So I contacted Spruce. The white rockers are not to be used as on/off switches. That's too bad. Tyco does make a toggle CB switch that can be used as an on/off switch though, and they look nice. I put a bunch of them in a 210 last summer.

These are the before pics.




After.


I added a plate/cover over the pax side glovebox and attached it with nut plates and added a bit extra wire so when I need to mess with the CB’s or intercom I can pull it out rather than go under the panel. I also angled the radio tray up so you can tune a freq without twisting your head at a wierd angle.

TVATIVAK71 wrote:These are the before pics.




After.


I added a plate/cover over the pax side glovebox and attached it with nut plates and added a bit extra wire so when I need to mess with the CB’s or intercom I can pull it out rather than go under the panel. I also angled the radio tray up so you can tune a freq without twisting your head at a wierd angle.

That came out amazing! Between you and Fiddler, the both of you have motivated me to go back to the drawing board. Below is (yet another) potential panel layout. This one will allow me to not need to cut any new holes and guarantee the structural integrity, while still cleaning up things and keeping the classic look. The old holes from former instruments and avionics can be patched, and the far right hole where the transponder was can be turned back into a glove box.

jlacharite wrote:

How about a pic of the entire panel?

hotrod180 wrote:

jlacharite wrote:

How about a pic of the entire panel?

Sure! This is an older picture. The only difference now is the center is red, the adf on the lower left is gone, and the G5 is installed.

Any way to mount your G5 front & center,
where your V-speeds cheat sheet is in the photo?

The plan was to put the g5 where the turn and bank indicator is, and that will double as my v-speed cheat sheet. It displays all v speeds on the g5

There's no reason the g5 couldn't go where the cheat sheet is now, but id prefer it right in front of my eyes for easier reference in flight

jlacharite wrote:There's no reason the g5 couldn't go where the cheat sheet is now, but id prefer it right in front of my eyes for easier reference in flight

This. I'd be surprised if you ever look at your other gauges. This thing has more functionality of the rest of them.

Made more progress on the brown glue removal today. Im now 1/3rd (?) of the way done. Also flew the plane for a few laps around the pattern. Surprisingly the interior i had in there before had absolutely zero sound insulation, so on the plus side, it cant get any louder The G5 performed beautifully! Looking forward to exploring the full functionality of this little box. Baby steps! next on the to-do list is the addition of a lightweight Odyssey battery and newer upgraded pushrod tubes for the engine. The last little bit of oil leaks will be a thing of the past!

Slow and steady... Installed the Odyssey battery and bracket in the original battery box. Wanted to do a firewall installation, but that can come down the road sometime, not trying to go that deep into yanking the electrical quite yet. Also went ahead and put on the new numbers for the tail. Im not changing the numbers at all, but I will be losing the 12" numbers on the side of the fuselage, and added the 2" numbers down the side of the rudder with the "C" after the N. so now, NC89476 is slowly coming along!

Picture of the new numbers

Removed and replaced the crappy factory pushrod tubes with the Real Gaskets pushrod tube kit. (STC SE00533SE). The kit takes a while to install, but will be well worth it. My only complaint is needing over $100 of special tools to install the kit. That should be the last of my oil leaks for a long time to come!

Besides th spring compressor, what other special tools did you need?
And how do they get the old pushrod tubes out without pulling the cylinder? Do they cut them?
Thanks

I have flown the Aztec and Arrow depicted in your picture of the tail numbers! I’ll be back in the Ala Wai Boat Harbour 01-August. PM me if you want to meet for lunch at the Hale Koa, or go trolling. Glad you have a ride for your ship!

A1Skinner wrote:Besides th spring compressor, what other special tools did you need?
And how do they get the old pushrod tubes out without pulling the cylinder? Do they cut them?
Thanks

In order to do the installation, you need to remove the rocker arms and pushrods. The valve compression tools were just a hair over $40, and the spring compression tool was $60-something. In accordance with the STC, the old pushrod tubes are just cut out to avoid disassembling the entire cylinder assembly. The new ones slide in and are held in place with an adapter collar and spring tension. The crankcase side of the tube is sealed with a thick rubber gasket and spring pressure. The cylinder head side of the tube has a gasket as well and copper-based high temp silicone.

8GCBC wrote:I have flown the Aztec and Arrow depicted in your picture of the tail numbers! I’ll be back in the Ala Wai Boat Harbour 01-August. PM me if you want to meet for lunch at the Hale Koa, or go trolling. Glad you have a ride for your ship!

8GCBC, you'd be sad to hear those two aircraft are mostly just ramp queens. Ive seen the Aztec fly only once or twice, and the Arrow has never moved as far as i can tell. Remind me when you get out here! As long as im not working or on duty (Navy takes up most of my time...) Id love to hang out for a bit!

I see. Thanks for the info. I usually just push on the rocker with a block of wood and get the pin out that way. Works as long as you're at TDC for that cylinder. I just flared a few pushrod tubes on. Couple 150s. If the leaks persist then I'll be going with these STC kits. Seem like a great idea.

A1Skinner wrote:I see. Thanks for the info. I usually just push on the rocker with a block of wood and get the pin out that way. Works as long as you're at TDC for that cylinder. I just flared a few pushrod tubes on. Couple 150s. If the leaks persist then I'll be going with these STC kits. Seem like a great idea.

The wood block idea is definitely not a bad idea, but the valve compression tool made it so much easier. If your tubes continue to leak, i highly recommend the kit. Installation is a breeze, and once you get one done, the rest go much faster. The longest portion of the install is removing and re-installing the exhaust. Unfortunately the muffler and exhaust tubes are too much in the way. Ill report back with a leak check once I have flown with the new tubes (24 hour cure time and i need valve cover gaskets from spruce). Ive heard nothing but positive reviews from the other guys at the airport with the same kits installed on a Champ, T-Cart, and Corbin.

More progress yesterday. Pulled the center panel and will be replacing with a much simpler layout. Top from right to left will have the G5, tach, oil pressure, oil temp, airspeed, altimeter. Bottom centered will be an IPAD mini running Garmin Pilot for nav.

1946, meet 2018!