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Well after $5K for engine work and $1,800 for shop labor, GD is back in the air. Now I am really eating $100 dollar burgers!! The plane is running great and I’m looking forward to traveling down to Copperstate fly-in south of Phoenix next weekend, assuming the weather holds. Svanarts, any thoughts of heading down that way, or anyone else for that matter?

I’m just planning on pitching a tent and hanging out until Sunday when the show is over. I want to be sure to get to a good fly-in before the price of avgas gets to high. Oh damn, I guess I miss that one too. Oh well, if you have to ask how much it costs, I guess you shouldn’t be doing it. If anyone is interested in going, let me know. Either respond with a post or send me an email.

Tailwinds,
Dale

Congrats!!

guess i must have slept through something here!? what happened? five grand!

Oh I had a small oil leak on the top of the engine right on the case seam. I knew it was not going to heal thy self, so I pulled the engine and sent it to BPE in Tulsa. Barrett’s run one of the best shops in the Country, plus I know Allan, Monty’s son. (still didn’t get a price break though). It turned out, the stud which is just underneath the cam drive gear in the accessory housing backed out about a quarter of a turn. Just enough to allow oil to find a path up between the case seam and over time push the silk thread out of the way. Then as every aviator knows, whenever you open up an engine, you have to replace all kinds of good stuff!! New rod bolts, bearings, new cam followers (the cam was trashed when a grind shop screwed up although they gave me a new one for the price of a grind job), gaskets, bolts…… you get the idea.

Then I found there was an AD on my prop hub. Had to have an eddy current test done on it to look for any signs of cracking. Not a big deal or cost, just more time. So all in all I had one extremely thorough condition inspection this year.

Any rate, it’s all done, it’s running great, and I’m flying to Copperstate next week if the weather holds.

Oh, Allan placed my engine on their dino and it put out 177 HP at 92 deg F and 30 or 40 percent humidity. Not to shabby for an O-360!! That is well over 180 at sea level on a standard day.

Dale

glad to hear everything is back in order! have fun at copperstate!