First annual done...

[fiveoboy01]

Considering I just had to buy an overhaul, I was pretty nervous about this. I figured something major would be found for sure! Thankfully, I was wrong.

-Reroute and secure some wiring in the engine compartment with cushion clamps
-Inlet air SCAT tube torn - replace
-Tanis probes missing potting where wires exit probe - repair
- All 4 aileron pushrod ends had some play(left side was bad) - replace
-Top cowl crack in bracing - repair with fiberglass
-Bottom cowl chunk missing where pin receptacle is bolted on(thanks avionics shop for dropping it) - repaired
-Central Vacuum filter crushed too much, wrong spacer - install new filter and correct spacer
-Suction filter - replace
-Flap rod ends loose - tighten
-Gas cap seals deteriorated and cracked - replace
-Rivnut for wing attach bolts cover spins - replaced
-Strobe light lenses loose - repaired
-Fuel quantity placard by caps missing - installed
-Prop dings - dressed
-Brakes a little soft - bled

And all the other annual things, repacking bearings, etc...

Did not change the oil as I only had 7 hours on the engine and plan to change it at 10 per the builder's instructions.

Deferred items that I'll deal with soon:

Both door seals in fairly rough shape.
Both seat rollers are worn and need to be replaced.
Bare spots on bottom of fuselage need to be touched up.
Wheel pants are a little beat up, some of the fasteners are loose or missing and fiberglass hogged out.
One wing attach bolt cover is cracked.

$1570 total. I can't complain at all. I was expecting double that if not more...

This was owner-assist. 2 days, and about 2 hours on the 3rd day to button up. I found it a lot of fun, and learned quite a bit. My mechanic is really friendly and always stopped to thoroughly explain things if I had a question.

I definitely have a new appreciation for the amount of work involved. I was tired of twisting a screwdriver by the end



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[EdFred]

How was most of his missed on a pre-buy?

 

[fiveoboy01]

That is a whole different story, needless to say the mechanic that did the prebuy did not do the annual.

 

[EdFred]

Enough said!

 

[frfly172]

It's always nice to find an honest mechanic,who walks you through an owner assisted annual. You also have to remember most mechanics have a list of what they believe important ,not surprised that the pre buy didn't mention all the squeaks.

 

[Tom-D]

How was most of his missed on a pre-buy?

Because a pre-buy is not an airworthiness inspection.

besides, what on that list was an airworthiness item. they look like normal maintenance items to me.

 

[GRG55]

Because a pre-buy is not an airworthiness inspection.

besides, what on that list was an airworthiness item. they look like normal maintenance items to me.

Agree with you 100% that a pre-purchase inspection and an annual inspection are quite different animals. I expect a pre-purchase to identify reasons I shouldn't buy the airplane. None of the stuff identified in the annual above would seem to fall into that category imo (but that's just my opinion - other's purchasing an airplane might think differently). I don't need to pay a mechanic on a pre-purchase to tell me that the door seals are worn or the wheel pants beat up. It's more important to know that all the ADs have been complied with and the condition of the engine is sound.

However, a couple of the things on that annual list should have been identified in the pre-purchase, particularly the aileron pushrod ends, missing fuel quantity placard (I believe that's an airworthiness item) and maybe the worn seat rollers. Those sort of things can be corrected by the seller or negotiated price adjustment. As you said, the rest of the stuff seems typical maintenance items for an older airplane (I wish my list was that short!).

 

[coloradobluesky]

Have your annual done by the same mechanic that does the prebuy. Might help some. Every mechanic is different. You can always find something wrong to fix if you want to.

 

[Tom-D]

However, a couple of the things on that annual list should have been identified in the pre-purchase, particularly the aileron pushrod ends,

Where does it state how much free play is not airworthy? I'd believe this the A&P-IA's opinion.
missing fuel quantity placard
That one I'll give you, I missed it first read.

(I believe that's an airworthiness item) and maybe the worn seat rollers.
If your aircraft is a Cessna 100 series, the seat track and seat rollers are an AD. The tolerances are pretty well spelled out. But if your aircraft is a Piper, worn seat rollers are the IA's opinion. Prudent, but a judgment call.
Those sort of things can be corrected by the seller or negotiated price adjustment. As you said, the rest of the stuff seems typical maintenance items for an older airplane (I wish my list was that short!).

I usually will inspect the aircraft and give the owner a list of discrepancies, then we discuss what must be corrected and what should be corrected. That is when we decide if it gets an UN-airworthy sign off or the stuff gets fixed prior to me signing it off as airworthy.

 

[GRG55]

Where does it state how much free play is not airworthy? I'd believe this the A&P-IA's opinion.
missing fuel quantity placard
That one I'll give you, I missed it first read.

(I believe that's an airworthiness item) and maybe the worn seat rollers.
If your aircraft is a Cessna 100 series, the seat track and seat rollers are an AD. The tolerances are pretty well spelled out. But if your aircraft is a Piper, worn seat rollers are the IA's opinion. Prudent, but a judgment call.

Those sort of things can be corrected by the seller or negotiated price adjustment. As you said, the rest of the stuff seems typical maintenance items for an older airplane (I wish my list was that short!).



I usually will inspect the aircraft and give the owner a list of discrepancies, then we discuss what must be corrected and what should be corrected. That is when we decide if it gets an UN-airworthy sign off or the stuff gets fixed prior to me signing it off as airworthy.

My "airworthiness item" qualifier was very clearly specific to the fuel placarding only. Nowhere in my post does it state
the free-play in the aileron pushrod ends was "not airworthy", and
I said "maybe" with respect to the worn seat rollers because of the same reasoning as you stated - it's a judgement call.

To clarify, the owner stated one of the aileron rod ends was "quite worn" and I would expect that to be noted (not necessarily as un-airworthy, but noted) in a pre-purchase inspection as something to be aware of as a potential buyer.

It seems to me you and I are saying much the same thing and I don't think there's any real disagreement here.

 

[Tom-D]

My "airworthiness item" qualifier was very clearly specific to the fuel placarding only

I understood that, and opened a question about the rod end. there is no criteria, of how much they can be worn before they are considered unairworthy.

 

[EdFred]

Because a pre-buy is not an airworthiness inspection.

besides, what on that list was an airworthiness item. they look like normal maintenance items to me.

Where did I say anything about airworthiness? Reading. Try it sometime.

 

[Tom-D]

Where did I say anything about airworthiness? Reading. Try it sometime.

Wasn't the first post about an annual? Annuals are about airworthiness or had you forgot?

 

[denverpilot]

Wasn't the first post about an annual? Annuals are about airworthiness or had you forgot?

The owner bought it with a (maybe poor quality) pre-buy (as he admitted) and then later did an annual. They weren't the same time event in this thread Tom.

Ed was asking him how all that stuff was missed in his relatively recent pre-buy -- but long before this annual that he just did.

One could argue that the previous annual before the sale was also lax, if it missed airworthiness items, but it wasn't what Ed was asking.

 

[Tom-D]

The owner bought it with a (maybe poor quality) pre-buy (as he admitted) and then later did an annual. They weren't the same time event in this thread Tom.

Ed was asking him how all that stuff was missed in his relatively recent pre-buy -- but long before this annual that he just did.

One could argue that the previous annual before the sale was also lax, if it missed airworthiness items, but it wasn't what Ed was asking.

To some any annual that did not leave the aircraft in a like new condition was faulty. I have yet to find any two IAs that have the same opinion of what "worn" condition was air-worthy.