First the AI, then the DG, then...?

A couple of months ago our AI, which had been "coming and going", finally
went. We replaced it with a rebuilt unit from "The Gyro House", which had
the dual effect of getting our autopilot working properly again.

Last month, our DG failed completely and suddenly, after a normal landing in
Pella, IA. Before that landing it worked, after that landing it didn't.
And the autopilot -- connected to the DG, too -- stopped working again.

So, I've just received a rebuilt unit from the Gyro House. As a precaution
(I'm assuming some sort of contamination caused the second failure), I've
ordered new vacuum hoses -- enough for my A&P to replace all the hoses, from
the vacuum pump to the firewall, and from the firewall to the two vacuum
instruments. I'm also having him replace all the filters.

Short of replacing the vacuum pump itself (which is still working fine), is
there anything else I should be watching?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Intake filter, regulator, vac gauge accuracy....

Rip

Jay Honeck wrote:
A couple of months ago our AI, which had been "coming and going", finally
went. We replaced it with a rebuilt unit from "The Gyro House", which had
the dual effect of getting our autopilot working properly again.

Last month, our DG failed completely and suddenly, after a normal landing in
Pella, IA. Before that landing it worked, after that landing it didn't.
And the autopilot -- connected to the DG, too -- stopped working again.

So, I've just received a rebuilt unit from the Gyro House. As a precaution
(I'm assuming some sort of contamination caused the second failure), I've
ordered new vacuum hoses -- enough for my A&P to replace all the hoses, from
the vacuum pump to the firewall, and from the firewall to the two vacuum
instruments. I'm also having him replace all the filters.

Short of replacing the vacuum pump itself (which is still working fine), is
there anything else I should be watching?

In a previous article, "Jay Honeck" said:
Short of replacing the vacuum pump itself (which is still working fine), is
there anything else I should be watching?

Practice partial panel much lately?


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
You know the saying, every time you develop an idiot proof system they
develop a better type of idiot... and now you know who "they" are.
-- Matthew Malthouse

Do you have a wet pump or dry pump? You may give the place you traded
your old one into a call and ask what they found while repairing it.
Regular wear or contaminants. Then again, you just may have been
unlucky. What did the Gyro House hit you up for the A/P DG?


On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 03:32:13 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

A couple of months ago our AI, which had been "coming and going", finally
went. We replaced it with a rebuilt unit from "The Gyro House", which had
the dual effect of getting our autopilot working properly again.

Last month, our DG failed completely and suddenly, after a normal landing in
Pella, IA. Before that landing it worked, after that landing it didn't.
And the autopilot -- connected to the DG, too -- stopped working again.

So, I've just received a rebuilt unit from the Gyro House. As a precaution
(I'm assuming some sort of contamination caused the second failure), I've
ordered new vacuum hoses -- enough for my A&P to replace all the hoses, from
the vacuum pump to the firewall, and from the firewall to the two vacuum
instruments. I'm also having him replace all the filters.

Short of replacing the vacuum pump itself (which is still working fine), is
there anything else I should be watching?

What did the Gyro House hit you up for the A/P DG?

$515, plus tax and shipping.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Was that with the exchange? I'm looking for an a/p DG, but have
nothing to trade.

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 15:29:52 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

What did the Gyro House hit you up for the A/P DG?

$515, plus tax and shipping.

Was that with the exchange? I'm looking for an a/p DG, but have
nothing to trade.

Yep. They charged my card $2100, and they will credit me back the
difference when I return the old DG.

How's THAT for a good incentive to get that thing in the mail? :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

WOW, sure is! Isn't the new STec DG around $2300?

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 01:52:49 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Was that with the exchange? I'm looking for an a/p DG, but have
nothing to trade.

Yep. They charged my card $2100, and they will credit me back the
difference when I return the old DG.

How's THAT for a good incentive to get that thing in the mail? :-)

In article 1lzxb.331132$Tr4.1006704@attbi_s03, Jay Honeck
wrote:

A couple of months ago our AI, which had been "coming and going", finally
went. We replaced it with a rebuilt unit from "The Gyro House", which had
the dual effect of getting our autopilot working properly again.


Hmmmm... Your landing or Mary's? :-)

A couple of months ago our AI, which had been "coming and going",
finally
went. We replaced it with a rebuilt unit from "The Gyro House", which
had
the dual effect of getting our autopilot working properly again.


Hmmmm... Your landing or Mary's? :-)

Mine. Funny thing was, it was one of my better landings! :-)

A friend of mine says that the gyros inside ride on some sort of a "ruby
bearing" -- and that they eventually wear out. Sometimes the rotor (or
whatever) even falls right off the bearing. When that happens, everything
just stops -- like mine did.

Or something like that. Either way, it's just more money...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"