Blew a belt tonight

OtisAir

OtisAir

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
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Lansdale
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OtisAir
Went night flying tonight and when putting the Viking Witch away (specifically putting the cowl plugs in place) noticed that the belt had ripped apart.

Already requested via email that the maintenance folks replace the belt in the morning. Hope it's not expensive! It's a generator, not an alternator.

The flight was glass smooth KLOM .. KPTW .. 7N8 .. DYL .. KNXX .. KLOM (VFR flight but this routing was close to the route flown).
 
noticed that the belt had ripped apart.
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but still working and attached? ie no low v warning, no e-failure?

Hope it's not expensive
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if its a simple belt failure; cheap.
if there is an underlying problem chewing the belt up.......
 
It can't be much worse than my post annual proving flight- blew the left pressure pump, thye're about 800 OH (411CC, a big Mother).....
 
I did a FOD check on the taxiway near my parking area but didn't find any pieces. I'm not even sure it happened in flight to be honest, as I could see the belt sticking out of the front of the cowl opening an inch of so. If I didn't put cowl plugs in I probably wouldn't have noticed it until next preflight. No drop in house lighting, no degradation of radio performance, and fuel pressure was good.
 
When I lost the alternator on my Aztec, 4 hours later the belt was still attached as I landed in Williamsport. The housing had exploded and the belt was all kinds of twisted and mangled, but it was still attached and spinning the broken alternator. Belts are pretty tough items.

Glad that you didn't end up having a lack of power when coming in to land, that would've been no fun at night!
 
Age, probably. If it isn't old, the voltage regulator can do it. Too much voltage can overwork the generator and heat the belt, but you'd also see the electrolyte in the battery disappearing, too. Or the belt was loose and slipping; that'll burn it out, too.

Replacing the belt on a Lyc means taking the prop off. Lotsa work.

Dan
 
One of my pals lost his at night had to ask his passenger to fly the plane while he got his flashlight and transceiver out of his flight bag in the back. I yelled at him pretty good too, since he could have done a 180 and come back NORDO, our field was uncontrolled at the time. He just wanted to be back home with his stricken aircraft. Gethereitis if I ever saw it.
 
Belt Replaced. 2.5 hours. Didn't get a bill yet but the Viking Witch is headed back out to her parking spot. YAY
 
lol! Turd! haha, it took me a minute or two to figure out what you meant.
 
OtisAir said:
Belt Replaced. 2.5 hours. Didn't get a bill yet but the Viking Witch is headed back out to her parking spot. YAY
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OK, the plane in your posts looks like an Archer or Warrior. Why do you call it "Viking Witch"? Did you have a Bellanca wooden wing installed? :)
 
The Viking Witch is a 1965 Piper Cherokee 180. She has a purple and gold stripe on her and it kinda sorta looks viking-ish-kinda-sorta-from-a-distance-maybe. I forget if there is/was a real reason why I named her that. She's been a good aircraft though, even though recently I couldn't get her started on a cold morning when leaving for WV62. It was the battery though and quickly sorted. Also, she has a wooden (covered) console with no fancy installed gadgets keeping her in the old-school category. The wire hanging off the dash is from an ATD (airborne traffic detection (or something like that)) unit and I did recently purchase a FL190 EFB.

DSCN2422.JPG
 
Thanks Shane. I had a Cherokee 140 before the Tiger. I always liked them, but the 180 really makes that airframe work the best IMHO.

I don't have a name for my plane. :D

Other than money pit, black hole, etc.
 
My wife(warden) calls my Cherokee the "Squaw".
The "Squaw" is the other woman in my life that I am accused of having an affair with. I'm always down to the hanger spending time with her.
She's not real pretty, but the "Squaw" does everything I ask of her.
She's not the only other woman in my life, the warden calls my gps (Garmin Nuvi) my little "***** in a box" that little gal is always telling me where to go when to turn etc.:D
 
I get my belts from NAPA Auto Parts stores... The one which is designated for my 310 has a TSO'd version available for about $9 each, instead of the $39 each from Cessna.

It might be worth checking on for your plane....
 
I went flying in it yesterday and she performed flawlessly. On Wednesday morning I had called to make sure they'd received my email request to have it fixed and the fella who answered the call stated that PepBoys had just delivered the belt so I guess they got the less expensive version too. Not sure if I'll see those savings or not, but Wings has always been very straight with me so I'm good with it. Down in DC today but arrived via car... I had wanted to fly into Freeway but will give the belt a few more hours to break in before I take her too far - not sure if I really need to do that or not, but decided too.
 
Prop has to come off my Lyc.

I prophylactically replace the belt every 2-3 years (depending on hours flown) at annual "just because". This year was the year....
 
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