Mar 08, 2023     Spinner Finish & Pickle in a pickle - (4 hours) Category: Propeller

Countersunk the mounting holes in the spinner and filler pieces; ran the AN507-8R7's into/out of the nut plates. Don't want to leave the spinner mounted and in the way for the upcoming cowling work, but wanted to be sure the nutplates were good. Safety wired the prop mounting bolts. Measured the gap from starter ring to rear of spinner backplate (3 and 3/8th inches).

Tried to pickle the engine but education time again. Great. Duel E-mags allow the use of automotive plugs but require an adapter....and I'd been alert enough to order the 12mm sized dehydrator plugs. But when removing the plugs, out came the adapters as well. Can they be reused? What's the torque sequence as to adapter, plug, assembly? Where to buy the adapters if needed......Emag or A.C. S. or lycoming? And so on. Research time. Answers; yes, finger tight the adapter to plug, then torque ONLY the plug to 18 ft-lbs., ACS the source but pricey...no need to do so if undamaged. Will install the dessicant plugs and fill with ashless oil tomorrow.

Oh yah...Anti-Splat mailed me a replacement for the prop wrench today.

  Mar 07, 2023     Torqued - (5 hours)       Category: Propeller

Did the final trim on the prop spinner cutout fill-ins (for aft of the prop blades). Took forever with a 3M buffing piece on a mandrel. PIA.

Then back to propeller to torque it in place, which I'd put on yesterday. Got to use my new prop wrench from Anti-Splat Aviation. Really liked the design of one end which is "ratcheting". BUT when I went to use the other end for torqeing, it BROKE.. Simply fractured. Finished the sequence the old way, using a crows foot. Bummer.

  Mar 06, 2023     Props to n2184! - (4.9 hours)       Category: Propeller

Reinstalled spinner backplate to propeller again (last time?). Then reread the process steps for installing the propeller assembly on the crankshaft. Also checked the EAA site, the Hartzell site, and in general for web tips. Then installed the propeller to the engine, using the engine lift to position it. After the hub was securely bolted in place, I was finally able to twist the blades to confirm clearance to spinner backplate, and clearance to spinner itself. looking good!

  Mar 04, 2023     Spinner, Backplate, Filler Pieces - (3 hours)       Category: Propeller

Pneumatic squeezer to put in nut plates on the spinner bulkhead. Then re-clecoed the spnner and bulkhead back together, and fit the cutout pieces (aft side of prop) to drill and fit on bulkhead as well. This is slightly out of sequence, as I'm not able to twist the prop blades to determine final fit/trim of cutouts until i can mount the prop on the engine. (Too difficult to twist otherwise, without a 2nd pair of hands.) So now I can mount the prop hopefully the one time, pull off the spinner by itself to trim and avoid multiple sessions of putting the prop off/on. Oh yah....unfortunately I've discovered the spinner is painted by Glasair, and acetone (which I've used to wipe off sharpie marks) eats the paint right off. :(

  Mar 03, 2023     spinner backplate - (2.6 hours)       Category: Propeller

Good thing I am doing this for enjoyment....I totally underestimate how long something is going to take. Time to put nut plates on the spinner's backplate. Pass drill upsizing to #19 holes, deburring, drilling #40 holes for the nutplates, deburring...then countersinking the nutplate holes for the riveting. But spent way too much time trying to educate myself on the difference between nut plate tools...AT518H is a one-lug-single wing standard, and the AT518B is a one-lug-double wing standard.....i have both, both work for a #8 screw, but so why use one vs the other for what situations? Spoke to ATI Tools in California, then to yardworks, etc. Lots of verbal "armwaving". Sort of have an idea of which as to when...but painful. oh well. The amount of handwork in some of the pieces (eg the spinner backplate) is astronomical. I think I'll claim the 'full merit badge" for this project. Scratch build might be the only way to spend more time, treasury and patience.

Also confirmed with Aerotronics the panel build is coming along. They sent a photo!

  Mar 01, 2023     Redrilling Spinner and finishing the circumference - (4.1 hours)       Category: Propeller

Measured and remeasured for hours trying to confirm the concentricity of the spinner relative to the backplate. Finally decided to redrill the initial anchor holes and go for less variation in the "spin". Then drilled the rest of the holes around the circle and clecoed.

  Feb 28, 2023     Drilled Spinner to Backplate - (2.1 hours)       Category: Propeller

Trimmed the spinner prop-cutouts a bit more. Not final trim yet, but allowed the spinner to fully seat in place to drill the anchor holes in the flange to the spinner itself. Then drilled additional holes from spinner through flange. Taped the prop root to protect against scratches while fitting the spinner.

