I just purchased my 170b 3 weeks ago today, and my application and check are in the mail to the Association for membership. The more I fly, work, fix, clean, and play with the aircraft, the more questions I have. I know the plane must have an annual each year. I see some posting about 100 hour inspections?? What can I do on the aircraft myself? The plugs needed to be changed after 6 years and 475 hours. I did that yesterday and the mag drop is now acceptable. Can I just make an entry in the logbook and sign it off as owner/pilot (like an oil change)? I want to install Whelen wingtip strobes. I am handy with things and can make a rack to put the power supply on and mount it in the tail. Can I? I talked to a mechanic yesterday and he said because of the sheet metal work, that a mechanic would have to do it. I have a small break and can bend the metal. He said 3 hours to install, and I could help open everything up. Will take out the bench seat and inspection plates on the wings. I looked at the EPRB mounting in the tail the other day as I found some bolts with lock nuts sticking out the bottom of the tail just aft of the baggage compartment that were snagging my cockpit cover belly strap. The EPERB is just through bolted to the skin of the belly??? The mechanic I talked to told me that was an illegal mount?? I also want to make hat shelf. Has anyone made one and have a template? One more question for now. What is the proper procedure to lean the mixture? I have an EGT and a CHT gauge. The EGT has a red needle about middle of the scale that can be moved with a screwdriver. The owner told me to lean the engine until the gage reads just cooler than the red index. There are no numbers on the gage but is broken up into 25 degree units.?? Do I always use that red line for all altitudes? Thanks to all, and any help is appreciated.
GARY '54 170b N1909C
Preventive Mx & EGT's
Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher
I did a search on leaning and found a bunch of information. Sorry for the question with all the answers in front of me. I'm sure I will ask a few more dumb questions before I figure out half of all this. I usually search first and have spent a lot of time reading on this site. I think I got the leaning thing now. We are flying up to northern NY from southern VA for Thanksgiving and will put a bunch of this into practice. Thanks again, GARY
The pilot/owner may perform "preventive maintenance", defined as defined by FAR 43, Appendix A. http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfrh ... 43_00.html
Otherwise, he may perform other maintenance under the direct supervision of a licensed mechanic.
(Yes, you may change your plugs and your oil. No you may not install new equipment. And another reason you mechanic failed to mention you may not install strobes is the changes you'll make to the electrical system and the wt and bal.)
You can safely disregard your EGT in this airplane/engine. Follow the Owner's Manual procedures. Set cruise power, lean until maximum rpm is achieved, continue to lean until the first sign of loss of rpm, then enrichen back to the maximum previously observed rpm. That's it. EGT's in this airplane are good for filling up empty holes in the intrument panel and emptying your wallet. Digital engine analyzers are a faster way to do this. (OK. Well, we all like toys. If you want a toy, an EGT is more useful than a E6-B. At least it will tell you something in certain failure modes with regard to diagnosis. But the vibration alone will let you know something's not right.) This is because the fuel metering system of this airplane is so crude that EGT's cannot be fully utilized to their potential. (It's like the old adage of ...measuring something with a micrometer (digital engine gauges)...marking it with a grease pencil (a crude bowden-pull-cable attached to a knob)...and cutting it with a hatchet (a Marvel Schebler MA-3SPA carburetor.) The Owner's Manual procedure gives you the leanest mixture possible which will not damage your engine,....using only a tachometer. (This is just my unbiased opinion.)
Otherwise, he may perform other maintenance under the direct supervision of a licensed mechanic.
(Yes, you may change your plugs and your oil. No you may not install new equipment. And another reason you mechanic failed to mention you may not install strobes is the changes you'll make to the electrical system and the wt and bal.)
You can safely disregard your EGT in this airplane/engine. Follow the Owner's Manual procedures. Set cruise power, lean until maximum rpm is achieved, continue to lean until the first sign of loss of rpm, then enrichen back to the maximum previously observed rpm. That's it. EGT's in this airplane are good for filling up empty holes in the intrument panel and emptying your wallet. Digital engine analyzers are a faster way to do this. (OK. Well, we all like toys. If you want a toy, an EGT is more useful than a E6-B. At least it will tell you something in certain failure modes with regard to diagnosis. But the vibration alone will let you know something's not right.) This is because the fuel metering system of this airplane is so crude that EGT's cannot be fully utilized to their potential. (It's like the old adage of ...measuring something with a micrometer (digital engine gauges)...marking it with a grease pencil (a crude bowden-pull-cable attached to a knob)...and cutting it with a hatchet (a Marvel Schebler MA-3SPA carburetor.) The Owner's Manual procedure gives you the leanest mixture possible which will not damage your engine,....using only a tachometer. (This is just my unbiased opinion.)
Thank you George for the responce. I will make a notation about the plugs being changed in the logs and wait for the A & E on the strobes. I will try your method of leaning on my next flight. I have the Lycoming 180 hp in this bird and I looked up leaning on this site using the EGT. I have a vernier mixture control and a fuel flow meter so I can really see the reduced GPH when I lean. I will try both ways with RPM only and compair to using the EGT and RPM.
Another few questions. I bought a gap tool from Spruce and it will close the gap on the plugs but how do I open the gap a bit if it is too close? The tool will only screw in to close the gap. I mailed in my registration for the Association about a week ago. How will I know when I am a member, and can go to the members only section? GARY
Another few questions. I bought a gap tool from Spruce and it will close the gap on the plugs but how do I open the gap a bit if it is too close? The tool will only screw in to close the gap. I mailed in my registration for the Association about a week ago. How will I know when I am a member, and can go to the members only section? GARY
I didn't realize you were talking about a non-standard engine, perhaps with a constant speed prop? In which case an EGT might be somewhat more attractive than I indicated. With a fixed pitch prop however, the method I mentioned is just fine.
I don't know which gap tool you purchased, but if you place the correct feeler gauge in the gap (.016) and close the electrodes to it, how can you over-close them? (But if you do, place the electrode opposite the thumbscrew or lever pin and push it back open.)
I don't know which gap tool you purchased, but if you place the correct feeler gauge in the gap (.016) and close the electrodes to it, how can you over-close them? (But if you do, place the electrode opposite the thumbscrew or lever pin and push it back open.)