Precautions for starting an engine that has sat
There are some precautions to take when first starting an engine that has sat and not run for several years. The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only. Always consult with an A&P or IA with any questions related to this topic. The information within this newsletter is based on an aircraft that Flymall.org was brokering. It had not been flown for several years and the engine had not been run for over a year and a half. Flymall.org as well as several customers spoke with several shops and all agreed that the power-plant could be serviceable in its current state however everyone also agreed that the power-plant could also have too much internal damage from sitting and require a major overhaul. The shops interviewed said that they have seen cases of both circumstances on aircraft after sitting similar amounts of time.
A total of 3 shops were consulted with regarding this particular aircraft. And all 3 shops seem to share a common belief in a fairly similar procedure for starting the aircraft:
Pull the top spark plugs and borescope all 4 cylinders to see what they look like internally. If the cylinders look acceptable, pre-oil the cylinders through the spark plug hole using Marvel Mystery Oil, WD-40, or similar. Then hand-prop the engine several times to circulate the pre-oil. One shop suggested allowing the pre-oil to sit overnight.
One shop recommended turning over the engine with the starter (fuel off or mixture lean) until oil pressure registers on the pressure gauge. This further pre-oils the engine.
Start the engine and run for 5-7 minutes. Stop the engine, conduct a full oil change, and see what metal, if any, is in the cut oil filter and oil screen. If you do not find any metal, consider flying the plane for 5-6 hours, then conduct another oil change and look for metal again. If metal is found at any time in the process, it is likely that a top overhaul may be required or a major overhaul may be necessary due to rust scoring the moving components.
Advance Auto Parts Weekly Specials
Here are some special offers from Advance Auto Pats and Flymall.org
JC Whitney Specials
Flymall.org is pleased to announce that we have a new affiliate program with JC Whitney. You can asscess our JC Whitney store via our Wheels and Wings section of our website. Just click on the shopping mall link. Below are some weekly specials you can take advantage of.
Toshiba Weekly Specials
Flymall is pleased to announce that we have a new affiliate program with Toshiba. You will find a link to our Toshiba site under our Wheels and Wings section of Flymall.org – Click on our Shopping Mall link. Our affiliate program offers our customers weekly coupons and other special promotions. You may sign up to receive our newsletter from our home page. Our newsletter will keep you up to date with Flymall.org and you will be sure to receive money saving coupons.
Up to 15% off select customizable laptops at Toshibadirect.com
Antique Automobile Club of America Fall Meet
Pat and I attended the AACA fall meet this past weekend. Last year I was there as a judge and was busy working. This year since it was Pat’s first year I decided not to judge and just enjoy the show with Pat.
If you enjoy old, old cars Hershey PA is the place to be in early October each year for this meet and car show. It is exciting to see a car that is 100 years old, but at this show you can see numerous cars that are 100 plus years old. We saw at least 5 or 6 that dated back in the late 1800s. And they were still running!
The Car Corral was our first stop on Friday morning. This is a show in itself. If you are a serious buyer you should be able to find something that fits your taste and budget in the Car Corral. Hyman LTD had numerous cars there for sale and one the one that really caught my attention was a 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt (pictured above) for sale for a mere 1.3 million. A car that until this show I had only seen on TV shows. I did see one car in the corral that I wanted to drive home and it was within my budget. It was this little red three wheeler. It looked like a Morgan but I do not think it was one. Pat and I would look good cruising the streets, me in the Lomax and her in this.
After the Car Corral we spent a lot of time in the large flea market. I believe you could buy enough parts there to build a complete car and drive it home. Pats favorite car of the weekend was this Fascination Car that we saw on the grounds of the flea market. My favorite car/motorcycle within the flea market was this old rusted motorcycle, a 1911 Reading Standard. Check out the price tag on this old rusty thing. Another interesting car on the flea market grounds was this NanoCar that was built by some vocational school students at Cumberland Perry Area Vocational Technical School. You start it with a cell phone by sending it a text message – but no texting while driving. It is powered by an electric engine. With a biodiesel generator used to charge the batteries. The body is literally a Dodge Durango that the students sliced in half and narrowed to fit their car.
After we walked and walked the flea market it was time to go back to our motor home and unload all of the stuff we purchased and take a little break. Our evening out was spent at the AACA Museum looking at what else more cars and motorcycles. The museum has a great motorcycle collection.
