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cockpit re-build

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by snj5, Feb 24, 2008.

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  1. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
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    Russ Turner
    #1 snj5, Feb 24, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  2. Fastviper

    Fastviper F1 Rookie

    Nov 20, 2003
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    #2 Fastviper, Feb 25, 2008
    Is that an original 1950's water bottle?
     
  3. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
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    #3 snj5, Mar 10, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    steady but slow progress on the cockpit.
    Picked up a perfect new, never used original N-9-1 gunsight as called for in my T-28 manuals. Very rare, especially with the original polarized reflector glass and operative light source.

    Picked it up from a collector in Belgium whom I met in Brussells. OBTW - try Belgian Trappist beer - it's amazing!
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  4. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

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    #4 snj5, Mar 18, 2008
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  5. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
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    #5 snj5, Mar 30, 2008
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  6. Der Meister

    Der Meister Formula Junior

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    #6 Der Meister, Mar 30, 2008
    It looks really good.
     
  7. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
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    #7 snj5, Mar 30, 2008
    Thanks!
    Wow - a reply - I thought I was here all by myself.
    :)
     
  8. rfking

    rfking Formula Junior

    Nov 16, 2003
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    #8 rfking, Mar 31, 2008
    No - we are all watching in quiet awe as you transform this airplane into a trophy bird!
     
  9. Der Meister

    Der Meister Formula Junior

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    #9 Der Meister, Mar 31, 2008
    Are you doing all the work yourself? The throttle quadrants really pop now compared to the before pictures..
     
  10. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
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    #10 snj5, Mar 31, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    It's kinda neat that it is an experimental - I am doing much myself wrt airframe and such; the A&P/IA is doing the SEVEN BRAND NEW CYLINDERS and adding an Airwolf oil filter and a couple of fwf improvements. I got a local hot rod shop to come powder blast the panels and seats then repaint.

    Just for kicks, I had the exhaust ceramic coated (like I am doing to my car) and it came out pretty cool looking; I am powder coating the intakes. I also got the pushrod tubes on the front of the engine chrome plated. Hey MTV, Pimp my Plane!

    We are replacing a lot of seals and hardware on the engine - we are finding the rebuild was not that good. Will repaint the baffles as well.

    Will hope to finish the cockpits mostly this week. The engine guy says we may start it this Friday, but I kinda doubt it.

    We also are replacing all of the hoses in the front and rear cockpits.

    Here are some pictures of what NEW cylinders look like:
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  11. Der Meister

    Der Meister Formula Junior

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    #11 Der Meister, Mar 31, 2008
    nice, that is the plus for having an experimental.... that or am AMP...lol
     
  12. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
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    #12 snj5, Apr 5, 2008
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  13. Der Meister

    Der Meister Formula Junior

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    #13 Der Meister, Apr 6, 2008
    looking good!
     
  14. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    #14 Bob Parks, Apr 9, 2008
    That cockpit looks like a small hospital of some kind. That isn't like any airplane that I ever flew in including my own klunk that I thought was pretty spiffin when it was finished. That T-28 will certainly get some kind of award at Oshkosh. Beautiful job, Russ.
    Switches
     
  15. rfking

    rfking Formula Junior

    Nov 16, 2003
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    #15 rfking, Apr 9, 2008
    You gotta know the previous owners won't recognize the inside of their old bird.

    WOW - Great Job!
     
  16. Spasso

    Spasso F1 World Champ

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    #16 Spasso, Apr 9, 2008
    New JUGS!?
    Did you come to a consensus as to why the oil the consumption was was up? Was this due to improper rebuild?
     
  17. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

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    #17 snj5, Apr 10, 2008
    yes
    The oil consumption was due to the more common malady of cylinders being glazed and pitted. When put on a smoothness measuring machine, they were found to have been over-honed, with pitting from sitting too long.
    A less than satisfactory rebuild. We are going after the Rebuilder.

