April 1999 - American Bonanza Society

ter 94-6 lists dipstick parts numbers foreach engine model should anyone questionwhether they have the correct dipstickfor their engine.- NP833 cabin door adjustmentPhif PearlSeal/Ie, WashingtonQ: I've been having trouble gettingmy upper door latch to engage from theoutside door handle. As a result, when Ipark outside in the rain, the door leaks.Incidentally, the upper latch works finefrom the inside door handle.I recently had the door hinge pins replacedand I've tried adjusting the screwon the upper latch pin in the fuselage.Unfortunately. thi s doesn' t solve theproblem. I understand that I may wantto try lengtheni ng the rod (via a turnbuck.leadjustment) that connects theouter door latch to the inner door latch.Have there been any articles on thi sthat I should know about? Do you haveany other suggestions?A: ABS Ma ga~ ill e pages 186S, 2441,264SC, 3389 and 4860 contain articlesaddressing cabin door adjustments.Pages 11 2-1 18 of Colvill's Clillic, 1992Revised Edition, is another SO UTce of informationas is the service manual foryour aircraft. It is possible your door maybe sprung which will make adjustmentmore difficult.Al so, if you have an inflatable doorseal, your door will be more prone toleaking on the ground when the seal isdeflated.- P836TC oil, leaning andcool-down questionsCarl DavisDenver, Coloradon: I recently purchased a new B36TCa~ it is time to change the oil. What isthe most common oil in use in the northernhalf of the United Sates: Phillips XIC 20-S0 or Aeroshell IS-So?Also, I was told that the clock for thefour-mi nute cool-down period at idle aflerlanding needs to be rese t and startedover if, at any time during taxi, the idlespeed goes above 1.000 rpm. However,the POH says taxi time is included in thefour-minute cool-down period.It is common that the idle speed wouldneed to be above 1,000 rpm during taxi.How about a four- to five-minute coo1-down period at I ,OOO- I,SOO rpm with thelast one minute at no greater than 1,000rpm?I was also told that the mixture couldbe leaned further in a reduced powerdescent than in cruise in an effort to keepthe engine hot. However, the ContinentalEngine manual says to descend withthe mixture at cru ise setting. In my previousturbocharged ai rplane, which wentto TBO, I was reluctant to lean the mixtUTebeyond crui se setting because itwasn't necessary, and I thought I mightforget to enrichen the mixture before increasingthe throttle. What do you think?A: BOlh Phillips and Shell are goodoils and it's a personal preference. I favorAeroshell ISWSO in the winter andW 100 in the summer. Normally, theminimum power used during taxi can becounted as cool-down time. However, ifyou have to really power up during taxi,then the clock starts over again.There are differing opinions on leaningprocedures, but I prefer the TCM recommendedprocedure to not lean belowcruise settings.- NPV358 oil temperature gaugeGuy SchmidtDaytona Beach, FloridaQ: M y oil temperatu re gauge quitworking. My A&P says the sensing unitis out, and it is very expensive. Can yougive me some ideas on additional sourcesand an approximate cost?A: Try instrument Tech at 800-229-9078. They should be able to help at reasonableprice. Prices vary by model.-NPCleaning the belly on a K35Tom LombardBroomall, PennsylvaniaQ: I received the video "Owner PerformedMai ntenance" and it's very helpful.However. I have a question aboutcleaning the belly of my aircraft. It saysnot to use 409 or other household cleaners.Please advise what you recommendto clean dirty. greasy aircraft bellies?A: Household cleaners such as 409 andothers are not recommended for aluminumbecause they can cause corrosion.Simple Green seems to be OK. Carbon­X has an Air Force MIL Spec, is watersoluble and is recommended for aluminum.Stoddard Solvent is a commercialparts washer fluid, nearly the same asmineral spirits, which works well to removeoily dirt from bellies.-NPStandby instrument airsystem on F33AGary GarrettSugar Land, TexasQ: Can you recommend a standby instrumentair system for my F33A andcould you also recommend a shop in Houstonor surrounding area for installation?A: Chief Aircraft (800-447-3408) sellsa couple of brands for your aircraft.While Chief offers a good price, makecertain you can locate a local shop willingto install a system purchased elsewhere.Part of a shop's overhead, insurance,etc. is normally covered by the profit theymake on parts sales. Sorry, but I don ' thave current information on shops inyour area. Perhaps some members willbe able to provide recommendations.-NPEffect of airframe ageon price of V35ADavid BeauchaineVancouver, WashingtonQ: Is there any data that shows howthe value of a Bonanza changes as a functionof age of the airframe? I will be buyinga 1969 V3SA and am wondering ifthe price/value of this plane is about todecrease precipitously due to airframeage only?The current airframe total timeis 3390 hours.1 have been able to read fro m the ABSCD I purchased that the airframe has"unlimited life." Is this really an accuratestatement, provided it is well maintainedand has no corrosion?A: Dealers and financial institutionsuse the Aircraft Blue Book and other referencesto determine an aircraft's value.Total airframe time is just one data pointconsidered and "normal airframe times"for various models are listed.Although high total airframe time andprior damage history can result in a lowermarket value. these are not necessarilygood indicators that an airframe is anyle ss sound than a lower time, undamagedaircraft.How an aircraft has been maintainedABS Apri I 1999Page 5643