T

Taz

Member
Well, I was going to get this -7 flying this summer and fly it to where ever the Air Force sent me next. Turns out, we're going to Hawaii...and the project, sadly, will be stored in a friend's hangar until we return. :(

Unfortunately, I have no way to know exactly how long the RV will be in storage, but I expect 3 years.

I have several questions below, but any general advice on storage would be appreciated. My main concerns center on FWF and electrical (as both systems are complete)...

ENGINE & FWF:
New (non-certified) Lycoming from Vans: I plan to call Lycoming to see if they will take pity on my situation wrt when my warranty will activate. But aside from the warranty running out while it sits in the corner - what do I need to worry about? The engine still has preserving oil in it and has only been turned enough to align the spinner. All fuel/oil lines are run and connected, no fluids in the lines yet. It should be fine to sit in that state right?

ELECTRICAL:
For the most part - I'm not worried about the electrical, but what about the batteries?
New Odyssey Battery: should I keep/store, or sell and replace with new later?
New ELT: Has never been powered up, but the clock started on the battery anyway right? Should I just sell the new battery and replace later?

What else do I need to be worried about? What precautions/preemptive steps can I take to make sure the project is in good shape when I pick it up down the road?

Thanks for any/all tips.

Brian
N9823W
RV-7, 90/90
 
Sorry about your dilemma. I know Lycoming has a publication in regards to long term storage of the engine. The following publication speaks to the factory preservative found in newly delivered engines. http://www.lycoming.textron.com/support/publications/service-instructions/pdfs/SI1481B.pdf Installing desiccant devices in the spark plug holes is always a good idea, but they need to be checked periodically for moisture absorption and re-filled or the beads heated in the microwave to remove the moisture.
I would investigate what it would cost for climate controlled storage.
 
For the engine I would put in the desiccant plugs and fill bags with desiccant to stick in all the open ports. Then seal the bags in the ports with aluminum tape. If you seal things well enough, there won't be any way for moisure to get in and the desiccant will absorb what little is there. Maybe have your buddy change the bags every few months. The desiccant from a hobby store is pretty cheap, use lots.

You could even put the engine in a large heavy platstic bag with one large bag of desiccant. Send your buddy a new desiccant bag every few months.

For the batteries, you are probably better off just selling them.
 
Thanks

Thanks for the replies. I'll do a little more research on the Lycoming, I need to talk to them anyway - obviously that's the investment and peice of equipment I want to protect. And I think I agree that I may as well plan to replace the batteries.
 
Just a Tought.....

.......outside the box. Ever consider taking it with? Surely it couldn't be that expensive to ship. How about good ole Uncle Sam? Will he pay for it to be shipped (perhaps as household goods)? I doubt that, but you never know. Having your project in the islands might be a good distraction from the surf, sun and bikini clad women.......just sayin.

Here's another thought.... Serving our country? Why do't we pool our resources (money) and help out with the shipping cost. Personally, having been in the military, I would be willing to pitch in for the good cause!

Dougie? :rolleyes:
 
It sounds like the engine is mounted on the airframe?? This would most likely mean the plane is on the gear.

If so, couple things to consider-----tires will probably be junk when you return, if they are supporting the weight of the plane/engine. Any way to get the plane on jacks or equivalent?

If on the gear, take steps to keep mice and other creatures from taking up residence in the fuse.

Wings and stab would probably be better off hung up so as to mitigate the mouse issue------but then there are flying critters you must protect against.

As to the engine, lots of old timers just filled the engine with oil. Filled till you could not get another drop in it, pull top plugs and fill the cylinders also.

Good luck.
 
WingsOnWheels said:
...

You could even put the engine in a large heavy plastic bag with one large bag of desiccant. Send your buddy a new desiccant bag every few months.

....
Click to expand...

Seal the big plastic bag well, and have some loose auto oil in the bottom of the bag. An oil fog inside the bag will help against corrosion.
 
A viewpoint here from a guy who purchased a kit from long storage (5 years).

Engine is O-360. The engine is FILLED with inhibiting oil, right to the top of the dipstick tube (probably 4-5 gallons of oil). Intake tubes from sump to cylinders have been removed and both the gaping holes plugged with caplugs. Exhaust ports are covered with blanking plates. Cylinders are FILLED with inhibiting oil.

The engine appears to be doing fine but it does leak a bit of oil from the exhaust port covers etc - a big drip pan with lots of absorber is recommended, and have somebody check the engine regularly (at least spring and fall) on your behalf to top up the oil levels.

Tires on the airplane are fine and still leak only very little (Air Hawks, so cheapo's to start with). It helps them to be rotated regularly (I mean jack the airplane up and turn the wheels so the flat spot gets changed). Obviously it would be advantageous to have the airplane on blocks so the tires don't get flat spots.

If you have a constant speed prop, the recommendation I received from both Hartzell and one of their highly-respected overhaul shops is to remove it and bring it into an indoor, temperature/humidity controlled environment. Most importantly, don't move the prop blades if you leave it attached to the engine.

Now for the biggie... Store your project someplace that all the goofs, klutzes and curiosity seekers can't get to it. "Storage rash" is something to be avoided. I can hardly believe our good luck as our project aircraft went through five years of storage without incurring any major scratches, dings or losses. Oh, except for the windshield and the complete set of brand new spark plugs that grew legs and walked away.
 
Again thanks

All,

Thanks for the additional comments. I have thought about shipping it, but there are too many cons even outside of the shipping cost. By the way, Uncle Sam won't help with airplanes. In an earlier move, I was comfortable calling it "aluminum" and letting them ship it (actually I trucked it and they reimbursed me)...integrity prevents claiming that at this point. I don't think shipping is worth a whole slew of follow on issues; shipping damage, will need to ship it back as well, will limit our housing options (not all HI homes have garages), might only be there 1 yr (you never know for sure on active duty), etc. I even looked into making it a 'float' RV and flying it back and forth - I've pretty much decided to leave it in the CONUS.

Tires - I thought about putting it on jacks or just having my buddy roll it every now and then...worst case I replace the tires when I get back, they are just the cheapy ones that ship with the finish kit.

Engine (O-360) - sounds like there are two accepted options; 1) fill everything to brim with oil so no moisture can get in, or 2) use desiccant. Which will be less work for the guy letting me keep it in his hangar?

Prop - Catto three blade, no worries there.

Since HWood brought up out fo the box thinking...what about finishing it? I dismissed this idea a while back, but what about leaving a flying airplane with someone to take care of and put a few hours on every month? I don't think I'll go this direction - just looking for thoughts.

Thanks again,
Brian
 
Engine (O-360) - sounds like there are two accepted options; 1) fill everything to brim with oil so no moisture can get in, or 2) use desiccant. Which will be less work for the guy letting me keep it in his hangar?

Fill it to the brim and use the heavy plastic wrapper as well.

Bundle it up so any leaking oil will stay inside the plastic.

If it's totally filled with oil, I think cheap auto oil will be fine...:)
 
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