Airplane Owner Maintenance - By Dean Showalter

(Scroll down for video and photos.) When Dan, the owner of a nice A36 Bonanza called me and reported a “clunking noise” at the right main landing gear while moving the airplane by hand, I was stumped. So I did what I like to do when I have an airplane puzzler… I sent an email […]

This exhaust valve in a turbo-normalized A36 Bonanza looks quite good. The appearance is mostly concentric and uniform. There’s just that one area at about the 10 to 11 o’clock position that looks slightly uneven. If the compression test had been good, I likely would not have lapped the valve. But since it was 44/80 […]

It was a gorgeous VFR day, and we were flying in an Aerostar 601. The destination was an airport in Alabama and I was really looking forward to this trip. But soon after we leveled off at ten thousand feet and got the engines set and properly leaned, a strange but definite engine roughness occurred. […]

In the last podcast episode, we talked about an issue with my friend’s Cirrus SR22, and how the flaps occasionally would not retract. That problem got mostly resolved at the recent annual inspection when they made some adjustments due to the flap 50% and 100% travels being out of spec. However, there is now a […]

Don’t you just love intermittent problems?! This one has been just that… intermittent. In the 2005 Cirrus SR22, the flaps have 3 positions: up, 50%, and 100%. Our intermittent problem has been that occasionally, when selecting 50% or 100%, the flaps will begin to move down, but the “up” light will stay on. The flaps […]

This experience was a good one! (At least looking back in 2020 hindsight.) We had to dig deep to fix this one! I was about to give up and started thinking it might be time to take the airplane somewhere else for troubleshooting and repair. Thankfully Richard, our chief pilot, didn’t give up so easy […]

This morning I felt the inspiration to record a podcast episode… I got my hotel room set up with my computer and my microphone, and there it sat. I missed the window of opportunity… for whatever reasons, I did not record. And this afternoon, the inspiration was fading away. And then I remembered something. Often […]

(If you’re in a hurry, scroll down to see the tiny little chafed wire that caused this whole conundrum.) Now here’s the story… This landing gear relay breaker had been popping intermittently: It came time for annual inspection and we decided to replace the breaker with a new one, in order to rule out a […]

Bennett contacted me awhile back to see if I could lap an exhaust valve for him. The #4 exhaust valve showed a very uneven appearance when viewed with his borescope. Bennett flew in to KSHD one morning and we got started. Before lapping, we checked the cylinder compression and it was 29/80… not good. Here’s […]

If you look closely in the photo above, you can see my friend Chris, smiling. It was the day he arrived at Classic Aviation (KSHD) to begin his annual inspection with me. Chris is not only an airplane owner and pilot, but he’s also a certified airplane mechanic as well. I was very happy to […]

Today’s episode is about Pat’s Mooney, and how we sealed up some exhaust leaks. And it’s a fun story because Pat has become a good friend… check out the above photo where he’s showing his airplane to my grandson Spencer 🙂 Spencer and my daughter McKenzie stopped by the shop one day when Pat and […]

Last Monday, I lapped the #5 exhaust valve on a Continental engine. But more importantly, I met the owner / pilot of a Turbo Centurion, and now I’m happy to call him a good friend! Thanks for flying all the way up here Mark! Here’s the story: Mark had been a little concerned about the […]

Everything looks normal in this photo, right? What we can’t see from this angle is the fact that the brake disc has broken in two pieces! Check it out: Here’s the story: The pilot landed the Piper Cherokee, and after a successful landing, something gave way on the left brake, and it became ineffective. Now […]

This story begins with a squawk from the owner. It went something like this: “When I fly my airplane, on the first landing gear retraction, the gear begins to move and then the “gear pump” circuit breaker pops. After I reset the circuit breaker, the gear retracts and extends normally with no further problems the […]

The week I’m talking about here was almost too full! But I wouldn’t change a thing. A real highlight was taking my Pennsylvania cousin for a short flight in a Piper Cherokee: From Sunday to Friday, I had the following opportunities: Also, during the Bonanza inspection with my friend Mike, we adjusted the fuel quantity […]

During a recent prebuy evaluation on this nice Beech A36 Bonanza, the question came up, “Does the old analog CHT gauge need to work in order for the airplane to be considered airworthy?” (In this case, the analog CHT gauge had an INOP placard on it.) Check it out: The airplane has a JPI engine […]

