Learning from an owner annual

After 6 years of Mooney ownership I'm doing my first owner assisted
annual. Most of my previous annuals have been done by factory service
centers. I'm quite a good wrench around cars so this experience is
mostly about me learning the standards & practices of aircraft work.
I'm amazed by a couple things...
1) The number of things I found that were not done that I'd paid to
have done at previous annuals.
2) The number of things done wrong (like no cotter key in the wheel).
3) The amount of work an annual really requires. It took me 6 hours
just to remove all the inspection panels (including drilling out
several dozen screws). Lubing the 150 lube points wont go too quick
either.

Its also interesting to me how many things are safety wired while other
things (that seem more important) are not. Brake calapers are safety
wired but fuel lines are not, etc. Its quite depressing to see my plane
in so many pieces. I've also discovered that its extreamly irritating
that the aircraft parts places are closed on weekends.

I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft owner who is
comfortable with a wrench.

-Robert

Good maintenance takes time and time equals money. There is
too much poor maintenance, sometimes because the aircraft
owner just doesn't have the money to do the work and
sometimes because the shop, trying to keep cost down cuts
corners. All aircraft owners should have the basic library
of the shop manuals and FAA regs in parts 43 and 91. The
FAA manual 43.13 [latest edition and all parts] as well as
some of the mechanics handbooks that are on the commercial
market will help the owner do a better job and save money
[and maybe lives] in the long run.

You will understand more about your airplane, why certain
parts are cheaper to replace anytime you have access to
them, such as alternator belts when the prop is off. You'll
know why it costs $30 in labor to put 15 cents worth of
grease in a landing gear bushing.

As you're doing the owner assisted annual, have the A&P
point out the things you can do as an owner as preventative
maintenance and how to make the logbook entry. Things like
lubrication and cleaning, replacing light bulbs and such
will save you money and reduce wear and tear on the
airplane. You have to use the right grease and oils, not 3
in 1 from the grocery store. You can also get some aircraft
grade cotter pins and safety wire and replace those that are
damaged or missing.

Buy your A&P some of his favorite ______ or take him [and
maybe his wife too] to a nice place to eat, like Outback or
whatever is good locally. Say Thank You, mechanics don't
hear that often enough.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
ups.com...
| After 6 years of Mooney ownership I'm doing my first owner
assisted
| annual. Most of my previous annuals have been done by
factory service
| centers. I'm quite a good wrench around cars so this
experience is
| mostly about me learning the standards & practices of
aircraft work.
| I'm amazed by a couple things...
| 1) The number of things I found that were not done that
I'd paid to
| have done at previous annuals.
| 2) The number of things done wrong (like no cotter key in
the wheel).
| 3) The amount of work an annual really requires. It took
me 6 hours
| just to remove all the inspection panels (including
drilling out
| several dozen screws). Lubing the 150 lube points wont go
too quick
| either.
|
| Its also interesting to me how many things are safety
wired while other
| things (that seem more important) are not. Brake calapers
are safety
| wired but fuel lines are not, etc. Its quite depressing to
see my plane
| in so many pieces. I've also discovered that its extreamly
irritating
| that the aircraft parts places are closed on weekends.
|
| I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft
owner who is
| comfortable with a wrench.
|
| -Robert
|

Robert M. Gary wrote:

I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft owner who is
comfortable with a wrench.

-Robert


I couldn't agree more. Knowing more about the aircraft systems will make
you more aware of potential problems. You'll be a safer pilot because you
inspect and test things more intelligently.

1) The number of things I found that were not done that I'd paid to
have done at previous annuals.

Yep, I found that when I got started, too. (I recently finished my 8th
owner-assisted annual)

2) The number of things done wrong (like no cotter key in the wheel).

Yep. And wires poorly routed in the engine compartment. And heat
ducts carpeted over. The list was fairly extensive.

3) The amount of work an annual really requires. It took me 6 hours
just to remove all the inspection panels (including drilling out
several dozen screws).

This seems odd, Robert. Is your plane parked outside? Why would those
inspection panel screws be so corroded? Unless...were they never
removed recently? (More work undone-but-paid-for?)

