Apr 23, 2023     A/C Leak Category: Maintenance

Refrigerant leaked over winter. Recharged system with R134a to 220/25 psi (ambient temp 76F) with engine running at 1300 rpm, A/C on, and condenser fan one high. Shut down and allowed to equilibrate overnight. Detected refrigerant leak in evaporator condensate drain. Removed and ship evaporator to John Strain for replacement. Also detected minor leaks in bulkhead fittings, perhaps due to over-tightening. Plan to replace all o-ring on reassembly.

  Dec 24, 2022     Canopy Scrath Removal and Polishing Category: Maintenance

Experimented with approaches to remove canopy surface scratches, likely due to poor cleaning techniques. Using a 18"'X24"X0.22" sheet of plexiglass (Lowes 1AG2123A), lightly scoured 1/4 of the surface with red Scotch Brite pad in circular motion. Started linear sanding with a pre-wetted 1500 Micro-Mesh (KR-70) using moderate pressure for about 2 min. A good slurry forms indicating material removal. Wiped surface with moist microfiber cloth and checked that swirling scratches from red pad were gone or repeated sanding. Next, wiped surface clean with water and a damp cloth and continued linear sanding with 1800 Micro-Mesh at 90 degrees to the first sanding direction for about 2 min. Wiped surface and inspected that previous sanding marks were gone and moved on to 2400 Micro-Mesh and 3600 Micro-Mesh.

At this point, I switched to using 3M Perfect-It EX AC Rubbing Compound (36060) applied using a 3" yellow foam pad (Harbor-Freight 69335) attached to my cordless M-12 drill with 90 deg adapter. Applying moderate pressure, polished the surface at 1500 rpm for abut 2 min or until material disappeared. Wiped surface clean with water and a clean towel and applied Micro-gloss from the Micro-Mesh kit using the 3" white foam pad using moderate pressure at 1500 rpm for about 2 min. Finished cleaning with soap and water.

These final steps deviated from the Micro-Mesh but I felt they provided a superior finish in a shorter time. For these scratches, it was essential to start with the 1500 Micro-Mesh and work up to the 3600 before using the 3M rubbing compound. Deeper scratches will probably need an initial sanding with 400 grit sandpaper.

  Dec 21, 2022     1st Annual Condition Inspection (202 hrs) - (20 hours) Category: Maintenance

Ran engine inflight to normal op temp, hangered, and drained oil. Removed oil filter. Submitted oil sample to Blackstone (46 hrs on oil). Cut open filter and found no debris. Removed and cleaned suction screen and also found no debris. Reinstalled and safety wired suction screen plug. Installed and safety wired new oil filter (Champion CH48110-1). Added 8L oil (Phillips 66 X/C, 20W-50). Removed spark plugs and cleaned plug adapters. No apparent plug fouling observed. Installed new Denso 5347 IKH27 Iridium Power spark plugs (0.030" gap) and copper gasket (Part# M674) using Tempest Anti-Seize (Part# T556) to required torque.

Ran engine at 1500 rpm until CHTs reached 300F. Removed upper plugs. Performed cylinders pressure test and obtained: 1 (78/80), 2 (78/80), 3 (78/80 ), 4 (79/80). Boroscoped each cylinder and stored photos. Nothing notable observed. Reinstalled spark plugs. EGT#1 giving erroneous readings. Replaced with new probe (Alcor #86255 EGT Probe Type K) and ran engine to verify operation.

Pulled prop using newly constructed wooden gantry. Installed new, larger Hartzell 70A alternator (Plane-Power Part No. AL12EI70/B, S No. H-S040586) and belt (Dayco Part No. 15350 ). Also installed 1" blast tube for new alternator. Replaced AC belt. Set belt tension and torqued all bolts to spec. Install new o-ring, reinstalled prop, torqued all bolts to 60 ft-lbs, and safety wired.. Torqued all bolts to specs. Installed new air filter. Inspected all engine compartment connections and components. Ran engine, cycled prop, and confirmed no leaks and normal operation. New W&B calculated.

Lubricated prop with 1oz (6 trigger pulls) of approved grease on each side of hub. Removed wing root fairing and inspected all bolts and harness connections. Removed fuel filters, disassembled, and inspected. No debris found in either one. Found evidence of fuel leak on left side likely due to loose compression fitting aft of the filter. Re-torqued fitting. Removed seat ramp covers and noticed light surface corrosion on floor, probably the result of water intrusion when canopy seal was leaking, since repaired. Re-primed all surfaces below the ramp cover. Removed entire tunnel cover from CB panel to baggage bulkhead and inspected area. Removed floor covers under seats and inspected area. Tightened headset jacks and added lock washer to prevent loosening and tested. Repaired O2 mount. Re-installed baggage area carpet and mounted O2 cylinder. Re-installed all floor plates and carpet.

Updated G3X and G5 software to latest version (9.14) to comply with Garmin Mandatory Service Bulletin 22112 Rev. B, 09Dec22. Re-installed all remaining fairings and cowlings. Test flew the airplane. Return to service.

  Aug 02, 2022     Right Tank Fuel Level Sensor, A/C - (5 hours) Category: Maintenance

Right tank fuel level sensor showing wild swings during flight home from KOSH. Suspect bad ground. Removed upper fairing and noted lock washer missing on sensor cap screw. Confirmed open circuit. Removed and cleaned cap screw and surface and re-installed with washer. Measured 0.78V or ~ 15 gal. Reinstalled fairing.

A/C stopped working during trip to KOSH. On return, confirmed compressor operation so suspected freon loss. Using freon charge line on manifold, added 1/4 oz UV dye and attached 12 oz (340 g) of Freon 134a. Bled air out of line. With high and low pressure lines attached, started engine and fed freon through low side to 250 psig high side pressure. Added ~ 10 oz (283 g), so lost about 0.62 lbs of Freon of initial 1.2lb charge. System cooling. Ran 10 min and checked for leaks but unable to pinpoint source. Will continue to run and look for leaks.

  Jul 19, 2022     Tires - (1 hour) Category: Maintenance

Checked tire pressures and set at 45 psi (all were around mid-20s). Required removing main front wheel fairings and entire nose wheel fairing. Re-installed fairings with new screws.

  Jul 18, 2022     Garmin DBs - (1 hour) Category: Maintenance

Updated G3X and GTN databases.

  Jul 15, 2022     Replace Canopy Seal. Grease Prop. Adjust K-factor - (3 hours) Category: Maintenance

Engine hours: 107.9, Total hours: 114.6
Replaced forward canopy seal and applied silicone sealant to prevent leakage occurring at hinges. Applied silicone sealant at upper aft rear canopy seam to prevent water leakage from rain. Added 5 pumps of NYCO grease to each prop lubrication fittings. Inspected prop pitch controller for leakage and damage. Added 19.6 gal 100LL. Used 17.8 gal flying from KRHP to KSUT. New K-factor = (17.8/19.6)*81488 = 74004