This airplane appeared on the ramp not long ago at the Shenandoah Valley Airport in Virginia. I discovered it had taken off, and then very quickly made a 180 and returned for landing due to engine trouble. The pilot thought he may have lost a cylinder. His mechanic stopped by to check it out, and […]

In this podcast episode, we’re talking about alternator maintenance! Here’s the alternator I removed from a Beechcraft Bonanza to inspect the drive coupling and the brushes… note the brush assembly in the lower right side of the photo: The brushes had plenty of length left, but they needed a good cleaning due to carbon dust […]

When it’s time to overhaul your engine, who do you call? Where do you go? Listen to this episode to hear ideas from other airplane owners who have had good experiences with various engine overhaul shops around the country. I always love meeting podcast listeners, and I was surprised when I met Ken Blow recently […]

This ‘ol Piper Apache served me very well to get my MEI training and check ride done. Listen to the audio for this episode to hear how my check ride went… it was a challenging one! This part of the podcast is toward the end. This episode also covers something we did for our son […]

Note: Scroll down to see who I unexpectedly met in Florida this past week! Now for the Prebuy… it was some months ago, and I did a prebuy inspection on a nice airplane on behalf of the buyer. I also became good friends with the owner / seller, for which I was grateful, because sometimes […]

This podcast episode includes the following: Here’s a photo of the Piper Cherokee door stop I repaired by installing a new spring, P/N 65730-00. Now the door stop snaps nicely into the open detent, instead of closing on you while you’re getting in or out of the airplane. The post “238 – Check Ride Thoughts […]

My CFII checkride is in three days! Yikes! I’m excited, and I have a few butterflies as well… I just hope they are friendly butterflies 🙂 Today’s podcast episode is about checkrides, and some encouragement for all of us to move forward with whatever that next step is… whether it’s a private pilot certificate, an […]

Check out this spare parts case my friend Bill created! Although you might not want to carry that much extra stuff in YOUR airplane, it still might be worth thinking about some items to have in case of emergencies. This podcast episode will include the following: Some feedback from others about spare parts. A story […]

The paint was eroding on the King Air 350 prop blades. After a lot of research for paint and new Hartzell decals, I was ready to begin. Here’s where I bought the prop paint and new Hartzell decals: aerotouchups It was important to NOT get paint on anything other than the prop blades… Finally, after […]

I’ll get right to it… I think it was because one of the brushes in the heater combustion fan motor was severely worn, and when the motor / combustion fan did not run, the heater did not light. Here’s a comparison of the old brushes and the new brushes I just installed: (The 2 old […]

Mike Garcia has become a good friend over the past year or so. Recently we completed his annual inspection together, and he really enjoyed working on his airplane while learning more about what’s under the surface! Mike was my guest on the podcast this week, so be sure to listen to the audio for that […]

Be sure to scroll down to see how my Maui Gold Pineapple plant turned out! (It’s been growing in a pot here at our house for a very long time 🙂 Now for this week’s podcast: I had the opportunity to do an annual inspection on Ben’s Piper Comanche, and he sent me this photo […]

In this week’s podcast episode, you’ll hear about: King Air flying. Listener feedback from the last episode on “Phantom Cylinder Cracks.” The latest annual inspection I’m involved in. … and a few other things! I’m in the midst of an annual inspection on a Piper Comanche. I might talk more about this one in a […]

Do you think these really are cracks between the spark plug bosses and the fuel injector bosses? (Cirrus SR22 Continental engine.) The owner of a Cirrus SR22 was told by a service center he had 4 cracked cylinders on his engine. However, after taking a closer look and bringing their most experienced technicians together to […]

The charging system was not working, but why? There was normal voltage at the alternator field terminal. The field circuit resistance seemed normal as well. But the alternator was not producing the normal 28 volts during operation. Occasionally, it would produce a small amount of output voltage, like 25 or 26 volts, and then drop […]

Dan and Jeanne are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, so it’s always a privilege to work on their airplane. It was annual inspection time, and the compression test on cylinder #1 was 25/80. The borescope showed a corresponding reason for the low compression… the exhaust valve had an uneven appearance, indicating […]

This Bonanza had a problem in the landing light wiring circuit. All kinds of weird things were happening when the light was turned on in flight. You can listen to the podcast audio for more details on this squawk. I removed the induction filter cover and the landing light assembly and inspected the wiring. It […]