    I found that Javier at Vintage Radials has 300 brand new cylinders, and I got a very good package on the whole thing as I want this engine to be 'right'.
    A bit off topic, but what I am doing to the engine:
    New jugs, pistons, pins
    redone valves, new guides, new rockers and followers
    new hardware and fasteners throughout
    Airwolf oil filter
    ceramic coated exhaust

    So basically I'll have a 35 hr engine with a 0 STOP, plus extras

    Still is less than a Ferrari. :)
     
  18. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #18 Bob Parks, Apr 10, 2008
    I can remember several autos and airplanes being badly damaged from sitting and having the parts growing together. Acids in the oil mixing with a little moisture can eat into bearings, bushings, seals, and cylinder walls. Fuel and hydraulic fluids can turn into a gummy syrup that can completely ruin an entire system. Machinery built to run must be run or they turn into monuments. Beware of " Ramp Runts" and "Hangar Queens".
     
  19. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

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    #19 snj5, Apr 13, 2008
    Closer

    All new chrome pushrod tubes installed, new powder coated intakes and ceramic coated exhausts; New Dzus hardware on the baffles.

    Will be installing an Airwolf filter - this is a large spin on truck oilfilter that filters the oil right as it comes out of the engine.

    I will re-emphasize that we re-did all of the hoses behind the instruments. we found that some pressure hoses (oil/fuel) in addition to being old, were made from vacuum line and a problem waiting to happen. We actually firesleeved the fuel hoses so the chance of any gas leaks in the future is minimized.

    I'd suggest if you have an older plane, it might be worth a look poking your head behind the panel to check out the hoses.

    The Janitrol heater gas line looks to be capped off (good).
     
  20. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #20 Bob Parks, Apr 13, 2008
    AHMEN, Russ on checking hoses. A late friend and fellow pilot offered his Navion to me to fly to a fly-in. I couldn't bring myself to do it and let it go. His daughter and son-law opted to make the flight. As her father flew over the Navion during take off, he was witness to the cockpit filling with white smoke and when his daughter opened the canopy the airplane burst into flame. It was determined that the landing gear hydraulics sprung a high pressure leak when the gear was retracted and the electrics in the instrument panel ignited the hydraulic fluid. Hoses have a short life span and fail at the worst times.
     
  21. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #21 Bob Parks, Apr 14, 2008
    I should clarify the hydraulics system config.
    I'm not an expert on Navion systems but it was explained to me that the retracting and extension system in a Navion was all in front of the instrument panel, all the tubing and hoses. Without proper maintenance there was a chance of high pressure leaks, so this was the stated cause of the fatal accident.
    Hoses are always the weak link in the chain.
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  22. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    #22 GrigioGuy, Apr 15, 2008
    So this is a plane that passed the PPI with flying colors, and still ended up needing a motor rebuild and the interior/panel reworked.

    How does a newbie plane owner keep from being taken? (Maybe fodder for another thread??)
     
  23. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #23 Bob Parks, Apr 15, 2008
    I have never had to purchase a big tin bird or even a little tin bird but I watched fellow fliers go through the process. Regarding engine people: there are few really good and honest engine rebuilders and one has to be the owner of a solid reputation built on a long string of happy customers who spread the word. Or it is good to have a long term personal relationship with the mechanic whose work you can observe and verify.
    Airframe work is no different and I have experienced that myself when I discovered a BRAZED lift strut repair and covered (disguised) with epoxy. It would have failed in flight if it hadn't been discovered after stripping the old paint from it.
    All I can say is, DIG DIG and ask a lot questions and have signed paperwork to boot.
    Switches
     
  24. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
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    #24 snj5, Apr 15, 2008
    The interior was something I did on my own. The hoses did do with some work.
    I will also say my standards are a bit higher than some.
    I am not sure what to say about the engine ppi, other than I was disappointed. If I did it over again I think I would go for an engine with 200 hours or so to have the bugs worked out.
    The main thing I was actually interested in was corrosion, which we seem do have done very well on so far.
     
  25. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

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    #25 snj5, Apr 15, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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