Late Spring thru early Summer is a great time to complete an annual inspection in the Pacific Northwest. The days are long and the skies are generally clear. It's about 20:30 PDT with no shirt on and plenty of warm Sun still shining! Natural light is much preferred, especially at my age.

Task 1: STC 2100A SL #139 (Service Letter). Wip technical support advised that an aircraft broke a steel MLG coupler due to corrosion. Was hard for me to believe because my MLG actuator coupler was shiny and new looking (300 hours mostly fresh water). Anyway, the kit cost $70.00 delivered.

http://www.wipaire.com/pdf/service_letters/1005856.pdf

Photograph below is my port (left) amphibious float with the original hardware:


The old steel coupler is perfect. No corrosion:


Service Letter completed;


Task 2: Wheel bearings. Back in year 2015 I switched to AeroShell #22 grease and am very happy with the results! I pulled off a wheel just to take a look, the races and rollers are freeeking shiny! Thank you Shell Oil! Will continue tomorrow repacking etc...the discs are pretty thrashed, might order new ones.



Note to self: Grease seal hole is opposite air filler neck:


Will be pulling panels tomorrow...

Wow 22? I thought you floatin planes used some sort of boat trailer grease? How often do you pump grease in that wheel and how often do you hit salt water.
I wonder how oil bath hubs would work on an airplane...


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I prefer to do annuals in the worst possible weather, that way I don't waste any good days with the airplane "down".

I'm working on my condition inspection right now too. Finally it's warm enough I can leave the overhead door open to let in the natural light.

PAMR MX wrote:Wow 22? I thought you floatin planes used some sort of boat trailer grease? How often do you pump grease in that wheel and how often do you hit salt water.
I wonder how oil bath hubs would work on an airplane...

http://www.wipaire.com/pdf/service_letters/1005786.pdf
Wipaire Service Letter #130 added AeroShell #22 (Date 3/29/2012) to all of their float's Service Manuals. It's really light, messy and needs to be "Zerked" often. But, I love it! Working good for me, never dried out. I zerk it at end of day after saltwater/fresh/Brackish.

Aerocet uses oil bath. I use oil bath wheel bearings on my saltwater boat trailer and they are amazing! Oil bath gets my vote. Also, T9 Boeshield (exterior applications) is approved now. It's really "Waxy" but incredibly resistance to weather.

Please see page (5) for lubes...
SERVICE MANUAL and INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONTINUED AIRWORTHINESS for the WIPLINE MODEL 2100/2350
http://www.wipaire.com/pdf/service_manuals/1002549.pdf

http://www.wipaire.com/pdf/service_manuals/1002549.pdf wrote:...Wheel Bearings
*HCF Grease, P/N 605 HCF Industries
*Aeroshell 22
Shell Global Solutions
*Green Grease, Multi-Purpose Green Grease Inc.
*Aviation Grease SHC 100 ExxonMobil Aviation Lubricants
* If existing grease cannot be identified you must lubri-flush all float grease fittings until visibly exhausting all old grease and new grease is coming out. Additionally if you cannot determine existing grease in wheelbearings, completely clean and repack...

bat443 wrote:I prefer to do annuals in the worst possible weather, that way I don't waste any good days with the airplane "down".

I'm with Tim. I prefer flying when the weather is like this.

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I really can't work in the Winter here. There's little light, massive storms with hurricane force winds, snow, hail, etc. I tend to rush. Now I can relax. I actually enjoying working on airplanes as much as flying them with in reasonable periods.

I have owned my 8GCBC since new and it's got 400 TT. Annuals are pretty quick! And I love working in the beautiful Sunshine!! Nothing's wasted in my opinion.

Going to Alaska later this month and also wanted a fresh annual too.

mine is usually in February... took almost 2 months this year...bunch of stuff had to be fixed.. so now I'm ready for Idaho and have started tuning me up...slow flight ,slow flight, slow flight.. spot landings spot landings. spot landings...

iceman wrote:mine is usually in February... took almost 2 months this year...bunch of stuff had to be fixed.. so now I'm ready for Idaho and have started tuning me up...slow flight ,slow flight, slow flight.. spot landings spot landings. spot landings...

February in Southern California is pretty good weather compared! Are you heading to Islands again after ID? I caught a Mahi off Ilio Point about (10) days ago.

Fought like a "--------ker" (expletive deleted)!

iceman wrote:mine is usually in February... took almost 2 months this year...bunch of stuff had to be fixed.. so now I'm ready for Idaho and have started tuning me up...slow flight ,slow flight, slow flight.. spot landings spot landings. spot landings...

Hawaii is still up in the air at this point... we might skip a year... but we usually go in Sept or oct... nice fish.....lol

Mainland fuel is pretty clean, screens looked really good. Drained carburetor bowl too.


I love the smell of freshly cleaned wheel bearings during twilight. MLG bearings and grease seals:


Front:


Always remember to align the anti-torque pin in the axle indent!


MLG axle nut, axle spacer, and grease (zerk) insert. Ready for tomorrow...

iceman wrote:

iceman wrote:mine is usually in February... took almost 2 months this year...bunch of stuff had to be fixed.. so now I'm ready for Idaho and have started tuning me up...slow flight ,slow flight, slow flight.. spot landings spot landings. spot landings...

