Since I wasn't the editor of Coupe Capers this time, I just relaxed and tried to memorize anything in which I was interested. I didn't take any notes at all.
These are not rigorously staffed, checked, facts. They are just things I was told that seemed to have "face value." Use what you can. Anything risky, check thoroughly. We can discuss anything about which there's contention till we get the facts. I'll start at the Nose and work my way around like a preflight. Spinners. The Coupe spinner was maligned by people who had ones with cracks. Some people had Cessna spinners, some had skullcap spinners, a few had none at all, though most did have the flatter Coupe cone spinner. It was pointed out by someone that there's not a word about spinners in the type certificate so you don't have to use the "official" Coupe spinner. I don't know. Mine has had a Cessna spinner for the 19 years I've had the plane and it's had no cracks or faults. Props. There were a lot of props and prop talk. A Beach-Roby (sp?) crank adjustable prop was there -- wood with a plastic coating, metal edges. It was on Regional Director Marv Dunlap's plane if you want to correspond with him about it. One plane showed up with a new three bladed non-metal prop, ground adjustable variable pitch. Sorry but I forget the name of the maker. That maker, said the pilot, is trying to have the in-flight adjustable variable pitch ready by Oshkosh. Naturally, you'd have to persuade the FAA to bless the installation. (Good luck -- another consensus was that the FAA has turned seriously chicken about making field approvals.) Engines. If anyone needs an engine, John Wright Jr. has one for sale (sorry, I don't remember if it's a C-85 or O-200) for $7,500. That's freshly majored (to, I think, factory new specs -- I don't know if he put all new cylinders on or not). Both John Sr. and Jr. are generally respected for their thoroughness. John Jr.'s plane is the only C-85 I've EVER seen that landed at a national convention from a cross-country flight just as the judges were coming by, opened the cowl on a white-enamel painted, spotless, oil-free engine and won best in class -- I was standing there -- I saw it happen. Highly recommended. (If you have a core to trade back you could get an even better deal.) John Jr. also won both best Ercoupe and People's choice this year. He'd asked to be not considered but the judges refused to ignore his plane -- it was too good. I think he's won both awards about every year he's been considered and a few years ago asked that he no longer be in the running to give others a chance. John Sr. said that the silicon gaskets (rocker box?) that was the rage starting about seven years ago seems to have a finite life. He's seen several develop leaks recently. Sticking valves were a discussion item. Forgive me if I can't remember the exact details, if it doesn't make sense, contact John Sr. A lot of small Continentals have gotten sticking valves in the last few years. According to John Wright Sr., the spec is xx37 (I think 437 or .437 or something like that). Many engine people ream the valve guides using a worn out reamer and get less than the 437 size (too tight leading to sticking). Others may also shove the reamer through too fast, heating up the guide and expanding it. Then, when it cools, it shrinks back down to less than 437. John Sr., says he uses a fairly new reamer of size 438, reams it slowly, waits a half hour and reams it again. Of all the engines he's done this way, he says they've not had a single sticking valve. Electric fuel pumps were discussed to mention that there's a filter screen inside that must be cleaned -- some haven't been. A lot of fuel lines have been deteriorating according to John Sr. He has been replacing them if they are old. One person (not in the maintenance forum) asked why he sees half the gascolator empty after a flight. Any answers? As always, we were reminded to check the steering rod to see if the dangerously breakable ball joint is on our planes and to replace it immediately if it is. They break easily and then your roll out is unsteerable. Gas tanks. Nose tanks: See the message on nose fuel tanks! Urgent! Main tanks: it was recommended to not use sloshing compound but, rather, to rebuild the tanks properly. Sloshing compound seemed to acerbate some tank corrosion problems. Spars: We saw examples of corroded spars, including one corroded through back spar that was removed from a flying plane that was instrumental in our Swiss-cheese wing inspection hole AD. That wasn't a bogus false alarm but there were badly corroded spars and ribs in service that couldn't be seen without those holes. John Sr. related a story about a jerk (nasty word is mine) who was selling a plane at Oshkosh with the lower wing spar sufficiently corroded that a part had fallen out! John Sr. pointed it out to him and the guy indicated he didn't care, it had been that way for some long time. John Sr. later heard the man had sold the plane. We are, most of us, inclined to keep our mouths shut and not report each other to the Feds. That plane seller, in my humble opinion, deserved to be reported to the Gestapo and taken to court if not hung. Battery box drain hoses are sometimes missing allowing corrosion to get all over the inside belly. When you check the fuel tanks for water, don't allow the quick drain things to pop back to position. There's a part inside that can break -- then later the core falls out of the drain and all the fuel drains out. John Sr. recommends a drop of solder on the top (after removing the o-ring) of the drain to keep the washer from separating from the drain mechanism. One man on the flight-line said he did this before his engine start: Secure the plane and check that the mags are off. Pull the prop through eight blades. On each blade for the first four, listen for the mag clicks (should be two) and any hissing from compression leaking out sticking valves. For the next four blades, watch to see if the compression stops the prop at the same spot for each blade. A low compression cylinder will go past the spot at which the other blades stop. Some discussion was made of sloppy, out-of-rig controls based partly on the annual of my plane. John has seen several planes with loose controls surfaces. This can cause flutter, killing you. The service manuals tell exactly how to check for looseness in the controls. Make sure your mechanic or you, actually checks this. That's all I can remember right now. -- Ed Burkhead East Peoria, Ill. N3802H, 415-D
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