear bushing.

As you're doing the owner assisted annual, have the A&P
point out the things you can do as an owner as preventative
maintenance and how to make the logbook entry. Things like
lubrication and cleaning, replacing light bulbs and such
will save you money and reduce wear and tear on the
airplane. You have to use the right grease and oils, not 3
in 1 from the grocery store. You can also get some aircraft
grade cotter pins and safety wire and replace those that are
damaged or missing.

Buy your A&P some of his favorite ______ or take him [and
maybe his wife too] to a nice place to eat, like Outback or
whatever is good locally. Say Thank You, mechanics don't
hear that often enough.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
ups.com...
| After 6 years of Mooney ownership I'm doing my first owner
assisted
| annual. Most of my previous annuals have been done by
factory service
| centers. I'm quite a good wrench around cars so this
experience is
| mostly about me learning the standards & practices of
aircraft work.
| I'm amazed by a couple things...
| 1) The number of things I found that were not done that
I'd paid to
| have done at previous annuals.
| 2) The number of things done wrong (like no cotter key in
the wheel).
| 3) The amount of work an annual really requires. It took
me 6 hours
| just to remove all the inspection panels (including
drilling out
| several dozen screws). Lubing the 150 lube points wont go
too quick
| either.
|
| Its also interesting to me how many things are safety
wired while other
| things (that seem more important) are not. Brake calapers
are safety
| wired but fuel lines are not, etc. Its quite depressing to
see my plane
| in so many pieces. I've also discovered that its extreamly
irritating
| that the aircraft parts places are closed on weekends.
|
| I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft
owner who is
| comfortable with a wrench.
|
| -Robert
|

Good maintenance takes time and time equals money. There is
too much poor maintenance, sometimes because the aircraft
owner just doesn't have the money to do the work and
sometimes because the shop, trying to keep cost down cuts
corners.

Well you can't get more expensive than the factory service centers I'd
been using. I no longer believe in the top dollar = good maintenance
anymore. When you're paying $105/hr for a $12/hr kid to replace your
access panels and he installs the antennas all backwards, you figure
money doens't necessarily equal good work.

-Robert

Spending money can be a waste. Money spent on a good shop
for work done right is cheap at almost any price. There are
good shops wit good mechanics and there are bad shops and
bad mechanics, and often the bad shop charges more dollars.

But if your mechanic tells you that a certain part needs to
be overhauled or replaced he may be trying to save your
life. If the shop rules don't let you actually speak with
the mechanic and they want you to deal with a service
manager, find a different shop or insist on talking with the
mechanic in private. You can describe the squawks you have
and he can tell you what he finds. He can show you the
V-belt that is worn but serviceable, but it is cheaper to
replace the belt because right now the prop is already off,
for example.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...
| Good maintenance takes time and time equals money. There
is
| too much poor maintenance, sometimes because the
aircraft
| owner just doesn't have the money to do the work and
| sometimes because the shop, trying to keep cost down
cuts
| corners.
|
| Well you can't get more expensive than the factory service
centers I'd
| been using. I no longer believe in the top dollar = good
maintenance
| anymore. When you're paying $105/hr for a $12/hr kid to
replace your
| access panels and he installs the antennas all backwards,
you figure
| money doens't necessarily equal good work.
|
| -Robert
|

Robert M. Gary wrote:

I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft owner who is
comfortable with a wrench.

-Robert


I couldn't agree more. Knowing more about the aircraft systems will make
you more aware of potential problems. You'll be a safer pilot because you
inspect and test things more intelligently.

1) The number of things I found that were not done that I'd paid to
have done at previous annuals.

Yep, I found that when I got started, too. (I recently finished my 8th
owner-assisted annual)

2) The number of things done wrong (like no cotter key in the wheel).

Yep. And wires poorly routed in the engine compartment. And heat
ducts carpeted over. The list was fairly extensive.

3) The amount of work an annual really requires. It took me 6 hours
just to remove all the inspection panels (including drilling out
several dozen screws).

This seems odd, Robert. Is your plane parked outside? Why would those
inspection panel screws be so corroded? Unless...were they never
removed recently? (More work undone-but-paid-for?)

I strip a fair number of screws every year -- but I've NEVER had to
drill any out on either of the planes we've owned.

Its quite depressing to see my plane
in so many pieces. I've also discovered that its extreamly irritating
that the aircraft parts places are closed on weekends.

What I like is when you have everything in neat little tupperware cups
underneath the appropriate parts of the plane -- and then the shop
moves the plane. Or they pull an extension cord under your plane, and
lasso all the parts buckets. Or they get kicked over. THAT is my pet
peeve about doing an annual.

I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft owner who is
comfortable with a wrench.

Agree 100%. I have a voluminous knowledge of the inner workings of my
aircraft, solely because of doing the owner-assisted annuals.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Buy a [big] box or two of slide-lock baggies, put the
parts, with a label and tape them to the area near the
inspection cover. You can even add notes to yourself or the
other mechanic who is working on the airplane.

