LED Navs

While we're doing the wingtip strobe fences, I figured I might as well replace the bulbs on the nav lights, and while replacing the bulbs on the nav lights, I might as well upgrade them to LEDs.  These are an inexpensive upgrade from the old amp draining incandescent nav lights, and in my experience they are a LOT brighter.

I'm also replacing my covers with polycarbonate replacement clear lenses as well.  The system today uses a white bulb to pass light through red & green colored lenses, since the LED's put out colored light it makes sense to get clear lenses.  Supposedly these are an install and forget item that don't require routine replacement like the old bulbs, so well worth an upgrade.  I already have LED's on my beacon and belly strobe, you can see how bright they are in this video.  After this is done the thing will be lit up like a Christmas tree at night.

Props done

The props arrived!

Beauty, the project is finally starting to pickup some steam.

Exhausting

The new exhausts arrived! 

This is one of the items that seriously caused my CSOB card to be revoked (Cheap Son Of a Beech). I had a perfectly serviceable exhaust system, I just couldn't bear to put a used exhaust back onto my beautiful new engines. Oh well, maybe it's good to have a backup or maybe the old ones will fetch something on FleaBay...


These are beautifully crafted from Knisleywelding in Loomis California.  http://www.knisleywelding.com/ 

Firewalls lookin good

Finally a bit more progress. There is only one more modification needed to get these engines working, the throttle arm needs a small hole drilled so it can be connected from the correct angle it gets placed at due to the modified induction tubes. Thank god for Mike Jones aircraft, turns out there are a few small modifications that aren't very well documented in the STC install instructions. Also the firewalls are now stripped, buffed and painted.  


Here is a shot of the old firewall

After inspection, prep and paint.  Much better!

The engine mounts should be back from getting overhauled and powder coated next week, came out to $1960.00 for both mounts so that's much better than the worse case scenario. Hopefully this project will move along faster now that the engine mod issues are sorted.

Progess!

Finally some good news!

Adam

Good news, we got all the parts to mount the throttle bodies. I have been talking with Mike Jones Aircraft and they have been lot of help. Now we have moved on to the control arms on the throttle bodies. We have all the solutions for all the current problems we know about to date. The engine mounts will be here sometime next week. I'll start painting the firewalls and engine baffling tomorrow and Jpi will be installed after firewall is painted. Allan will be working on annual squawks tomorrow and the parts have been ordered. I'm waiting on Jared to give me a total for annual parts needed. I'll let you know if I need money for those. I'll have Jared get together pictures for your blog as well.

Woohoo! Made my day. I'm going to take the Gammis over there this week.

Stuck

My project has unfortunately ground to a bit of a halt. Colemill had used some different brackets and induction piping than what was shipped with my engine, and TCM and my shop have been going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth with shipping out various parts. TCM has been fantastically responsive and have been overnight shipping parts nearly every day, the problem is they keep sending parts we either already have or don't need.  Friday they overnighted yet more parts, and they don't fit.  Finally MaintenanceXpress tried out fitting the old parts, and those don't fit either.  I'm not sure what's going on, I think the only explanation is that TCM has made some slight design changes to the case since the STC was issued. Fingers crossed someone can figure this out...

Gammis

Today I got my Gammi injectors in the mail.  I sent them in for a clean & flow check, and paid $398 plus shipping to also include a new set of STC paperwork.  Since the old STC's are linked to the old engine serial numbers, I needed them to issue new STC's.  I'm actually amazed at what I got back... I sent in 12 old, scratched & smudged gunked up injectors.  The injectors I got back are perfect, not a scratch on them and now I wish I taken a photo of the old set because I find it hard to believe they are the same injectors.   I swear the guys in Ada must have just taken pity and sent me back a brand new set...