ANNUAL, 2005 Redux...

The dreaded annual condition inspection time has arrived... Fat
Albert is currently perched upon the wing jacks pending gear swing
testing...
I have put 500 hours on the fat boy over the past three years and one
of the topics this year was the mags.... I had gone to the yellow
newspaper and priced the various Bendix magneto parts... Steve, the
mechanic, had the mags on the bench when I arrived... After looking at
the disassembled parts I got that familiar (to airplane owners) sinking
sensation (much like a big down draft on short final)... It was clearly
visible that the mags were in need of significantly more than points
and condensor... Bearing balls were significantly out of round, the
distributors were burned and pitted, one rotor had been rubbing on the
stator and was scarred, one coil had been arcing, etc...After spending
an hour (another $55 in labor) jawing about the mags, looking in
Steve's parts catalogs (going back to the Wright Bros.), and making
phone calls we came to several conclusions...
First, is that the mags needed total overhauls - actually more like a
sledgehammer massage...
Second, that two of the mags were a collection of random parts from
various fly-market magnetos, not all of which parts were from dash
numbers called for by Lycoming... One case was -30, one was missing
the tag, one was a -29, and one was a -11...
The plug wires are 4 years old and in fine shape... The cost of
Steve's time and parts to rebuild these mags was not economical... We
tossed around the idea of going to Slicks, but
that mean't buying new wires, which were not needed... In the end we
opted for a set of rebuilt mags from AVIAL by way of Aircraft Spruce...


First phone call to AS: I got a young male voice... Told him what I
needed, rattling off the 10 number... Got a long silence in return
followed by a plaintive request , 'did I know what page number in the
catalog that was on'... I advised him I wasn't looking at a catalog
and I suggested that he type 'magneto' into his computer screen
followed by the 10 number I gave him and see what turned up... Long
story short, after 5 agonizing minutes he finally located the magnetos
and announced that the -30 mags were special order only... At this
point it was clear he was in over his head and I did not believe
anything he said, told him I would think about it and hung up...

Second phone call: I counted to 20, slowly to allow Forrest Gump there
to be on the phone with someone else, and redialed AS... The bubbly,
blond, southern bimbo answers... I can smell the fresh nail polish
clear through the phone, as she is waving her hands to dry the gleaming
red lacquer.. The smooth southern drawl would make Dolly Parton
jealous..
I need some magnetos, I announce, with dread in my heart...
Bendix or Slick, y'all, she fires back...
This catches me off guard for a second... Bendix, I admit, stumbling
over my tongue..
Do you have the 10 number she asks... I rattle off the -29 one...
How many, she asks... Two, I admit...
Very good sir, those are the non impulse mags, they are in stock and we
can ship this afternoon... Do you need any impulse mags...
Jeez, this girl is giving me whiplash she's so quick... I rattle off
the -30 number and ask for two - holding my breath about the special
order schmozzle...
They are in stock and we can ship this afternoon... What else kin I hep
you with, sir...

At this point we had been engaged for roughly 90 seconds and I was
already thinking of asking her to marry me, but I suspected that my
wife would object... Instead we settled for my credit card number and
a promise that they would ship with the 6 o'clock untied parcel that
very day...
"Byeee, y'all have a good un.", she chirps and is gone...

The thing that annoys me about all this, $2,000 later, is that the
clapped out mags have been starting immediately and running like gang
busters... I can hardly wait to see how the new mags run...

denny

Denny wrote,

very entertaining story snipped

I can hardly wait to see how the new mags run...

I think you already know what to expect. Keep us informed. Good luck!

Jon

("Denny" wrote)
The thing that annoys me about all this, $2,000 later, is that the clapped
out mags have been starting immediately and running like gang busters... I
can hardly wait to see how the new mags run...


How much $,$$$ was the Slick option?

Forgetting price: Slick vs. your option. What are the
advantages/disadvantages of the Slick system?


Montblack

At least you'll be able to close your eyes and remember that sweet voice
each time you try to get them all timed correctly. Patience via
knowledgeable aircraft parts bimbo.... ahhhh.... gotta love it.

And just think... this year.... no carburetor problems (fingers crossed) and
no heater problems to deal with!!!

Good luck!

Jim
"It's not an airplane, it's an adventure!"

Slicks are a little cheesier construction but the replacement costs of the
parts are a hell of a lot less expensive.

Jim



"Montblack" wrote in message
...



Forgetting price: Slick vs. your option. What are the
advantages/disadvantages of the Slick system?


Montblack

The thing that annoys me about all this, $2,000 later, is that the
clapped out mags have been starting immediately and running like gang
busters... I can hardly wait to see how the new mags run...

denny

That was a good write up, Denny. My problem with AS is that they don't list shipping charges or calculate them for
you on their website. I ordered a wingtip light bulb for the Cherokee a few days before Christmas. It cost around
$14.00. I knew shipping UPS or FEDEX would be very expensive so I chose USPS knowing that the Holidays would slow
down delivery. It arrived yesterday, so it took nearly two weeks. The shipping charge for the $14 light bulb was
$8.80. Their website offers a free catalog with free shipping and I ordered that as well. I wonder if they didn't
charge me shipping on both items?

Joe Schneider
8437R



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Montblack,
There is no operational advantage to one or the other... Both brands of
mags work... The Bendix mags are rebuildable to infinity and every
mechanic has parts on the shelf if you have a problem on the way to
Peoria... Not true of Slicks (at least yet)... Slicks are considered
to be a trade in item... You don't rebuild them in the field... My
Bendix cores will be massaged and wind up on someone elses airplane,
but for me it didn't make economic sense when I could buy the factory
rebuilt mag for less than the cost of the parts to overhaul...

Cheers ... Denny

That's true Jim... I am toasty warm and heven't even run the heater on
the highest setting yet. Subzero wx is comin so I will have the chance
I'm sure... The carb seems to be running just fine, now that we put
all the parts inside that the designer intended...

denny

ALL shipping has become expensive... I try to batch my orders so I hit
their minimum dollar amount for "free" shipping without going over the
weight limit... Not possible with the mags, so I got hit with the
freight charges for the weight... That's life I guess...

denny

Yeah, the thought of brand new Slicks was enticing but the numbers
didn't work out... Besides, these rebuilt Bendix mags will out live the
engines and the airplane by the time they are overhauled a few more
times...
There is no way of determining how many tens of thousands of hours are
on the carcasses we pulled out... The mechanic that owned the plane
for 43 years must have had fifty gallon drums of old magnetos that he
sifted through whenever he worked on them...
But, it was clear to me that without re-machining the bores and the
rotors, and completely replacing the internal parts ( though 3 of the
coils look good) that they could not be brought up to my standards with
a field IRAN... We also need to remember that Bendix parts and pieces
are on the shelf at almost every podunk airport if you have a
problem... That's a big plus...

denny