Just an update on the ongoing saga...When we left Fat Albert he was
leaking oil somewhere on the port (that's the left side of the boat
when facing the pointy end, for you non sailors) engine acessory
case... I had gone through several iterations of: clean the oil off,
tighten everything I could reach, go fly, find new oil, repeat... I
finally became suspicious that the oil cooler hose (the one most
impossible to get a wrench on) was oozing internally and misting oil
out through the braid over its entire length, but only when the engine
got good and hot... So I decided to do the thing that all successful
mechanics recommend; change out everything in sight for new parts...
Anyway, I pulled the oil cooler hoses and the fuel line hoses (they
were rigid man, rigid...)... Called a place that specializes in hoses
and only hoses... He said just to measure the hoses and he would make
new ones...
"NOT!", I said... Having fallen off the turnip truck more than once I
know that is a sure recipe for getting the wrong hoses...
I paid to have the old hoses shipped to him, also setting the job back
4 days because of an intervening weekend.. So the new (and old) hoses
come back and Friday I whip out to the airport... I open the box and
they are gorgeous... They are teflon with stainless steel braid covered
with firesleeve, and they have official looking metal bands that are
laser etched with the hose data, the date, etc... The fittings are
brand new and shiny, the nuts have never seen a wrench yet.. They look
like a million bucks - and cost me almost that much... It would have
been perfect if all the hoses had been the correct size, but somehow
trying to thread a -5 fitting on where a -6 came off presented some
difficulties...
picture me slooowly striking my forehead against a hard object because
it feels better than that way...

I picked up my phone and calmly dialed the hose guy...
"Awww, you gave me the wrong measurements.", he said...

Now for those of you who don't know me (that is most of you) I am a
friendly cuss... I usually have a smile and I always assume that I will
like you... At this moment the smile went away and I reverted back to
the dark side of the force... In a previous incarnation in a galaxy
far, far away I managed several hundred UAW skilled tradesmen, most of
whom had to have things explained to them in graphic language, complete
with the ramifications for failure... Millwrights were the ones most
needy of word pictures, with consequences...
I pointed out that the measurements were his, not mine!
"Well we're kinda busy, but I'll get right on it come Monday.", he said
I reverted to graphic language... In the end we agreed that he would
make a new hose of the correct size that very minute, drive it to the
UPS center as the UPS truck had already made the pickup for the day,
and ship it to me overnight - which he did...

So, Sunday morning I got back to the airport, hung that remaining hose,
flew the plane (cool day) and so far no oil leak (jury still out at
this point)... But at least the engine compartment looks good with all
the scrubbing and the flashy new hoses..

denny