I strip a fair number of screws every year -- but I've NEVER had to
drill any out on either of the planes we've owned.

Its quite depressing to see my plane
in so many pieces. I've also discovered that its extreamly irritating
that the aircraft parts places are closed on weekends.

What I like is when you have everything in neat little tupperware cups
underneath the appropriate parts of the plane -- and then the shop
moves the plane. Or they pull an extension cord under your plane, and
lasso all the parts buckets. Or they get kicked over. THAT is my pet
peeve about doing an annual.

I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft owner who is
comfortable with a wrench.

Agree 100%. I have a voluminous knowledge of the inner workings of my
aircraft, solely because of doing the owner-assisted annuals.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

After 6 years of Mooney ownership I'm doing my first owner assisted
annual.

After 13 years of ownership, this will be the 12th owner assisted annual
for me. Having a fixed gear, fixed pitch prop single makes the job
fairly easy. I do any and all required maintenance with the same wrench
BEFORE bringing the plane in for annual.

But alas, my old friend says this year will be his last. He is in his
80s and hanging up the wrench.

The search begins. It will be difficult to even find someone willing to
do this, let alone finding someone compatible.

Mike

Buy a [big] box or two of slide-lock baggies, put the
parts, with a label and tape them to the area near the
inspection cover. You can even add notes to yourself or the
other mechanic who is working on the airplane.

I've heard of owners replacing the standard fasteners with
nice shiny stainless steel screws. Trouble is you can get
dissimilar metal galvanic reactions and then you have to
drill them out.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
| 1) The number of things I found that were not done that
I'd paid to
| have done at previous annuals.
|
| Yep, I found that when I got started, too. (I recently
finished my 8th
| owner-assisted annual)
|
| 2) The number of things done wrong (like no cotter key
in the wheel).
|
| Yep. And wires poorly routed in the engine compartment.
And heat
| ducts carpeted over. The list was fairly extensive.
|
| 3) The amount of work an annual really requires. It took
me 6 hours
| just to remove all the inspection panels (including
drilling out
| several dozen screws).
|
| This seems odd, Robert. Is your plane parked outside?
Why would those
| inspection panel screws be so corroded? Unless...were
they never
| removed recently? (More work undone-but-paid-for?)
|
| I strip a fair number of screws every year -- but I've
NEVER had to
| drill any out on either of the planes we've owned.
|
| Its quite depressing to see my plane
| in so many pieces. I've also discovered that its
extreamly irritating
| that the aircraft parts places are closed on weekends.
|
| What I like is when you have everything in neat little
tupperware cups
| underneath the appropriate parts of the plane -- and then
the shop
| moves the plane. Or they pull an extension cord under
your plane, and
| lasso all the parts buckets. Or they get kicked over.
THAT is my pet
| peeve about doing an annual.
|
| I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft
owner who is
| comfortable with a wrench.
|
| Agree 100%. I have a voluminous knowledge of the inner
workings of my
| aircraft, solely because of doing the owner-assisted
annuals.
| --
| Jay Honeck
| Iowa City, IA
| Pathfinder N56993
| www.AlexisParkInn.com
| "Your Aviation Destination"
|

That will work too. One thing to avoid is taking a cover
plate off and leaving it swung aside and fastened with one
screw. You'll certainly walk into it or catch a sleeve and
bend the part and maybe injure yourself or the airplane.

You can use a Sharpie to write on the back of inspection
covers and such, the name and location of each part. You
can tag wire but taking digital photos as you go along is
easy and besides it documents the work as well as locating
the parts.

