Let the Games Begin - Major Avionics and Interior Upgrade

[Rick Durden]

Its okay, Scott, we can buy cans of Lucas smoke in case the shrink wrap leaks.

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

There was always a surplus of Lucas smoke.

[Terry Carraway]

Good news is, the programming and configuration is done, expect for the fuel sensors, swinging compass and weighing.

Bad news is, when they went to laser the labels on the panel, it shadow printed all the letters. So had to strip the powder coat (not simple) and start over.

[Terry Carraway]

I have seen it powered up now. WOO HOO.

John, FYI, I have the G-5 backup AND the dual G3X. If you are doing it, why not overdo it.

Almost there, a couple of nits to fix. Annual is being completed today. Rest of interior should be installed tomorrow or Friday. I am going to change the trim pieces (above arm rest and trim strip) to be fabric the same as the arm rests and seats.

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

Looks great, Terry. When you get yours out of the shop, and I'm out of the annual, we'll have to get together again.

I'm buying a new (well, first run overhauled) prop, not a real surprise as the old one was the original from '78 with many IRANs and overhauls along the way (incl. 6 years ago). So there we go.

[Terry Carraway]

Yes, we do need to get together.

Bummer about the prop. But it has given some good life.

[Terry Carraway]

Oh, well, life goes on.

They did the engine run yesterday and found a few small things.

Interior is about 85% done. Weighing on Friday.

The big issue is, I still have an oil leak on the #6 exhaust rocker. 5 gaskets, sanding the cover flat, swapping cover with another cylinder, chasing threads to make sure the bolts are going in fully. STILL have a leak. Hoping it is not a cracked cylinder head.

[Ray Tackett]

Oh, well, life goes on.

They did the engine run yesterday and found a few small things.

Interior is about 85% done. Weighing on Friday.

The big issue is, I still have an oil leak on the #6 exhaust rocker. 5 gaskets, sanding the cover flat, swapping cover with another cylinder, chasing threads to make sure the bolts are going in fully. STILL have a leak. Hoping it is not a cracked cylinder head.

I share your hope, but ... Back when she and I first met, Hanny drove a Chevy Citation -- a used clunker. It began running on three cylinders, and the exhaust smelled of coolant. I bought a gasket kit for the manifolds, carb, and cylinder head. I had it to the point where I was ready to put the engine back together, but Hanny The Fastidious wanted to scrape off the combustion deposits. That revealed a crack running from valve to valve on one cylinder. I ended up buying a junkyard head and having my favorite parts store lap the valves.

May your luck be better.

[John O'Shaughnessy [FCM]]

Terry -- that looks awesome!

[Terry Carraway]

Thanks

[Terry Carraway]

Avionics are done, just need a test flight. But dealing with an oil leak.

[Terry Carraway]

We think we found the oil leak. My mechanic will go to the avionics shop early next week to fix it. It that works, the next day will be first test flight.

[Ray Tackett]

We think we found the oil leak. My mechanic will go to the avionics shop early next week to fix it. It that works, the next day will be first test flight.

And??? Belated congratulations on the avionics work. How did the interior turn out?

[Terry Carraway]

WOOHOO, oil leak is fixed. Test flights later today.

[Ray Tackett]

WOOHOO, oil leak is fixed. Test flights later today.

Excellent! Where was the leak? How did the test flights go?