Guys,
It's been a couple weeks since I had time to write. I have been
through a few items that needed to be attended to. Both exhaust pipes had
cracked and they were repaired( they are temporary). The dip stick tube
that had cracked I had to replace twice as I damaged it installing the
second new one. The wheel pants continue to give me a little trouble just
keeping them tight. Grand Rapids Tech. sent me a loaner instrument to see
if it solved my tachometer problems.(it has not) I changed back to the
Sterba prop that is now a 56 x 64 and when I took the Sensenich off I
found that the bulk head of the spinner was cracked 1/3 the way around.
That has been replaced as well as my new Sensenich prop arrived the other
day and is now installed.
I now have just shy of 35 hours on N357CJ and the 3100 engine.
The engine continues to run well and most all the troubles that I have
had I think that I caused and have been solved. One that is a repeat that
I am not sure what to think about it is that my front main seal has
started to leak. It had started to leak after 10 hours of taxi time last
summer and I replaced it when I installed the nitride crank. It had
remained leak free until this past week. There was about 31hrs flight
time on the motor when it started to leak.(maybe 38 hrs total time on
engine) A new seal is ordered and will be in this week. The airframe has
been almost no trouble at all with the small exception of keeping the
wheel pants tight. The slightly heavy left wing that I reported before is
taken care of with a small trim tab on the left aileron about 1/2 x 2"
wide at the center of the aileron. I can now fly completely hands and
feet off the controls while trimmed up in cruise flight. It sure makes it
more relaxing.
The new Sensenich is not exactly what I thought I ordered, but I
put it on any way. I had ordered a 56 x 60 and I got a 54 x 60. The climb
rpm has increased to about 3050. It was 2950 with the 56 x 58 that Dan
had loaned me. I only have 4 take off's and landings on it so far and
just under 2 hours of flight time so this information my change. In
cruise flight at 2500 feet I was getting right on 170 mph indicated at
about 3350 rpm.
So it does not appear that I have gained or lost any performance and put
the engine in a better operating range. I would have some better
information but I flew for some 20 min of my cruise time at 6500 ft after
a touch and go at one airport and forgot to take out the 2 notches of
flaps that was in for landing. When I discovered that speed jumped up
about 10 mph but I was already busy preparing for decent to land.
The weather has started to warm up some and I can tell the
difference in the Aero carb operation. It will need to be adjusted for
summer operation before I leave for Sun N Fun.
I hope to have the 40 hours flown off in the next week to 10
days. I think that I am ready to try adding a little bit of weight in the
passenger seat over the next few hours.
I love this plane! One toy I don't think I'll ever let go.
Joe Horton, Coopersburg, Pa.
[email protected]