The key is a system.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"B A R R Y" wrote in
message ...
| On Sun, 14 May 2006 08:08:12 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote:
|
| Buy a [big] box or two of slide-lock baggies, put the
| parts, with a label and tape them to the area near the
| inspection cover. You can even add notes to yourself or
the
| other mechanic who is working on the airplane.
|
| Another suggestion:
|
| Our guy has a bunch of "Tupperware" or fishing tackle
style divided
| organizers. We drop the fasteners in those and label the
top with a
| Sharpie (ex:// RT wing tip, fwd belly panel, etc... over
each
| compartment) and the tail number (there's more than one
plane in the
| hangar). After each plane is complete, the mechanic wipes
the tops of
| the containers with alcohol, removing the marker for the
next plane.
|

On 14 May 2006 03:37:06 -0700, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:


This seems odd, Robert. Is your plane parked outside? Why would those
inspection panel screws be so corroded? Unless...were they never
removed recently? (More work undone-but-paid-for?)

I strip a fair number of screws every year -- but I've NEVER had to
drill any out on either of the planes we've owned.

Dude, you really need to take a good look at the underside of a
Mooney, especially an older one. You just "think" a PA28 has a lot of
screws. Unless things have changed a whole bunch, they are mostly
countersunk machine screws, opposed to your universal head PK screws.

Really ups the temptation for a tech/owner to use power tools to crank
the **** out them when closing up. Makes me shudder just thinking
about it..

What I like is when you have everything in neat little tupperware cups
underneath the appropriate parts of the plane -- and then the shop
moves the plane. Or they pull an extension cord under your plane, and
lasso all the parts buckets. Or they get kicked over. THAT is my pet
peeve about doing an annual.

Mine is wheels off for inspection, somebody steps on the pedals and
blows out the wheel cylinder pistons.

I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft owner who is
comfortable with a wrench.

Agree 100%. I have a voluminous knowledge of the inner workings of my
aircraft, solely because of doing the owner-assisted annuals.

In my case, the transition from allegedly mucho-experienced tech to
private pilot was definitely made a lot easier by having in-depth
knowledge of aircraft systems.

TC

Our first annual on the Aztec was last June, this year's is coming up and I
can guarantee you that there will be plenty of things done before we get it
in the shop. Right now I'm about 20 hours into replacing the brake linings
and repacking the wheel bearings. Some of the extra things that we do will
also have to be done at annual, but many of them become simple inspections
rather than tear down and replacements.

Last year the shop labor for the annual we paid for amounted to 39 hours,
most of this was to install a new windshield, not really a repair or part of
the annual, just a handy time to do it. My partners and I each put almost
twice as many hours into the annual. We worked from dawn to dusk for 6 days
straight. Granted, it took the "amateurs" a lot longer to do many of the
tasks, but it was well worth the effort.

Total cost of our annual last year was $2400. This year I hope it's even
less. Without our time, effort, and on going maintenance it would have
easily have been over $8000.

Once you loose the apprehension about wrenching on your own airplane,
you'll quickly learn volumes about it. I'd highly recommend buying copies
of the parts and maintenance manuals. Mine have their own dedicated table
in my house and lay open 24/7. Talk to your A&P about preventative
maintenance and working under his supervision. You'll save a ton of $$ and
get a very rewarding education along the way.

Jim

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
ups.com...
After 6 years of Mooney ownership I'm doing my first owner assisted
annual. Most of my previous annuals have been done by factory service
centers. I'm quite a good wrench around cars so this experience is
mostly about me learning the standards & practices of aircraft work.
I'm amazed by a couple things...
1) The number of things I found that were not done that I'd paid to
have done at previous annuals.
2) The number of things done wrong (like no cotter key in the wheel).
3) The amount of work an annual really requires. It took me 6 hours
just to remove all the inspection panels (including drilling out
several dozen screws). Lubing the 150 lube points wont go too quick
either.

Its also interesting to me how many things are safety wired while other
things (that seem more important) are not. Brake calapers are safety
wired but fuel lines are not, etc. Its quite depressing to see my plane
in so many pieces. I've also discovered that its extreamly irritating
that the aircraft parts places are closed on weekends.

I would highly recommend this experience to any aircraft owner who is
comfortable with a wrench.

-Robert

That will work too. One thing to avoid is taking a cover
plate off and leaving it swung aside and fastened with one
screw.

I don't think that can happen on a Mooney. The access panels are inches
off the ground. There almost was not enough room for both me and the
drill to work under the plane at the same time.