The International Cessna 170 Association

Here are a few photos of what I have:
The data plate is hard to read in the photo but Part No = 164 Serial No = 45371 Safe Flight Instrument Corporation White Plains New York.

Bob

This is on the back side of the switch:
PM or email me through the forum if this is what you need, I will get it to you.

Bob

Mine has a slotted mounting plate to adjust the angle of incidence, which I assume would also change the actuation timing. If only my stall horn had a volume control...It's an antique looking thing with a lighted glass ball in the center and an earsplitting tone.

That looks like my old one I removed from my plane when I re-skinned the wings.

Vertical wrote:Mine has a slotted mounting plate to adjust the angle of incidence, which I assume would also change the actuation timing. If only my stall horn had a volume control...It's an antique looking thing with a lighted glass ball in the center and an earsplitting tone.

That’s exactly how it should be!

Does anyone have a stall warning vane switch to sell for a reasonable price? $4000 for anew one seems just a bit spendy. I plan to take my faulty one apart to see if i can clean the contacts and make it work again. The vane still operates smoothly, and i can feel the switch make contact, so hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, so I probably will need another operable switch.

Thanks all.




Steve Barry
1955 C170B

Steve,
Welcome! Before disassembling the switch I’d suggest following Cessnut’s advice of using contact cleaner. I like DeoxIT. There’s a thorough discussion by an avionics tech about repairing this switch on MooneySpace.com. Finally, place a wanted ad in the TradeMart and the Association’s Flypaper. There are a lot of members that only read one or the other.

Good advice, I’d just add be liberal with the cleaner, maybe use a multimeter to measure the resistance and see if you’re making headway.
And Welcome SB to the association.

The switch Safe Flight used was manufactured by Micro in Freeport, Illinois. They were bought out by Honeywell. It would be nice if we could crack the code on the Honeywell part number of this switch. Here’s a product brochure of their large switches.

A few years ago I spoke to a gentleman at Safe Flight in NY… they are probably still in business…. and he offered to “overhaul” a unit for $350 versus the several thou$and$ Cessna and other suppliers wanted. (in actual fact, he admitted that he cannot sell one outright due to contractual agreements with OEMs…but he could “overhaul” an owners unit…. which actually means he throws it in the trash after he transfers the S/N to the new unit he ships out.)

A few years ago I spoke to a gentleman at Safe Flight in NY… they are probably still in business…. and he offered to “overhaul” a unit for $350 versus the several thou$and$ Cessna and other suppliers wanted. (in actual fact, he admitted that he cannot sell one outright due to contractual agreements with OEMs…but he could “overhaul” an owners unit…. which actually means he throws it in the trash after he transfers the S/N to the new unit he ships out.)

Safe Flight is still in business in White Plains, NY. In 2021 I inquired about "overhaul" of the stall warning unit (not the vane) and they quoted $1135. Today their quote is $2530.

Bob

That’s just crazy.

I used to sometimes shop auctions by deliberately mis-spelling a word…. Instead of “detector” I’d spell it “detecter”. etc etc ……In that fashion I’d find items and win auctions upon which no one else had bid at all.

(You’d think Bruce would win ALL the auctions….LOL)….

Anyway… I won a Safe Flight “Stall Warner” complete system for $20…. New LIft Detector, New Horn/Lamp Assy… complete with a Factory Lifetime Warranty-Card included…which had never been completed/mailed-in. I’m certain I still have that warranty card in my records…. I’ll try to copy it and perhaps Bruce can publish it in the 170 News as a item-of-interest.