Hawaii is still up in the air at this point... we might skip a year... but we usually go in Sept or oct... nice fish.....lol

Give me a shout if you head out. You know where I am .. Idaho sounds great! Have fun! Send some pictures. Aloha.

8GCBC wrote:

iceman wrote:

iceman wrote:mine is usually in February... took almost 2 months this year...bunch of stuff had to be fixed.. so now I'm ready for Idaho and have started tuning me up...slow flight ,slow flight, slow flight.. spot landings spot landings. spot landings...

Hawaii is still up in the air at this point... we might skip a year... but we usually go in Sept or oct... nice fish.....lol

Give me a shout if you head out. You know where I am .. Idaho sounds great! Have fun! Send some pictures. Aloha.

will do Aloha

The weather is perfect today. Sunrise 05:31 PDT. Retrospectively, Winter was brutal, Mount Bachelor received 578" (48.2 feet) of snow this season. Precipitation was off the charts on the Coast too (mixed snow, hail, rain).

But now it's really mellowed out:


The annual inspection continues:

SWAWKS:

1) Port NLG: There was a nagging hydraulic weep, slow and impossible for me to locate. The leak produced a drop or two every month. After researching the issue I started to suspect the hydraulic ram end cap could be loose? The end cap takes a large wrench, luckily my Dad gave me an adjustable crescent wrench (60 year old+) a few years ago.



Turned about a 1/4" ...It worked! No leaks!

Next discrepancy replace Sparkplugs...

Even in moderate climates like the Puget Sound area, wintertime can be kinda chilly which makes it hard to get motivated to work in the hangar. But I've never tried to work my annuals around to a particular time of the year. I just do the old 13-month annual thing,
and deal with whatever temps I have. Matter of fact, I'm getting ready to start doing the prep work for my annual inspection today.
Nice and sunny and about 65 degrees out- perfect.

hotrod180 wrote:Even in moderate climates like the Puget Sound area, wintertime can be kinda chilly which makes it hard to get motivated to work in the hangar. But I've never tried to work my annuals around to a particular time of the year. I just do the old 13-month annual thing,
and deal with whatever temps I have. Matter of fact, I'm getting ready to start doing the prep work for my annual inspection today.
Nice and sunny and about 65 degrees out- perfect.

After spending the last 26 years in Hawaii, weather never affected any maintenance schedules. But, now I am getting up there in age, cold damp weather really demotivates and the shorter days really slow down the maintenance processes. Spring/Summer are so much easier to get things accomplished for this "Old boy"!

Winter is for skiing around here for me, not the hangar!

Willamette Pass, February 2017:

Work continues...

My personal "Annual" inspection checklist includes things like insurance, safety equipment, etc...

Called Avemco today and added "In Flight" coverage for Canada and Alaska. They are really friendly at Avemco. They put up with all my different STC's and requirements better than anyone. Thank you Avemco!

Looks like the little ship is going to be "Signed off" this week. Just a few more items and "Den Pau brah" (finished).

Maintenance item: New Tempest UREM38E. Lycoming runs smoother, starts quicker and much better throttle response at low RPMs. Highly recommended (opinion only, just me).



Ordered an Airpath C2400 L4P pedestal compass from Spruce. I don't service compasses.


The cowl is is being assembled this morning...

Learned something (through pain)...

LED Landing light https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_lamp:

L = Light, E = Emitting D = DIODE

Not fully understanding what I was doing (not that unusual) I connected the LED landing light to the same (left, right) wires as the landing light which came from the factory. After trouble shooting for about an hour, it became apparent that the polarity was reversed. It's a DIODE!! Switched the wires and now it works.


New Airpath C2400 L4P compass is installed and the little tiny red instrument light works too. Using a non ferrous screw driver I will compensate and record deviation. http://www.airpathcompass.com/J30/index.php/8-latest-news/3-compensation-instructions

Checking cable tension tomorrow.

My Alaska thread is coming soon. Stay tuned for the fun and excitement.

Moderate precipitation (rain, fog, mist) all night, gusts to 25kts+, ceiling 300' mist. Thinking about turning on the heaters! Luckily it's a "Pineapple Express" low pressure weather system and the air is relatively warm. Blowing from the Southwest.

Removing belly panels and inspected underside of fuselage. Tools ready:


Looking mighty fine for a floatplane living on the Pacifc Coast:

After the 6 months of rain we just endured in the PNW having my plane down now is driving me nuts. This past winter I think you could count the nice VFR days in western Washington on your fingers. After I get the thing back together I intend to religiously annual it in December/January so as to not squander a single available VFR day starting in the spring. Thermal underwear is now as thin and light as a T-shirt and will fit nicely under a pair of coveralls if required, and a couple LED floodlights take care of the darkness issue. I'd rather dress warm in winter than lose a flying day in the spring. If you have to inspect your aircraft outside I guess you're stuck, but at this point I'd drag my aircraft under a portable awning and inspect it in full rain gear rather than lose a spring/summer flying day. And it's not just flying that's lost during a spring/summer annual; it's the fishing, hiking, camping, etc. that goes along with it. Smallmouth are spawning in the Yakima, walleye are biting in the Columbia, there's opening day cutthroat at Henry's Lake, etc., etc..