X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:41:18 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from QMTA04.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.30.40] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.13) with ESMTP id 3568352 for lml@lancaironline.net; Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:22:12 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=76.96.30.40; envelope-from=j.hafen@comcast.net Received: from OMTA01.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.30.11]) by QMTA04.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast id acTL1b0030EPchoA4jMcur; Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:21:36 +0000 Received: from [10.128.90.198] ([75.151.125.133]) by OMTA01.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast id ajMb1b00B2soXEK8MjMb0w; Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:21:36 +0000 User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/12.15.0.081119 X-Original-Date: Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:21:33 -0700 Subject: I wish I had used a torque wrench From: John Hafen X-Original-To: Lancair Mailing List X-Original-Message-ID: Thread-Topic: I wish I had used a torque wrench Thread-Index: AcmzyDuCBRLq1t4s5kuVPCY3i1v3OA== Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: multipart/alternative; boundary="B_3321519694_925755" > This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. --B_3321519694_925755 Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable So there I am on my crawler, finishing up an oil change on N413AJ that has = a total of 110 hours on her. I=B9m putting the plug in the oil pan and its nic= e and tight. I think (here is where I started to get into trouble) =B3I want this nice and tight so it doesn=B9t break the safety wire and fall out in flight, jettisoning all the oil which freezes the engine and I have to cras= h land somewhere....=B2 So one more little twist on the plug, and OOOOOOOps! It went just a little bit too far. I don=B9t need to tell you the level of disappointment that flooded over me a= s I contemplated that I had just stripped the threads in the oil sump pan. So I atoned for my sin. I bought a new sump, hired some help, disconnected lots of stuff, jacked th= e engine up just high enough to remove the old pan and slip it out the front and scrape off the old gasket and install a new pan with gasket. Then lowe= r the engine back into place, call Lancair to see how to torque the engine mounting bolts (450 =AD 500 inch pounds), then hook everything back up. So I=B9m ready to fly once again. MEANWHILE, I have an Oil Sump pan from Continental, part number 632876 with only a hundred hours on it, in perfect working condition, except for the stripped threads in the oil plug hole. The mechanic who helped me out yesterday told me that the right guy with th= e right aluminum welding skills could actually weld in a new aluminum disk that could be threaded and the pan would be good as new. Since I do not possess aluminum welding skills, my options are: * Offer the oil sump pan for sale to the highest bidder, or * Make a wall clock out of it. I haven=B9t gotten the bill for it yet, but the mechanic told me the new sump pan would cost about $2,300.00. That is for a new one with threads that ar= e not yet stripped. I don=B9t know what mine, with the stripped threads, would be worth. So if anyone has a need for an Oil Sump Pan with stripped threads, let me know. Or if you have any particularly clever and creative ideas on how to make a clock out of it, I would be interested in hearing from you as well. Cheers, John Hafen N413AJ =8B 110 hours PS =8B the kindly mechanic said, =B3John =8B just use a 1/4th inch drive on everything you do and you=B9ll be fine. =B3 Then he handed me the Continental specs that list torque settings for everything under the sun, just in case = I decide to go that route. jh --B_3321519694_925755 Content-type: text/html; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable I wish I had used a torque wrench   So there I am on my crawler, finishing up an oil change on N413AJ that has= a total of 110 hours on her.  I’m putting the plug in the oil pa= n and its nice and tight.  I think (here is where I started to get into= trouble) “I want this nice and tight so it doesn’t break the sa= fety wire and fall out in flight, jettisoning all the oil which freezes the = engine and I have to crash land somewhere....”

So one more little twist on the plug, and OOOOOOOps!  It went just a l= ittle bit too far.

I don’t need to tell you the level of disappointment that flooded ove= r me as I contemplated that I had just stripped the threads in the oil sump = pan.

So I atoned for my sin.

I bought a new sump, hired some help, disconnected lots of stuff, jacked th= e engine up just high enough to remove the old pan and slip it out the front= and scrape off the old gasket and install a new pan with gasket.  Then= lower the engine back into place, call Lancair to see how to torque the eng= ine mounting bolts (450 – 500 inch pounds), then hook everything back = up.

So I’m ready to fly once again.

MEANWHILE, I have an Oil Sump pan from Continental, part number 632876 with= only a hundred hours on it, in perfect working condition, except for the st= ripped threads in the oil plug hole.

The mechanic who helped me out yesterday told me that the right guy with th= e right aluminum welding skills could actually weld in a new aluminum disk t= hat could be threaded and the pan would be good as new.

Since I do not possess aluminum welding skills, my options are:

     * Offer the oil sump pan for sale to the high= est bidder, or
     * Make a wall clock out of it.

I haven’t gotten the bill for it yet, but the mechanic told me the ne= w sump pan would cost about $2,300.00.  That is for a new one with thre= ads that are not yet stripped.  I don’t know what mine, with the = stripped threads, would be worth.

So if anyone has a need for an Oil Sump Pan with stripped threads, let me k= now.  Or if you have any particularly clever and creative ideas on how = to make a clock out of it, I would be interested in hearing from you as well= .

Cheers,

John Hafen
N413AJ — 110 hours

PS — the kindly mechanic said, “John — just use a 1/4th i= nch drive on everything you do and you’ll be fine. “  Then = he handed me the Continental specs that list torque settings for everything = under the sun, just in case I decide to go that route.

jh --B_3321519694_925755--