Archive for February, 2024

Access panel seals

Tuesday, February 27th, 2024

To seal the avionics access panels, I borrowed Dan Horton's idea for making rubber gaskets. First I used a sponge to apply a layer of PVA to the inside of the access panels, and let it dry overnight to a smooth film:

I stuffed the area under the access holes with aluminum foil to catch any sealant drips:

Then I applied a generous bead of proseal to the mounting flanges, and screwed the panels in place:

I used acetone to clean up all the squeeze-out, then left everything to cure for a week:

After I was sure the proseal was fully cured, I removed the screws and was able to gently pry off the access panels. The PVA film peeled off the aluminum and stuck to the proseal:

I used an xacto knife to trim off the excess blobs along the inner edge, and dissolved the PVA with a wet paper towel. Result, perfect gaskets that fit my access panels exactly:

If you are reading this and you are planning to install this kind of access panel in the future, I'd recommend adding a thin spacer (say 0.020"-0.032") between the fuselage skin and the mounting ring. That would allow for the rubber seals to be thicker and probably to work better.

Posted in Fuselage |

Engine oil / filter / drain valve

Monday, February 26th, 2024

I leveled the airplane, unscrewed the more accessible of the two symmetrical oil drain plugs, and drained as much of the ancient oil out of the sump as I could:

I'm sure I didn't get it all, as it doesn't drain all that well when cold, but whatever is left over shouldn't hurt anything.

I took the opportunity to install a Saf-Air quick drain valve, which will make the next oil change easier:

I bought some fresh oil filters, plus the specific food-grade anti-seize Lycoming wants you to use on the threads. I guess they specify this so you don't get copper in the oil system, but it's funny to think about eating off the oil filter adapter.

Oil filter torqued and safetied:

For the first fifty hours – kind of a weird thing to think about! – I'll be using 20W-50 non-AD mineral oil, per the Lycoming guidance. I put in eight quarts, which is more than I'd usually run in an IO-360, but some of that is going to disappear into the various oil passages pretty quickly.

The oil dipstick comes un-marked, so you have to make your own oil level markings. For now, I provisionally marked every two quarts with a sharpie and a tiny nick from a file at each successive level, just so I can monitor the initial oil consumption. After the first proper oil change with warm oil, I'll have a better opportunity to properly calibrate the dipstick.

Posted in Engine, Firewall Forward |

Engine air filter

Monday, February 26th, 2024

I removed the air filter from the engine and picked up a K&N cleaning kit:

Cleaned, oiled, and ready to put into service:

Air filter back on the engine and ready to go:

Posted in Engine, Firewall Forward |

Repacked wheel bearings

Sunday, February 4th, 2024

Since eventually this thing will need to roll, I removed the wheels, disassembled the bearings, and cleaned off all the old dried-out grease with mineral spirits and brake cleaner. Then I repacked the bearings with Aeroshell 22 – no pictures of that step since my hands were messy.

Wheels back on the plane, nuts tightened, and cotter pins inserted:

Brake caliper back plate bolts torqued and safetied:

Posted in Landing gear |