The International Cessna 170 Association

We replaced our tach at annual with a new Mitchell because the hour meter in the old tach quit working. The old tach worked perfectly other than the hours quit rolling by. After a few hours of flawless operation, the hour meter on our new tach quit working Thursday. Now (before I go and start swapping cables, hammering on stuff, and chewing out Mitchell) is there anything else I may be overlooking?

It's unfortunate ... but even new and otherwise excellent equipment sometimes fail. Mitchell should warranty your new tachometer if it's still within the warranty period. (If it's indicating RPM...the hour-meter is the failed part.... not your cable or airplane.)

Just seems strange that both tachs failed in the same fashion. I guess I'll call Mitchell. I don't mind so much but I hate not being able to fly the plane while I wait on another tach with the proper hours set on it.

I don't believe that the recording hourmeter part of the tach is required equipment.......
My airplane didn't even have a recording tach when it was new.
No reason not to fly it, unless your desire to have the hourmeter accurately indicate total time is greater than your desire to fly

sfarringer wrote:I don't believe that the recording hourmeter part of the tach is required equipment.......
My airplane didn't even have a recording tach when it was new.
No reason not to fly it, unless your desire to have the hourmeter accurately indicate total time is greater than your desire to fly

We flew it with the old tach broken and tracked our hours dilligently. I orderd the new tach with the hours set SMOH. I waited till the plane was down for annual to order the new tach so the hours would be 100% correct. It's not that I can't fly it...it's that I won't fly it while the hours are being set on, yet another, new tach. I'll continue to fly it until I order another tach. When I order the new one, the plane will sit until it's installed. Hoopefully I can expidite this replacement and it won't take two-three weeks again.

For what it's worth, I recently had a Mitchell tach installed in my airplane. After sitting overnight, the glass on the front cracked. I called Mitchell and they were very helpful and immediately sent a new glass with installation instructions to my mechanic. It was repaired in less than two days.

Keith

Glenn wrote:

sfarringer wrote:I don't believe that the recording hourmeter part of the tach is required equipment.......
My airplane didn't even have a recording tach when it was new.
No reason not to fly it, unless your desire to have the hourmeter accurately indicate total time is greater than your desire to fly

We flew it with the old tach broken and tracked our hours dilligently. I orderd the new tach with the hours set SMOH. I waited till the plane was down for annual to order the new tach so the hours would be 100% correct. It's not that I can't fly it...it's that I won't fly it while the hours are being set on, yet another, new tach. I'll continue to fly it until I order another tach. When I order the new one, the plane will sit until it's installed. Hoopefully I can expidite this replacement and it won't take two-three weeks again.

Have Mitchell set the hours where you want them, keep flying, if your over when the new tach gets there you can adjust it with a drill motor to match your actual time.

wingnut wrote:Have Mitchell set the hours where you want them, keep flying, if your over when the new tach gets there you can adjust it with a drill motor to match your actual time.

My suggestion was to estimate the amount of time you might fly between the time you order your new tach and the day you can install the replacement.

BTW: If you are flying a Part 91 airplane, there is no harm in having a tach not exactly in step with actual time.

In fact,... no recording tachometer is 100% accurate anyway since it is calibrated at an RPM different than most operators power-settings. (if you'll pardon the mild poke-in-the-eye, understanding I'm only ribbing you...)
... This is another example of someone measuring something with a micrometer, then marking it with a grease-pencil, then cutting it with a hatchet.

Will your airplane fall out of the sky if the oil change (engine overhaul, etc.) is 2 hours earlier or later than scheduled?

I try to be as anal as my personality will let me when it comes to the plane. I do, however, have a hatchet and I'm not afraid to used it!

Glenn wrote:I try to be as anal as my personality will let me when it comes to the plane. I do, however, have a hatchet and I'm not afraid to used it!

LOL Touche'

(BTW, I can be found at Zwolle, LA near Lake Toledo Bend, and am tall, skinny, ugly, and usually un-armed but have a miserable cur for a nasty-tempered dog...unless you have a piece of bone she can chew on and then you'll be her BEST FRIEND.... you can do whatever you wish with the master.)

If you find me...don't tell my wife because she has a long list of chores and she's out looking for me.