My Annual

It seems some Cessna 150 owners have been finding cracks in the
vertical tail attach bracket.

It seems the FAA thinks the same thing, since they issued an Airworthiness
Directive in 1980 for that same problem. See AD 80-11-04.

I do wonder if we are mis-understanding each other. The inspection i'm
trying to describe was according to the A&P an optional inspection, and
a new one. He's normally on the ball.

Several repetitive AD inspections checked
New oil and filter

Had nothing to do with the annual INSPECTION.

Spark plugs cleaned and gapped

Had nothing to do with the annual INSPECTION.

Yes, technically you are right. However, almost everyone describes the
inspection and the repair as "the annual". And this is a useful bit of
speach. And you've already made this point several times over the
years. And if you really want to be technical, I didn't say "annual
inspection" I just said "annual". But I think you are being picky for
no reason.

I'm going in on Monday (25th) for my 7th annual . . . '67 C-172-H.
I will do everything owner is permitted to do (as I have for the last 5
years).

Will report results here when complete. I fly about 125 hrs a year,
and at least once a week, often 3 times.

We shall see.

www.Rosspilot.com

Well, not such good news :-(

My #5 cylinder compression was only 57 . . . so my mechanic did what he
called "staking the valve" . . . by rapping on it with a plastic mallet
while checking the compression gage. No improvement.
The exhaust valve is not seating properly so we have to pull the
cylinder and either send it out for repair or exchange for another one
.. . .
Any comments or suggestions as to which course of action is better?

wrote:
Well, not such good news :-(

My #5 cylinder compression was only 57 . . . so my mechanic did what he
called "staking the valve" . . . by rapping on it with a plastic mallet
while checking the compression gage. No improvement.
The exhaust valve is not seating properly so we have to pull the
cylinder and either send it out for repair or exchange for another one
. . .
Any comments or suggestions as to which course of action is better?

Check the calibrations on that compression gage (assuming you are
loooking for 60/80 psi?). Fly the airplane for 10 hours and check the
compression on that cylinder again. Lots of times our 172M wouldn't
quite make compression & but then it would 10 hours later on a recheck.

This assumes you don't have a problem with excessive oil consumption or
fouling.

wrote:
. . .
Any comments or suggestions as to which course of action is better?

I've always felt that repairing my cylinder was the way to go, but I'm not sure
I'm right. I had to do one of the cylinders in my old 150 twice in less than two
hundred hours time. I've just always felt uneasy about swapping mine for someone
else's repair job.

These days I might opt for new from an outfit like Superior.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

The delta between new and overhauled is very close if you need an
exhaust valve. Unless the cylinder has 50 hours or less, you need a new
piston. You always need new rings and gaskets. If your exhaust valve is
leaking, chances are it will not "seat" in 10-20 more hours. So it is
likely you will need a new one. Add it all up and you are within a
couple of hundred bucks of a sparkling new one.

I have learned my lesson on overhauled cylinders. Since I run P10s
(overbored .010 oversized), I am always getting "first run" cylinders
(the shop won't ground over anything other than first run). I have still
had problems. Non P10s could have several runs on them. Too much of a
crap shoot for me.

Repairing your jugs requires way too much down time. I want to have the
new one in hand before we remove bolt 1. That way, it is a simple 4 hour
swap with no surprises.

Good Luck,
Mike


I've always felt that repairing my cylinder was the way to go, but I'm
not sure I'm right. I had to do one of the cylinders in my old 150 twice
in less than two hundred hours time. I've just always felt uneasy about
swapping mine for someone else's repair job.

These days I might opt for new from an outfit like Superior.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

I do wonder if we are mis-understanding each other. The inspection i'm
trying to describe was according to the A&P an optional inspection, and
a new one. He's normally on the ball.

No, I don't think so. It is impossible to do the inspection on that AD
without seeing the whole attach bracket. If your mechanic wants to do a dye
penetrant check, that is between you and (s)he.


Yes, technically you are right. However, almost everyone describes the
inspection and the repair as "the annual".

That is because over the years, shops have conditioned the owners to
thinking that the "annual" (which is nowhere defined WITHOUT the word
"inspection" attached) is the time to cover the owner's vacation in Hawaii
with a bit put aside for the kid's college fund. It would appear that you
have been so conditioned.



And this is a useful bit of
speach.

Useful bit of speech for WHO?


And you've already made this point several times over the
years.

And I will continue to make it.


And if you really want to be technical, I didn't say "annual
inspection" I just said "annual". But I think you are being picky for
no reason.

Your call. I reiterate, there is no such thing as an "annual".


Jim

In article ,
"RST Engineering" wrote:

And if you really want to be technical, I didn't say "annual
inspection" I just said "annual". But I think you are being picky for
no reason.

Your call. I reiterate, there is no such thing as an "annual".

Sure there is. The popular usage of the term "annual" is that
fun time of year when an annual inspection occurs, plus all those
repairs, service, and improvements made to the airplane.
Not to mention the "while-we-are-at-it" things.

Good luck trying to eliminate the phrase "annual" from the owner's
vocabulary. You'd have better luck getting people to properly
use "methodology" and "methods."

:-)

--
Bob Noel
no one likes an educated mule

Well, then, this year's "annual" cost me:

$550 for the cylinder inspection and repair/replacement of the exhaust valve
and a ring set
$350 for the muffler replacement
$190 for the muffler shroud repair
$125 for the wash/wax job
$150 for what I would have charged me for the "annual"

But how much of this is "annual inspection"? $150. I could have done all
that other stuff any time during the year. As you say, it was a hell of a
lot more convenient while the airplane was apart, but it isn't part of the
annual inspection.

Not to mention vacuuming the rugs and painting the dings and the prop.

Jim


Sure there is. The popular usage of the term "annual" is that
fun time of year when an annual inspection occurs, plus all those
repairs, service, and improvements made to the airplane.
Not to mention the "while-we-are-at-it" things.