Cargo Pod Install Cost?
 

What should it cost to get a cargo pod installed?

Have a pod, have a plane, need them combined.

I have a quote from an A&P that wants to charge abt $1k to paint it, $3k to install it, and left a extra blank line for cost to move any antenna.

That A & P is looking to pay for his Christmas presents. It's a very simple installation. There's no way it should cost $3,000.

$1,000 to paint it is ridiculous as well. Unless you plan to have him paint a portrait of yourself on it or something.

Time to shop around!

Cargo Pod Install Cost?
 

DarylG. Where are you based? I could possibly do the job for MUCH less.
Let me know.
Regards,
Bill Story
'65 C337, owner, pilot, and A&P.

Mark - I think you are a great guy, but you're a little outside your knowledge here by saying it is a "very simple installation". Are you a A&P? Have you installed a pod before? Before you cast aspersions you should really look at what it takes to install one of these properly on an aircraft that has not had one installed before.

Jeff

Thanks, I appreciate the compliment.

I'm not a mechanic, but I've owned dozens of AC and had many IA's & A&Ps working for me. I was the owner of the FBO and flight school. I know a thing or two about how much things should cost.

Furthermore, Bill Story IS an A&P, and he offered to do the the job for "MUCH less". Does that not validate my earlier statement?

Jeff (JAG), are you an A&P or IA? Did I offend you by suggesting that a mechanic may charge too much? No offense was intended, but in my experience in hiring and firing them, there are some you want to RUN away from. YMMV.

The Cessna shop manual dedicates less than one page to the cargo pod installation instructions. The biggest job is drilling the holes and installing the rivnuts that secure the pod to the fuselage. For those unfamiliar, this is how a rivnut works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkPhGIaPCVs

Antennas may have to be relocated, and on P-models at least, longer front cowl flap rods must be installed. None of this seems overly complicated for a competent A&P.

Perhaps Daryl should get a quote from a paint shop, as this type of work is firmly in their wheelhouse. Or just fly it to Bill :)

The best time to install the pack would be during an annual inspection when the cabin flooring is already open. Rivnuts are easy to install, but you want to know with certainty that nothing is in the way. RT Aerospace told me about 16 hours to physically complete the pack attachment at annual. That did not include making the floor naked and back.

Front engine exhaust pipes need curved elbow extensions and clamps. That's about $300—also, you need the longer cowl flap control rods.

Use a new rubber seal. Cessna dealers will charge you $15/foot. Brown's BA-37900 Sponge Rubber Bulb Seal (50') was $207. I want to say that you need about 24', but both sources required the 50' minimum. So, you have a spare when needed. Replace the door seal as well. I don't have the part number as the shop had that on hand.

If your pack has the cutout for the step, that needs to be sealed if not required. I think the best place to refinish a pack is a boat shop. I live near the coast, and there are several on the airport property, but I didn't think about that source.

Another thing to consider is an air/oil separator on the front engine. You may think the breather isn't putting much out until you put a white pack on your belly. I put the AirWolf separator on my airplane. They don't keep the 337 kits ready anymore; it took about two weeks for them to build it. Without going back to look, I think it was about $600. It has kept the pack super clean. I didn't want the separator as they are known to create moisture issues within the engine, but it lived up to AirWolf's and Aviation Consumers' claim (see attached Blackstone report).

My A&P did a great job sealing it up. I had read a lot of comments about water and oil getting in. So far, despite flying in Gulf Coast rain, everything has remained dry.