FastEddieB Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 My Annual Condition Inspection is due by the end of the month. I usually begin it towards the very end of the month to push the renewal date forward a month each time - I have managed to move it to late April - much nicer than when I was shivering my butt off doing them in the depths of N GA winter. The entire process typically takes about 4 or 5 days, working about 4 or 5 hours at a time. In any case, I'm going to start in a week or so, probably next Friday/Saturday. Much of the stuff is ROTAX-related, and I usually begin with a lot of that: Oil and filter change, oil filter opening and inspection, friction check, plug inspection/cleaning or, in this case, change, float bowl inspection, compression check, carb balance, that sort of thing. If anyone in the area wants to get "educated" on any of this, feel free to come by Copperhill to observe/help. Let me know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Can I come to be that guy and criticise and offer unwanted advice for everything you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 I managed to move mine three months with the "hose" change. (A number of things entered into that - first time I had done it, changing residences in the middle of it, and, I don't do this full time.) ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Can I come to be that guy and criticise and offer unwanted advice for everything you do? Sure! As long as I can be that guy that ignores you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 I actually pushed my annual *back* two months last year...it was due in June, but I did it in April. Why? Because I'd rather get it done in the Spring before the Summer flying season begins in earnest. Too late this year, but I might push it back to March or even February next year...even less gnawing incentive to fly in those months than in April. Or even if the desire is there, the weather is not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul m Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Generous offer Eddie. Wish I lived closer. I really must protest though to the reference to the "depths of the N GA winter". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Generous offer Eddie. Wish I lived closer. I really must protest though to the reference to the "depths of the N GA winter". You certainly remember what the blizzard that dropped 2" of snow did to us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul m Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 It is possible I missed it while shovelling some of last year's 110" here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Eddie, my mechanic threatens to charge me more if I "help" him. Actually, I learn a lot by being there when the annual is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbigs Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Ever heard the adage? "A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client" Annuals are critical to airworthiness and safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Burger, do you have more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baker Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Ever heard the adage? "A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client" Annuals are critical to airworthiness and safety. Who does the FAA say is responsable for determining that a airplane is airworthy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 It did strike me as odd that in a thread that I started looking mainly to share my knowledge and experience with others, that someone chooses to obliquely call me a fool. And after 40 years or so in the game, and on my seventh owned plane, I think I know something about annuals - though technically here we are talking about an Annual Condition Inspection, which is a slightly different animal. I guess no good deed goes unpunished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 In a way, he's right, but I think that quote is out of context. I somewhat share the opinion about people doing their own inspections, but only so far as competence goes. A skilled lawyer would definately want to represent him or herself, while a novice or common man should not (this is what the quote meant). Same theory with inspections. That said, I find FastEddieB's conservative aproaches likely to reflect in his maintenance care, so I have no concerns Despite being able to do annual condition inspections, I prefer to let another mechanic do that, while I do 100hrs. Different people look for different things. I will annual my own aircraft for private use though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 My A&P allows me to do much of the work on my annual with his oversight. We both agree that nobody has a greater incentive to "get it right" than the guy whose ass is in the seat. BTW, the lawyer quote refers to the fact that even a lawyer should not defend himself/herself, because of emotional attachment to the case causing errors and a lack of detachment in the defense. It was never meant to be generalized to read "you should never do anything of consequence for yourself." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 I had my first several annuals done by a reputable Light Sport dealer. After which... 1) The rear seat came completely off its pins, falling down and to the left - fortunately as Karen was getting out at our first fuel stop. The dealer had forgotten to install two cotter pins that hold the rear seat in place. Could have been quite disconcerting had it happened in flight. 2) There's a safety pin for the front cowling latch. Not reinstalled. Twice. 