Dale

What's wrong with whiskey? Remember in case of a crash you have a
'pick me up'.

With that serious comment, I used Kerosene when I rebuilt my compass.
Think and old (I think he worked on Jennies?) A&P told me to use?
Worked fine.

If level is going down YOU GOT A LEAK. Pull and check gasket faces for
any nicks, etc. Also make sure you got a new fresh gasket that will
seal tightly. Torque down evenly and until the gasket is compressed
and you can see where it is compressed evenly all around the joint
where the gasket is. Also check the glass.

My compass was an old one and used gaskets. Newer compasses 'may' use
'O' rings. If so, you might have a thinner ring in then required.
First thing is to find where the fluid is going of course or you can't
fix. That's repair 101.

I had enough Kerosene (it's cheap) to submerge the compass under the
surface to fill. I left a small bubble in it to take care of expansion
of course. I screwed the parts together while holding under the
surface.

To help check if it is leaking take some white 'cleanexs' and wipe
compass down very good and each time you go fly re wipe carefully to
see if there is any marking on 'cleanex'. Could work and could not but
cheap to try G

I'm assuming compass is in your bird and not a spare you can sit on
the bench and watch?

I go for the 'Whiskey' really. If you want it crystal clear use Vodka.
That's where the saying "I'll drink to that' comes from and there are
some of us Pilots on RAH who drink G. I always though that the
'Whiskey" was used as the alcohol wouldn't freeze in the old days and
compass would still work in the winter (and open cockpit)? Any
Comments on that bit of history? BOb, what did they use in the last
Jenney you flew?


Big John



On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 09:55:26 -0600, "dale" wrote:

Anybody got a replacement for the kerosene looking fluid in the whiskey
compass? It evaporates or leaks over the period of a year with no outside
evidence of a leak. The compass has new gaskets. Interested in something a
little thicker.