Instrument Refurbishment

N170CT · Post by **N170CT** » Mon May 29, 2006 3:05 pm

Ladies & Gents,

Anybody want to go out on a limb and reccomend a "Good" shop for Instrument Refurbishment. Got a VSI that I have become attached to and would prefer to refurb in lieu of replace. It works well but the face/needle look 50 years old

. Thanks, Chuck

N2865C · Post by **N2865C** » Mon May 29, 2006 3:30 pm

You might give Keystone a call... http://www.keystoneinstruments.com/gauges.htm

HA · Post by HA » Mon May 29, 2006 3:32 pm

hope it doesn't have radium (glow-in-the-dark) painted markings - I don't think any shop can touch those. I was told that all of my instruments (they are all radium painted) are un-repairable due to hazmat regs.

I suppose that is what gives me that "high pro glow" after each flight. or maybe that was dog food...

Curtis Brown · Post by **Curtis Brown** » Mon May 29, 2006 8:14 pm

I used Century Instruments a few years ago to overhaul a few of my instruments. I think I sent them my turn and bank,VSI, manifold pressure. They all came back looking new. I think Century is in Oklahoma City. Look for their ad in Trade A Plane.

beeliner · Post by **beeliner** » Mon May 29, 2006 10:18 pm

J-Aire in Cleveland, OH refurbished the old-style large AI and HI for me a few years ago.

N170CT · Post by **N170CT** » Tue May 30, 2006 1:29 am

Manny thanks, gonna try them all and see which sounds best. Its so good to communicate with those who have gone before. chuck

Post by **GAHorn** » Tue May 30, 2006 3:46 am

And Quality Aircraft Instruments, 2649 S Custer Ave, Wichita, 67217 - (316) 942-9933
has done good work for me on old instruments.

Harold Holiman · Post by **Harold Holiman** » Wed May 31, 2006 2:33 am

I have used Rudy Aircraft Instrument in Rudy, Arkansas, and they do good work for resonable prices.

Harold

flight · Post by **flight** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 2:15 pm

I had my instruments rebuilt by Otto Instruments, Ontario, California. These folks have been around since the 1960's and they are very reliable about workmanship and warrantee.

Good-luck!

Flight
1948 C170
N4236V
#18592

CraigH · Post by **CraigH** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 2:42 pm

HA wrote:hope it doesn't have radium (glow-in-the-dark) painted markings - I don't think any shop can touch those. I was told that all of my instruments (they are all radium painted) are un-repairable due to hazmat regs.

Rudy can re-face the radium faced insturments. Costs a little more but not a big deal.

HA · Post by HA » Thu Jun 01, 2006 3:46 pm

Rudy's can do the radium instruments? good info, probably lots of the old ones out there.

I see no real reason to spend extra if I need any of my instruments redone, though. nothing remarkable (no pun intended) in the panel anyhow and if something like a VSI gives up the ghost I think I'd rather take my chances with something using less than 50 yr old components.

while I like the feel of flying an antique, it doesn't mean I have to maintain it like one since it hasn't spent it's life being kept original.

Post by **GAHorn** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:41 am

As a side-note: One of the issues with buying instruments from online auction websites is that many of the surplus instruments there are radium faces. One of the few places such instruments can be sold is to an unsuspecting public. (Radium is classified as a hazardous material and unless the instrument shop is equipped to deal with disposal of low-grade radioactive materials, they cannot work on them. ... unless they're in Arkansas where hillbillies don't care about such things. One of the reasons the paint shops up there are cheap is that they seem to have disregarded EPA cautions about paint strippers for many years, etc.)

PS-Before enniewun gits mad at me....I wus borned in Arkinsaw and lots of my cuzzins be hillbillies. I had to leeve so I cud mary sumwun who wud contribyut knew jeans to the fambly tree. (It wuz lookn lik a fonepole.)

4stripes · Post by **4stripes** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:09 pm

I was cleaning out some older instruments and was going to sell them on ebay when a friend tested them for radiation... A nice looking VSI (pioneer) and a Kollsman Altimeter tested positive, emitting high levels.
After checking his panel, an old Carb Air Temp guage also tested positive for radiation.
Naturally they will be disposed of properly and not offered for sale.
If your instruments are pre-1960, you might think about checking for radiation emissions.
Cheers Eric

trake · Post by **trake** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:15 pm

My political correctness meter just went off

Dave Clark · Post by **Dave Clark** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:42 am

flight wrote:I had my instruments rebuilt by Otto Instruments, Ontario, California. These folks have been around since the 1960's and they are very reliable about workmanship and warrantee.

Good-luck!

Flight
1948 C170
N4236V
#18592

Ditto on that. Richard just helped me out a lot in researching some old Lewis instruments (CHT & Free Air) that I want to put in the 180. No charge. Call and talk to him 909-930-5800. I've gotten tired of the poor quality from the "big boys".

And who cares about radiation? I'm over 60 and will probably need some anyway

The International Cessna 170 Association