Things to look for after sitting a while

[nippaero]

I am the proud new owner of 8180A, a 1952 170B. I just joned this group. The airplane has been sitting a few years and is out of annual. We plan to ferry it back to Nampa and go through it with a fine tooth comb. It has been started and ran every few months over that time but not flown.

I have a couple questions I am hoping to seek some advice with.

I want to drain all the old gas. It's about 20 gallons of 100LL/Mogas mix. What is the best way to drain the tanks? Remove each drain on the wing or drain it through the sump?

What other things would you recommend I look closely at on a 170 that has been sitting this long?

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

How old is it? Depending on it's state I'd just fly it out.

If you don't want to do that it makes little difference what drain you use so use the drains that work best for you. Of course the last drain in the system in the gascolator. Using the gascolator you won't get that fuel from the fuel selector to the gascolator nor will you get the carb drained. To do that you have to pull the plug at the carb and the gascolator. And of course you really won't get all the fuel out of the tanks either at their drain. Just do the best you can.

[nippaero]

Well it's at lease two years old. Maybe 3. I think I would feel better draining it. Whatever is left in the carb or fuel selector/lines will get burned up when I run it on the ground. I plan on doing some taxiing to get things nice and warmed up. Then I'll change the oil, do a compression check etc.

[c170b53]

Flew only once into Nampa and sat in a restaurant with an elevated deck overlooking the field. Nice spot.
Welcome to the 170 association and good luck with the plane. Use the search engine for the answer to many of your questions but don't be afraid to ask here as well, we need the memory refresh as often as possible
Does your new plane have a sump drain below the fuel selector? I think if the plane has sat for awhile I'd have a go at all the drains as Bruce mentioned, especially the carb drain plug. As well I'd look to see if you have a few freeloaders/ makeshift dwellings in the overhead speaker area, above the door sills and in the aft tail one area.

[DaveF]

Has it been sitting outside? You can't be too careful with the fuel system. Drain the sumps, rock the wings, disconnect the line to the carburetor and drain from there, get a good light and look in the tanks. Definitely drain the carb bowl. It's not the fuel in the bowl that you're worried about, it's the water, gunk, and sediment. Check the carb inlet screen. Don't rush, this is a classic setup for engine stoppage on takeoff.

[nippaero]

Good advice Dave. The one good thing is it has been in the hanger the whole time.

[flyboy122]

If your plan is to ferry it out, you might not want to remove the drains and instead just open the draincocks. I took mine out and about half the threads in the tank came with it! Easy enough to deal with at home, but that would be real pain away from the shop and having to wait for parts.

I'd take a close look at the innards of the engine, maybe even pull a cylinder. I know the continentals are less prone to rusting up than the lycomings, and it's been run, but there are a lot of parts in there and who knows. On mine the prebuy turned up pitted cylinders and a rusty cam, but upon teardown we also found piston pins, rocker shafts, and one of the accessory gears also unserviceable.

Mine sat for 6 years before I flew it home. Aside from the aforementioned issues it flew fine. Kind of impressive if you think about it!

DEM

[nippaero]

I'm going to try to put a bore scope in there and see if I can spot anything. I am still working on the logistics of getting it home. The logs were burned up in a house fire in January. So I am starting over. I just got a package from the FAA with all the papers they had. My local IA will help me recreate the logbooks once we get it home and work through all the legalities.

I am debating on whether to get it annualed there and just fly it back or go the ferry route....

[nippaero]

Quick question on the oil before I change it. I plan on using Aeroshell 80. Should I be using Mineral or the Ashless?

[flyboy122]

Quick question on the oil before I change it. I plan on using Aeroshell 80. Should I be using Mineral or the Ashless?

Probably Ashless. The only time you usually use mineral oil is during break in, and even that is a hot debate nowadays.

Honestly, I would see what they have been using and use the same thing. At least for now. Changes in oil types can do things like knock crud loose and turn up other issues. Not something you want to mess with on a new to you plane on the ride home. Wait till you get it back and you can monitor things before changing oil types.

DEM

[nippaero]

I'll have to ask the original owner what he was using. I brought some Ashless oil with me to do the oil change but I saw he had a bunch of mineral oil sitting there. It made me second guess what I had brought. Thanks!

[c170b53]

Most of us buy oil by the case. If there was cylinder change, the previous owner might have switched back to mineral to break it in so that might be the reason some of its laying around.

[nippaero]

Ok. I finished up going through some things on the 170. here's a few picts of 8180A. I changed the oil, oils screens look good, compressions were good. Lowest cylinder was 77/80. The rest were 78-79. Static RPM is about 2250. I drained all the old gas and put in 20 gallons of 100LL. A new concord battery and plugs to top it off. I am not sure what model of O-300 it has (A, B, C etc) The engine data plate has a lot of the data unreadable.

I'm hoping to get the ferry permit in the next couple weeks and fly her home for a thorough annual.

[bagarre]

Nice looking bird. Is she painted or bare metal?

Any shots of the interior and panel?

[n2582d]

I am not sure what model of O-300 it has (A, B, C etc) The engine data plate has a lot of the data unreadable.

The "2H" in the top left corner would indicate to me that you have a C-145-2H engine, the equivalent of the O-300B. If this is correct you will see a "crank" arm on a valve in the front left of the engine.