Early Saturday morning we were off to the big car show. And what a show it was. My favorites were the three wheel cars and motorcycles. Yes I have a thing for three wheel vehicles whether they are a car or a motorcycle with a side car, I just like them. We saw what is perhaps the world’s smallest motorcycle with a side car, a Skat Kitty. I could put this little thing in the trunk of my Lomax and use it instead of a spare tire. One that was most interesting was this Trihawk by Harley Davidson.
Here is what I could find online about this vehicle:
The Trihawk was originally envisioned by Lou Richards, and further design and development was accomplished by a core group including Bob McKee, David Stollery, Dick Kleber and Bill Mozon. The Trihawk was first manufactured in 1982 by Design Lab, Inc. at a facility in Mokena, Illinois. After completing a preproduction run of 10-12 units, manufacturing and sales were moved to a new facility in Dana Point, California under the new moniker of Hawk Vehicles, Inc. where full production began in 1983. Production ceased at the end of 1985, after company interests were purchased by Harley Davidson. Between 90 and 100 units were produced.
The vehicle is powered by a 4-cylinder, air cooled 1,299cc boxer engine that drives the front wheels. The engine and transmission came from the Citroën GSA. Suspension components were utilized from the Renault R5 (Le Car) whereas Honda was the choice for the dash board instruments. Due to its extremely low centre of gravity and wide front track, the Trihawk was capable of attaining upwards of 1G force during skid pad testing, matching the Corvette and Countach of the day.
If you enjoy 3 wheel vehicles and want to read more about them I am starting a three wheel owners group dedicated to 3 wheelers – Three Wheel Association or TWA. Please contact me for more information.
It was a busy two days but enjoyable.
Automotive Appraisals & Motorcycle Appraisals
In addition to conducting aircraft appraisals Flymall is proud to offer automotive appraisals on:
Classic cars
Antique cars
Custom cars
Street Rods
Hot Rods
Historic cars
Fire trucks
Motorcycles
Three Wheel vehicles
Microcars
And more.
Our rates are as follows:
Regular appraisal $150.00 – usually 4 to 6 pages including pictures.
Regular appraisal completed at our office $100.00.
Car Show appraisal $75.00
Pre-accident appraisal $150.00
Pre-purchase appraisal $250.00
Diminished value appraisal $250.00
Appraisal for bankruptcy $150.00
Visit our Wheels N Wings section of our site for more details.
Two DC Airports Open Pet ‘Pit Stop’ Areas
Two Washington, DC area airports have opened pet relief areas giving animals a place to go to the bathroom before getting on an airplane. The two fenced-in indoor areas at Washington’s Dulles airport have fake fire hydrants, artificial turf, and plastic baggies so that owners can clean up after their pets. They also have a flushing system and ventilation to keep things sanitary. Radio station WTOP reports that there are outdoor areas at both Dulles and Washington Reagan International Airport.
Federal regulations require “service animal relief areas” for animals like guide dogs who accompany their owners of flights, but the areas are open to all pets traveling with their families.
Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid
FAA pdf on Airplane Upset Recovery Training (25 mb file)
‘Get out of Dodge’ with CDR
A rarely used, but important tool available for General Aviation aircraft flying out of busy airports is CDR (Coded Departure Routes). Knowing that CDRs exist, knowing how to file a flight plan requesting them, and how to use a CDR if assigned, can save you minutes (sometimes hours) of sitting on the ground when there is bad weather along your route of flight.
What are CDRs?
CDRs are preplanned routes of flights that can be issued to pilots when thunderstorms, turbulence, or traffic constraints preclude ATC from issuing the standard routing between the airport pairs. These preplanned routes have special 8-letter identifiers (such as MDWTEBC6 ) where the first three letters are the departure airport ID, and the next three letters are the arrival airport ID, and the last two letters are for specifying which specific CDR route is to be used between the two airports. Thus the origin of the name CDR (Coded Departure Routes).
By giving a controller the ability to assign a preplanned CDR, coordination between ATC facilities and the flight crew is simplified. This can save time and avoid possible mistakes. This is done simply by assigning an 8-character clearance versus a lengthy reroute with all the Airway, VOR and intersections.
For more information on CDRs click here
Light Sport Aircraft
Flymall.org is pleased to announce that we have joined forces with another aircraft dealer and we can now offer our customers new and used Light Sport Aircraft. These include Tecnam, Piper, Cessna, Remos, and Czech Sport Aircraft. You can deal directly with us and receive the Flymall personal touch throughout the purchase process. We are looking forward to assisting you with your Light Sport Aircraft purchase. Blue skies and tailwinds.