3) A replacement battery was installed, not the one specified by 3i, and with no LOA. Not a concern now that I'm Experimental, but could have had airworthiness implications at the time. And that's just the glaring stuff we found. Did not leave me with a warm feeling that all the other work was done just right. I'm not perfect, but I do take whatever time is needed to do things right - a little extra time with Pledge or Corrosion-X to clean up things whenever an inspection panel gets pulled, for example. My point is not to bash the shop. Just to point out that MIF's are hardly the sole domain of owners doing their own inspections. I do agree with Anticept that having another set of eyes go over the plane once in a while is a good idea. Roger Lee cast an eye on it in 2011 for the rubber parts change, and I anticipate Prof Shuch may get the honor in a year or two when the second rubber parts change comes due. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul m Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Well if we're going to start throwing out quotes... "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 ...........................! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 A lot of it is being aware of when you don't know something and then knowing who to talk to when you don't. This forum is an invaluable resource for those things, as is Roger Lee, and Rotax Owners. Thanks to all who participate in the assessment of problems and the recommendations of solutions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 A lot of it is being aware of when you don't know something and then knowing who to talk to when you don't. This forum is an invaluable resource for those things, as is Roger Lee, and Rotax Owners. Thanks to all who participate in the assessment of problems and the recommendations of solutions. Amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Put in about 5 hours today, after going for a quick jaunt up to 10,000' to warm things up. All engine stuff today - changed oil and filter, checked magnetic plug, changed spark plugs, checked friction torque, checked travel of the chokes and throttles. Brought my air filter home to clean and tomorrow mainly have to pull the float bowl and I'm done with the engine except the carb balance , which I save for the very end. Plugs looked good to me: I did my compression checks warm, using 87 psi as the reference. I did them without referring to last year's and it turns out they're virtually identical - except #4 was down a pound. #3 has always been the lowest. I know these seem low compared to what others get. I hear air burbling past the rings, but power seems as strong as ever, I'm not burning oil and the plugs look good. I did the tests with all 4 top plugs removed. Trying to picture if having them in place makes any difference - does it? The crankcase is open to the atmosphere so it shouldn't make a difference, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 My concern is if those numbers change drastically from one inspection to another. You might have gauges that are a little off, by the way I had cylinder 4 go from 84/86 to 78/86 between 100hrs. Sent the head in. The valve seat was pitting rapidly and it wouldn't have taken long before it got beyond repair and had to buy a new head. But, since we caught it so early, they reground the head a little and it seals up to a nice 83/86, and it's been that way for 2 inspections now! Also: if you have a K&N filter: don't clean it every time. See "When Do I Clean My K&N Air Filter?" at the top. Here are pictures. K&N filters work best when slightly dirty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Hi Eddie, What was the compression test results when you were out here? I can find your other documents, but not the logbook label. You don't need nor does it change anything with other plugs in during the compression test. Air moving past the rings is normal and that's how you get crankcase pressure to push oil back to the tank and that's why you here it gurgle during the compression test. All normal. What is not normal are those compression results. You may have a bad gauge. I just replaced mine because it was a tad off. With an 87 test pressure your results should be 83-85 psi. Some might see 81-82, but out of all the Rotax engines I annual every year I have never seen one down at 81. It can't be 87/87 or 80/80 either because that means there is no leakage past the rings to the case and the cylinders are not 100% airtight. Anything that is 10 psi or lower beyond the test pressure waves red flags. The piston/cylinder only have 1 thousand clearance. My guess is that those numbers are wrong due to the gauge or other leakage around your spark plug insert. I would be worried and do more exploring if 3 cyl. were 85 psi and one was 77, but all your are close. Most Rotax compression test for all 4 cylinders are within 1-2 psi of each other and up around 83-85. I have seen a cylinder be much lower than the others, but turning the prop a few times or even a quick run fixes that. The compression test on a Rotax warm versus cold sometimes is dead equal and once in awhile it is only 1 psi different. I would barrow another tester or just replace my gauges. gauges are not expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted April 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Thanks Roger. If anyone around here has another set of gauges, I would not mind comparing. My set was brand new two years ago and has only been used twice before. I don't have my logbooks at the house, but I'll check and see what they were when you checked them (if I remember to!) Just found the 2014 annual entry: #1 80/76 - #2 80/76 - #3 80/69 - #4 80/74. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 An 80 psi test pressure should yield around 77-78 which would be normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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