New Skymaster Owner

TomM · #1 03-12-20, 03:10 PM

Thanks for the welcome! Here is a pic......its needs a splash of trim color to offset all that orange! Now you guys dont start calling it the pumpkin.....

JAG · #2 03-12-20, 03:38 PM

Tom - So awesome, thanks for sharing the picture.

I think you are on the right track with the oil pressure relief - that thing looks badly scored and likely not letting the spring do its work. I once had an oil pressure relief valve stick open (on a single engine aircraft). Just after takeoff, turning out of the circuit at about 900 ft AGL - I look down and I have about 5 psi of oil pressure. NOTE:Was doing a break-in flight on the engine from overhaul, and this was about hour 4 of flying (multiple take-off and landings).

Anyway, I reduced throttle and pressure went to zero, temps normal, no oil on windscreen...WTF. What seemed like a minute was likely only a few seconds, I started my turn back to the airport, made a radio call and decided to shut the engine down rather than run it without pressure. After gliding in for a safe landing and letting the adrenaline wear off, I started troubleshooting all the usual suspects. Last thing I removed was the pressure relief valve, and that little poppet did not slide out easy (which it should). Small amount of scoring was all it took for that thing to hang up. Replaced it and the housing - never had a problem since.

Point of my story is - chase all the easy things first. Most of my oil pressure or oil temperature related issues have been oil coolers and pressure regulating valves...and surprisingly, after they have been overhauled!!!! I only install new oil coolers now.
Jeff

patrolpilot · #3 03-12-20, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomM

Thanks for the welcome! Here is a pic......its needs a splash of trim color to offset all that orange! Now you guys dont start calling it the pumpkin.....

Dude, I love it!

YankeeClipper · #4 03-30-20, 07:34 PM

I believe that would be the "Jet Glow" pumpkin, if memory serves.

TomM · #5 03-31-20, 05:16 PM

Pumpkin.......ouch!

Quick update for you guys. As noted below, my new plane ended up in Oklahoma as that is where I happened to find a MEI that had good experience in a Skymaster and the plane was originally in Texas. So a few weeks ago I went down there and touched and drooled all over the thing in the hanger while it down poured the entire weekend - no flying. Drove home and on the following Monday - company wide travel restrictions - UGH!

So here I sit, 650 miles away from the plane all bummed out for god knows how long.

But in my small northern Iowa community the stars may have aligned.....I was watching a Youtube video on multi engine training and I saw a video that featured a local guy that is a major player in the Commemorative Air Force. I figured that a guy that has flown a zillion different war birds might have skymaster time. So I reached out to him and guess what, he does! And to go one step further, he is a DPE and said he can do the center thrust rating - but he cant train AND be the DPE so still a slight dilemma.

Enter my neighbor from when I first moved to Mason City 20 years ago. I connected with him on an unrelated topic and low and behold he is a MEI and he has skymaster time as well! So the clouds parted, the sun shined down on me and all is better than it was when I woke up this morning.

So now I have a MEI and DPE right in my back yard. They both said they would go down and pick up the plane and bring it home for me. All that needs to be done now is coordinate schedules and weather.

Hopefully the next update will be a picture of the skymaster squeezed into my hanger - 6" clearance each side of the wing - safe and sound.

YankeeClipper · #6 04-01-20, 01:34 AM

It's a great color if you ask me. Had my eye on that one for a while.

Sure would love to get back in mine, but going on the fifth month now just to get a fuel pump, nose strut, and master cylinder overhauled.

And that just gets it ferry-able ... if I'm lucky.

TomM · #7 04-19-20, 11:54 PM

A quick update for all of you. Last Thursday I flew from Oklahoma to Ohio for my check ride. All went good with Brad Newman at Tiffin Aire. Supper great guy. Flew back to Oklahoma that same day to drop off my instructor. After a good night sleep (finally) I left Friday and flew my bird home to Iowa solo...filed IFR, climbed through the clouds to severe clear and all went great. It was an awesome feeling to get through the training and the check ride. I have a list of things to start working on to make this plane my plane, and I am very much looking forward to it. She leaks oil because I think it has been sitting. After the first 2 days of training the oil leaking slowed, but the push rod tube ends at the engine case are dripping wet. Easy enough to start chipping away and working my way down. No leaking at the crank seal.

I cant get over how slippery these things are! At less than gross it beats all the cruise speeds noted in the book. Very happy with everything!!

I am going to post my instructor in the instructor part of the forms. Brad Newman the DPE has been mentioned a number of times here, but my instructor has not.

Feels great to have a AMEL with a center thrust limitation!!!

frank.oconnor19 · #8 04-20-20, 08:19 AM

Congrats.

We had to do the push rod seals as well. is tedious but worth it. The amount of work to get the oil leaks under control is worth it. I wish you luck. I love owning my plane.

Frank
N326 - 1976 P337

cjordan · #9 04-24-20, 07:41 PM

Has anyone tried one of the vacuum systems where a plastic line goes down the dipstick tube? I use this on vehicles all the time. No mess at all. At least in vehicles, it seems to get all of it out, can hear sucking air if you pull off the bottom of the pan when it's empty. The one I have used is called a topsider.

I may see what happens trying this next time around.