Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 10:22:21 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <j_rodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <j_rodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Fast German ruined my dash, now what?
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This whole business of crappy workmanship reminded me of an incident in
Alaska one time back in my Aviating Says.
I owned a Cessna 195. Built in 1954, it was a big 5-seat machine, with
a single 300 HP 7-cylinder radial engine (cylinders laid out in a circle
as opposed to our flat opposed cylinder WBX engine). Nice ship, cruised
at 165 at 5000 ft.
Anyway, the engine had a leaking seal in the nose case - a special
casting that mounted on the front of the engine that housed a circular
cam ring that drove the valve train. I took the airplane to the most
reputable radial engine shop in the area, and asked if they could
replace the front case with an overhauled unit. "Oh, yez, sure, it's a
snap.......why does this engine have only 7 cylinders instead of 9.
(DOH!! that should have been the tip-off). I was so convinced by their
reputation that I couldn't see the forest for the trees.
But I did ask, "Do you know how to do a hot valve timing check when this
thing goes back together? Well for those that don't know, a hot valve
timing check is a setting of the lifter clearances to a cold spec. as
determined by the engineers, and a timing of the engine using the cold
clearances on the valves. If the timing is correct using the cold
clearances, then when the lifters are adjusted for normal use, and the
engine components are expanded to proper clearance when the engine is
hot, then the timing will be correct.
" Oh, sure, do it all the time"
Well, got a call one day and the work was complete. Engine was tested,
signed off as airworthy by the shops AI (special authorization to
approve return to service after major repair), and I paid my bill - over
$1000 plus the overhauled front case. Got in the aircraft, started the
engine - it sounded good - and taxied out to do my preflight run-up
just before departure.
"HMM, I'm short 200 rpm, must need some minor adjustment. I'll just test
hop around the field and come back in and get the rpm checked!!"
Big mistake.
Opened the throttle, the airplane accelerated down the runway -- but
something was not quite right - seemed a little slow. Achieved liftoff
speed and began to climbed .... but way to slow. I did not dare reduce
the throttle -- I was not getting the power I needed. I staggered around
the field and landed. By know I had sorted out the problem in my mind -
the cam timing was off!!!! Valves were opening late and closing early,
and consequently insufficient power was being developed.
When I got back to that shop I was livid. Part with myself for flying an
unsafe airplane, but mostly because I knew the job had not been done
right and had been signed off as airworthy. I was thoroughly PO'ed.
Well the long and the short of it was that denials ensued, tempers
flared, and I moved the airplane to a permanent parking area for the
time being. I contacted the FAA, complained to them, and on their
instruction got another AI to come over, and under a tent over the front
of the airplane, do a hot valve timing check. Sure enough, the cam ring
was out of time. I could have lost my life over that.
The long and the short of it was I ultimately paid for labor of the job
twice.... first to the shop, then to the second AI. But I knew the
second AI personally and was always totally satisfied with all the work
he ever did for me, so I was happy to pay the man. In the case of the
shop, I ultimately wrote it off as a hard lesson paid for and I didn't
get anymore hassle with the episode. As for the shop, the FAA suspended
all their certificates of authorization for 90 days. This included those
of their AI's and the shops certificate as an FAA Approved Certified
Repair Station. That nailed them in the wallet big time.
With the exception of my friend the AI who checked the hot valve timing,
nearly every repair I ever had done had some problem with it. I found
that I always did better work than what I got in the shops, so have
been doing all my own work for the most part. If it was not something I
could do in the field, either airplane or car, I made sure that I knew
more about the problems and what was required for the repair than the
mechanic knew, and I look over their shoulders to this day. If a shop
says I cannot go in the shop area for insurance reasons, I go elsewhere
for my repair work.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
John Runberg wrote:
>What to do? Depends on what you want.
>
>First off, I'd wait on contesting the charge until that's the last option
>available. If all the other work is OK (and I'd be suspicious if I were you)
>and they fix the cluster to your satisfaction then they deserve to get paid
>for work done.
>
>That said, I would not be satisfied with a used unit if the damaged one was
>new. And I'd agree with you that if the mechanic damaged the unit once then
>he could easily do other damage. The solution then would be for them to
>credit you for the cost of the parts, plus labor to install it (good luck).
>
>A good manager should want to keep your business and will try to work
>something out to everyone's satisfaction. A poor manager might result in the
>charge being contested and no-one on this list using that shop in the
>future.
>
>Let us know what happens,
>
>john
>
>
>
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