I'm having a weak moment and considering going to look at a Cessna 185E which is a bit of a project.
I'm an experience helicopter mechanic, so I'm thinking about doing the pre-purchase inspection myself, but know nothing about the 185.
Is any body aware of any threads or articles that might highlight the trouble areas on the 185, or can anybody offer any specific type advice?
i.e areas prone to corrosion, rigging issues, fuel system etc. I would like to educate myself the best I can before having a look.

Or maybe I should have a lie down until the feeling passes!

Thanks in advance.

Doug

OK -I'll bite. My 2cents.... The achilles heel of the Wagon in my opinion is the tail and the jackscrew trim system. Nothing that can't be fixed with $$, but worn out jack screws, bad stab bearing blocks and pitch trim wheels and shafts with augered out drive pin holes seam to plague a lot of birds. I'm personally of the opinion that the tail needs to come off the airframe every few years for a good inspection. Another area of issue that only gets cursory attention at a lot of annuals is the tailwheel stinger and it's mounting hardware. The backend of these airframes get dragged through mud and slop snow when on wheels and skis. And then there is the torrent of water when on floats. Probably another area to have a good look is around the flap track mountings for cracking. If some Jackwagon has made a habit of extending flaps at max extension speed, there is a good chance of issues. Other than the usual wear and tear issues, it's pretty much standard Cessna. Just takes $$$ to replace worn out parts if maintence has been continually deferred.

Four years ago I purchased a disassembled 180H project I haven't had a chance to get to yet. My suggestion is to watch the little stuff that adds up quickly. For example my project was missing the little hooked strips which attach the headliner over the cabin doors, I finally found a used pair for $500. Or the wires that support the headliner, those will cost me more than $500. Interior door handles $50 to $75 on ebay. Take a close look at the trailing edge of the wing struts near the bottom where the bottom edge of the door hits if it opens to far. A lot of them are worn there and there are limits on the amount of wear allowed. Those are $3000 to $4000 each. You get the idea, there is more to it than just the big things of the engine and airframe corrosion. Fortunately for me I got this as a good enough deal that I can still come out. But if I had to pay for the labor I could have just bought a nice airplane and been flying it for the last four years. That being said I would buy this project again today if I didn't already have it.

Tim

Under the floor at the center rear seat belt Mount there is a good chance for bad corrosion there that the only good way to deal with it is to peel up the floor. . I've been finding a lot of broken mid dorsal fin to fuselage brackets, broken along with the rib in the dorsal fin at this location. The tail stinger where it goes into the bulkhead fitting seems to get corroded. And the fuselage frames around the float fitting area being cracked from being on floats. Broken brackets at the flap tracks.

Cracked up or corroded gear boxes. Can even happen to dry country planes due to engine exhaust. Sounds crazy but it happens.

helimechanic wrote:I'm having a weak moment and considering going to look at a Cessna 185E which is a bit of a project.
I'm an experience helicopter mechanic, so I'm thinking about doing the pre-purchase inspection myself, but know nothing about the 185.
Is any body aware of any threads or articles that might highlight the trouble areas on the 185, or can anybody offer any specific type advice?
i.e areas prone to corrosion, rigging issues, fuel system etc. I would like to educate myself the best I can before having a look.

Or maybe I should have a lie down until the feeling passes!

Thanks in advance.

Doug

I'm not any kind of mechanic, but I've learned a lot from my IA over the last 11 years (mostly not to do things myself). One of those things is that experience in one kind of airframe doesn't necessarily mean being able to spot problems in another kind of airframe. I'm not denigrating your helicopter mechanicking skills in the least by saying that you'd be much better off having an experienced Cessna mechanic do the prebuy.

Cary

Remove the tail covers and check with intensity (especially inside the horizontal the vertical, it's where corrosion will likely be found). When I was looking, I found that a small pocket camera with a good flash was handy as I could stick it in places I couldn't see and take pictures to review later. Even with a mirror, it's hard to see up inside the vertical, but by using a camera, you can get a better perspective. Also, it can be nice to have detailed pics to send to another mechanic for a 2nd opinion if needed.

MM

Also, do your best to check above the headliner (especially near the rear bulkhead). Depending on the headliner material and the insulation, moisture can get trapped in there and cause corrosion.

MM

The e models have a lot of flush rivets, I would check the riveting on the top wings skins for popped rivets and or skin cracking especially above where the wing strut attaches.

The fittings on the bottom of the seats and the seat rails per the ad. You can spend lots of money if they are worn beyond limits.

Tim

I'd check the motor mount real close too. Look under the Lord mount pads for cracks and heat damage from the exhaust.