It was a beautiful Tuesday morning at KSHD, and we had the maintenance hangar door open with a good view of the runway. A nice, red and white Piper Lance made a perfect landing on runway 5. As the airplane taxied up to the ramp, I thought, “It would be nice to meet that guy, […]

And the winner is… Ben Moroze! Recently, in podcast episode #223, I asked for help in identifying an ATC intersection we flew over on our way into Dulles Airport, (KIAD) awhile back. I remembered it sounded something like “you-dee-ah” or something similar. Maybe something like “UDIYA” except that’s not it. Well, Ben emailed me after […]

Recently, I received an email from Jim Janaitus, owner of a Cessna 182. He told me the story of lapping an exhaust valve on his engine because the valve showed signs of burning even though the compression was still in the high 60’s. Take a look at the appearance of the valve before lapping: The […]

In the beginning of this week’s podcast episode, I want to give a big congratulations to my friend, Chris Wieczorek, who recently got his A&P certificate! Listen to the audio to find out how Chris pursued getting his A&P in the midst of being a full time attorney and engineer with a wife and 4 […]

I inspected another A36 Bonanza recently, and one of the cylinder compressions was too low… lower than the minimum prescribed by Continental using the master orifice tool. I had two options: Option One: Remove the cylinder for repair or replacement. Option Two: Make the exhaust valve seal better and improve the compression result in hopes […]

Maui is simply amazing! Maria and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip, and here are some highlights. (And for the aviation maintenance portion of the trip, see the last episode, 220.) So many indescribably beautiful beaches to see: Maria and her new friend, Firmiana, at the Upcountry Farmers Market… the most amazing farmer’s market I’ve ever […]

We arrived on Maui the evening of March 27 and were greeted by our friends, John and Leslie Caubble, with a “lei greeting” which is a warm welcome with a beautiful ring of fresh flowers around your neck. We were there to do several things: Connect with our friends, the Caubbles. Work on the flight […]

It took some significant detective work and deciphering to solve this mystery. The brake caliper at the top of the photo was the wrong part number for the A36 Bonanza I was working on. The one at the bottom of the photo is a serviceable one we found on eBay. It was the correct one, […]

Not long ago, there was an oil leak on the right engine of a Cessna 414. The leak was significant enough to come out the louvers on the top cowling in flight. There was oil all over the rear inboard area of the engine, so the big question was, “Where is the oil leak coming […]

I recently removed a magneto from a Piper Cherokee, and my curiosity about why the magneto had failed got the best of me. I took the mag home, sat down at the kitchen table, put my grandson Spencer on my lap, and took the magneto apart! It was great fun having him help me 🙂 […]

Here’s the short answer: Worn and contaminated brushes inside the alternator. Check it out: My theory is that the excessive amount of carbon dust from brush wear was causing a short circuit situation between the brushes, and not allowing the field circuit in the alternator rotor to be properly energized for normal operation. Here’s a […]

Clark and his family came to Virginia to visit his mom recently, and on the way up from Florida, the right vacuum pump quit working… as often happens when a vacuum pump quits, the drive shaft had sheared off, saving the engine from catastrophic damage. In times like these, a good question to ask is, […]

This is a good looking exhaust valve with a nice concentric appearance. However, the compression was very low at 8/80. I lapped the valve, hoping it would improve the compression test result… it only came up to 10/80, and that was after running the engine again and getting it nice and hot. Although the valve […]

Where are you RIGHT NOW in your aviation journey? Have you started flight training, but stalled out along the way? Did you finish that instrument rating? How about the commercial certificate, or CFI, or even CFII? Ever dream about getting your A&P? Have you wanted to be an airline pilot for years and years? Did […]

How long should the battery last in a small, piston-powered airplane? That’s a great question, and we are talking about it in this week’s podcast episode. Tune in to hear the story behind this 24 volt battery in the photo, as well as the story of another battery, a 12 volt one in a Citabria […]

I had an opportunity to fly in an Aerostar the other day… it was going to be a fairly long trip to the destination, with one fuel stop along the way. As we climbed out of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia toward the mountains to the West, we discovered the combustion heater for keeping the […]

Here are the highlights you’ll find in this podcast episode: My latest assignment at Classic Aviation – Installing the freshly overhauled engine in a Cessna 172 that is almost complete after an extensive rebuild process. Some emails I’ve received from listeners with fun feedback of multiple types. Some listener thoughts about home simulator systems. Some […]