I've heard of owners replacing the standard fasteners with
nice shiny stainless steel screws. Trouble is you can get
dissimilar metal galvanic reactions and then you have to
drill them out.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
| 1) The number of things I found that were not done that
I'd paid to
| have done at previous annuals.
|
| Yep, I found that when I got started, too. (I recently
finished my 8th
| owner-assisted annual)
|
| 2) The number of things done wrong (like no cotter key
in the wheel).
|
| Yep. And wires poorly routed in the engine compartment.
And heat
| ducts carpeted over. The list was fairly extensive.
|
| 3) The amount of work an annual really requires. It took
me 6 hours
| just to remove all the inspection panels (including
drilling out
| several dozen screws).
|
| This seems odd, Robert. Is your plane parked outside?
Why would those
| inspection panel screws be so corroded? Unless...were
they never
| removed recently? (More work undone-but-paid-for?)
|
| I strip a fair number of screws every year -- but I've
NEVER had to
| drill any out on either of the planes we've owned.
|
| Its quite depressing to see my plane
| in so many pieces. I've also discovered that its
extreamly irritating
| that the aircraft parts places are closed on weekends.
|
| What I like is when you have everything in neat little
tupperware cups
| underneath the appropriate parts of the plane -- and then
the shop
| moves the plane. Or they pull an extension cord under
your plane, and
| lasso all the parts buckets. Or they get kicked over.
THAT is my pet
| peeve about doing an annual.
|
| I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft
owner who is
| comfortable with a wrench.
|
| Agree 100%. I have a voluminous knowledge of the inner
workings of my
| aircraft, solely because of doing the owner-assisted
annuals.
| --
| Jay Honeck
| Iowa City, IA
| Pathfinder N56993
| www.AlexisParkInn.com
| "Your Aviation Destination"
|

"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:EZF9g.20244$ZW3.18025@dukeread04...
Buy a [big] box or two of slide-lock baggies, put the
parts, with a label and tape them to the area near the
inspection cover. You can even add notes to yourself or the
other mechanic who is working on the airplane.

I've heard of owners replacing the standard fasteners with
nice shiny stainless steel screws. Trouble is you can get
dissimilar metal galvanic reactions and then you have to
drill them out.



snip


Just what I did several years ago in A&P school. During recip overhaul, we
were in groups of 3. I noticed that the other groups seemed to be reckless
with the parts and fasteners they were removing. I went to Sam's and bought
the gallon freezer bags and my group kept everything in the bags and labled.
Made our engine assembly much smoother than the others. We were also the
first one's completed and that engine fired right up and purred like a
kitten!




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Virus Database (VPS): 0619-3, 05/12/2006
Tested on: 5/14/2006 12:04:18 PM
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http://www.avast.com

Great movie THE BEST of TIMES with Kurt Russell and Robin
Williams...
one line, "we've got to get organized" followed by "it's
against the rules" "What?" "To get organized"

Another good line, "I'm not a has-been, I'm a never-was."


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P
Spartan 1972-74

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.



C. Massey" wrote in message
. net...
|
| "Jim Macklin" wrote
in message
| news:EZF9g.20244$ZW3.18025@dukeread04...
| Buy a [big] box or two of slide-lock baggies, put the
| parts, with a label and tape them to the area near the
| inspection cover. You can even add notes to yourself or
the
| other mechanic who is working on the airplane.
|
| I've heard of owners replacing the standard fasteners
with
| nice shiny stainless steel screws. Trouble is you can
get
| dissimilar metal galvanic reactions and then you have to
| drill them out.
|
|
|
| snip
|
|
| Just what I did several years ago in A&P school. During
recip overhaul, we
| were in groups of 3. I noticed that the other groups
seemed to be reckless
| with the parts and fasteners they were removing. I went to
Sam's and bought
| the gallon freezer bags and my group kept everything in
the bags and labled.
| Made our engine assembly much smoother than the others. We
were also the
| first one's completed and that engine fired right up and
purred like a
| kitten!
|
|
|
|
| ---
| avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
| Virus Database (VPS): 0619-3, 05/12/2006
| Tested on: 5/14/2006 12:04:18 PM
| avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2006 ALWIL Software.
| http://www.avast.com
|
|
|

"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:EZF9g.20244$ZW3.18025@dukeread04...
I've heard of owners replacing the standard fasteners with
nice shiny stainless steel screws. Trouble is you can get
dissimilar metal galvanic reactions and then you have to
drill them out.


I am aware of galvanic corrosion, which often corrodes aluminum when it is
in contact with steel, especially if in the presence of moisture and even
more especially moisture with salt. The use of stainless fasteners should
AFAIK greatly reduce corrosion of the fasteners but am unaware of any change
to the galvanic corrosion rates on the aluminum. Are you suggesting an
increase in galvanic action between a stainless fastener and a plain steel
nut? Please expand.

I would also appreciate comment on the use of thread lubricants like
'Nevr-Seize' which IMHO allow increased clamping force and also greatly
reduce thread seizing from corrosion.