  Feb 27, 2023     Spinner dome rough cut - (2.1 hours)       Category: Propeller

Marked spinner dome with template from Lycoming. Rough cut (for the forward arc of the spinner prop-cut outs. Will now do the fine trimming next time(s). The rough cut is to get the spinner to go into place enough to connect with the forward spinner bulkhead plate. Also will then need to trim out and shape the spinner filler pieces that go aft of the blade. Got to use my new diamond cutting blade on my dremel.

  Feb 25, 2023     Not much of a DJ - (1.1 hours) Category: Propeller

Brought an old turntable to the hangar to see how "plumb" the nose cone is from the factory. Unfortunately the turntable disc is not quite wide enough to "play/spin" the nosecone.
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Oh well, looks pretty good. Also searched tools for a thin, diamond cutoff wheel for my dremel (to minimize the gap of nose cone to filler pieces behind prop.) No joy, so a stop off at Menards (best/biggest/most complete selection of dremel stuff) on the way home.

  Feb 24, 2023     Conehead - (2.5 hours)       Category: Propeller

Sorted out rivet sets, easy to get tools mixed up. Then finally got prop blades to twist by using a longer board for rotation....good clearance with the spinner back plate. Now that the spinner back plate was confirmed, on to the front spinner plate. Taped it with 3M spec per TWTT, bolted, torqued and safety wired. Finally then on to installing the spinner itself which will need prop cutouts next.

  Feb 23, 2023     Chubby Checker NOT - (1.7 hours)       Category: Propeller

Can't do the twist. Nyek, nyek. Got into hangar later in day after the snowstorm receded. STILL could not get the prop blades to twist....well I got them to budge by using an "iron cross" type of move, one arm on each end and using two twist boards. I gave up...it's a two man job. The twist is to verify the clearance from prop blades to the rear spinner bulkhead.

  Feb 21, 2023     Spinner Backplate Clamping Bolts - (4 hours)       Category: Propeller

Again working on the propeller spinner...backplate. I had 5 sets of conflicting instructions, and spent the first hour trying to sort them out. Did a run to Home Depot for a bucket to carve up as a propeller holding jig, and a second run to Ace when I realized I really did need a "soft" hammer to drive the prop clamping bolts back in place. Used my "secret" of homebuilding...aka beard balm. The stuff is magic and makes bolts slip in and out easily. Bolted the back spinner plate to the prop hub, retorqued. Could not get the blades to twist....will post on owners' site for an idea.

  Feb 20, 2023     Spinner Backplate Riveted - (4 hours)       Category: Propeller

Completed riveting the spinner backplate. These are larger rivets than I've been used to....5/32 and -6 long. Tried using my pneumatic squeezer...but really it was too much rivet, and went to my new manual squeezer. (real men ....you know the rest). Avoided waiting a couple more days for the order from A.C.S to come due to the kindness of friend Dan bringing the larger cup size die last Saturday.

  Feb 18, 2023     Prior Owner Visit - (1 hour) Category: Propeller

It takes a community....waiting for a die set for my squeezer and lo and behold the prior owner stops in with a loaner! Dan Kretchner is a prince...drove over from Lakeville with a 5/32nd squeezer die. After he completed a long inspection followed by a long chat, I drilled out the one bad rivet on the spinner backplate from last time and called it a day.

  Feb 17, 2023     Supply chain search - (3.7 hours) Category: Propeller

How hard can it be to locate a manual rivet squeezer and/or a 5/32nd set in MN? (since of course local sourcing means progress over the coming weekend) Evidently harder than I can surmount....could just not find one to buy or borrow. So twin attack: ordered the die set from Aircraft Spruce (which won't show up till mid to late next week), AND, since I'm a tool geek at heart, ordered a manual squeezer and a 6-size die set to supplement my pneumatic squeezer. The real advantage is that it will be here Monday, as the company Pegasus Racing which also sells airplane bits is in Northern IL/South WI and shipping today will get it here fastest. Type A personality, I know.

  Feb 16, 2023     One rivet and stop - (2 hours) Category: Propeller

RE-re-read the spinner installation sets. Confusing/they disagree on everything. eg drill selection, rivet selection, etc.
Finally drilled the spinner backplate, and decided to use AN470AD5-6 rivets....only to realize I don't have a 5/32nd squeezer die/set. Tried using a 1/4 set, and it left a smiley and did not give a rivet result that passed the gauge. Stopped. Drill out the rivet tomorrow and locate a 5/32 set.

  Feb 15, 2023     Spinning the Propeller - (2.7 hours)       Category: Propeller

Studied/compared multiple sets of instructions for the prop/spinner....none of which agree.
Then unpacked the propeller from Hartzell...constant speed...and moved to a workbench.
Sanded the inside of the spinner dome to smooth out fiberglass wrinkles.