First Annual Complete...

[OneTwoSierra]

Finihsed my first annual on 9612S on July 4th. Something about the freedom of flight and that date that just go together so well.

Great news is no major problems after 114.1 hours. It took me 4 days to get through this first condition inspection.

Here's a list of items that needed attention:

Brake Pads - My right brake pads needed replacing so I replaced all of them. The rigid fuel lines per the plans looks like they're keeping the calipers from closing evenly, so the pads wore top to bottom unevenly. I may go with flex lines for the last 8 inches or so...someday.

Trim Cable chaffed bottom skin (Manual trim) - a glob of RTV should keep this from happening anymore.

Cleaned rear fuse. There was oil inside the plane that entered at the bottom of the tail and ran forward. Not a ton, mind you, but enough to dirty up one rag really good. It entered from very bottom of rear fuse and through the hole where the tie down ring goes. I sealed all of this up with RTV so that I can still get the tie down ring in, but no oil can enter. This is what I get for running 8 qts in the sump before learning to leave it at six. Good news is that the oil caught all of those little aluminum slivers that I thought I had vacuumed out.

I performed other regular maintenance items at this time also, like:

Cleaned/re-oiled the K&N air filter
Gapped the spark plugs
Timed the mags
Bled the breaks replacing most of the fluid
Cleaning/greasing the wheel bearings
Chaned oil and cleaned screens
Lubed all the control bearings
Compression tested engine
Cleaned gascolator (had a glob of collected lint in the screen)
Vaccumed out that filthy cockpit!

All ready for OSH.

Total cost of annual - $54 (brake shoes and rivets) + LPS 2, LPS 3, Corrosion X, and RTV. There's nothing like doing it yourself.

 

[Build9A]

Sounds good

OneTwoSierra: Isn't homebuilding great. I remember my last Cessna 150 annual;....about $750. And I didn't even understand much of what was under the cowl. I just trusted my shop to sign that it was airworthy. Not all bad, but I now have a much better understanding of the powerplant and airframe, and feel comfortable fixing 95% of the squawks I might find. Not to mention the <$100 cost. Assuming no major replacement parts. Great to hear your annual went so well. Fly safe. Jack

 

[aadamson]

Finihsed my first annual on 9612S on July 4th. Something about the freedom of flight and that date that just go together so well.

...

Cleaned gascolator (had a glob of collected lint in the screen)

....

If you get fuel at a common location, have them check their filters on the truck/tank. Its a well known issue that most fuel depots don't change/clean their filters and after time, they start to disintegrate and end up in the fuel and ultimately your gascolator (another reason for one IMHO).

 

[Kyle Boatright]

I had a gob of lint in my gascolator the first time I checked the screen too. It was red lint from the shop rags I used cleaning the interior of the fuel tanks.

After that first furball (actually, just a thin layer), I have not seen the first piece of junk in my gascolator screen.