Bruce,
McFarlane is giving me a cut of the action on all the business I'm bringing them
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
. Seriously, I'm shaking (and scratching) my head a lot too. This valve is really a pretty simple device. My problem is the "might as well" syndrome. Take a look at my posts on the trim actuator for another good example of this. I figure I've gone this far, so I might as well do this one extra step. In the case of this valve it's replacing the retainers (which I never imagined were that expensive), installing the best o-rings I could find, pressure testing it (putting ones lips to the inlet fitting and blowing would adequately prove whether it leaks or not), or modifying the mounting of the valve with nutplates. I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never fly the plane at this rate but I enjoy process of this rebuild (and look at the money I'm saving on insurance, gas, cases of oil
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
, hangar rent, and database subscriptions)
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
! After a week of flying nights in lousy weather it's therapeutic to come home and tinker on the plane in the shop.
This plane has seen a lot of neglect and abuse in the last 50+ years. It has been in two accidents where the pilot lost control after the seat slid back. After I bought this plane the FAA pulled the certificate of the A&P/I.A. that had previously "maintained" it. As I tear into the wing I'm finding a number of undocumented shoddy repairs. I'm sure the plane has and would fly fine if I left them that way. The casual observer would never notice these repairs. But instead I'm spending a lot of time and money replacing or fabricating wing parts and building a wing jig. It would be a lot easier to just find another wing in a salvage yard but I enjoy the challenge of rebuilding it. I've built composite wings, rebuilt fabric wings, but never rebuilt a metal wing. Someone is going to get a nice plane with a lot of minor alterations when I lose my medical.