kap 140 autopilot

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ily198663

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does anybody know some websites which offer kap 140 autopilot（secondhand）
thx：）
 
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Call some avionics shops. They might have some that they've pulled out for a new installation.
 
Do you already have a KAP140 and you are just looking for a recplacement computer or are you planning to have a KAP140 installed from scratch ?
 
weilke said:
Do you already have a KAP140 and you are just looking for a recplacement computer or are you planning to have a KAP140 installed from scratch ?
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My bugget just allow me to get the secondhand :)
would u mind telling me some good shops or websites? thank you
 
ily198663 said:
My bugget just allow me to get the secondhand :)
would u mind telling me some good shops or websites? thank you
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I don't believe KAP140s where ever meant to be retrofitted and I am not sure that there is something like a 'freestanding KAP140'. You may be able to get the computer and the servos from a salvage aircraft but I suspect it would be a major paperwork nightmare and expense to get it installed in your plane.

You may be better off trading aircraft.
 
ily198663 said:
i'm sorry i failed to find what i need from both of them
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So, once you find the unit, who are you going to have install it?

Everyone wants to save a buck and buy this stuff themselves. But will your avionics shop install something you hand them? What if it's dead or broken? You'll pay to have it removed, repaired and installed again, since you can't expect the shop to warranty something you handed them to install. Might want to figure this out before you whip out your Visa card...


Trapper John
 
weilke said:
I don't believe KAP140s where ever meant to be retrofitted and I am not sure that there is something like a 'freestanding KAP140'. You may be able to get the computer and the servos from a salvage aircraft but I suspect it would be a major paperwork nightmare and expense to get it installed in your plane.

You may be better off trading aircraft.
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Good point.
 
I have had a problem with my 140 auto losing it's heading. This just happens some of the time. I had a avionics shop check it out and said autopilot works fine. Help!! Mlpetree
 
TMetzinger said:
Suggest you find a better avionics shop.
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Seems to be a lot of that out there. Ted seems to have found a good shop in the northeast. I've had trouble here in Colorado but seem to have settled on Autopilots Central in Tulsa. They've overhauled most of the autopilot components on the Frankenkota. Maybe some other folks can let us know where they've found good autopilot work?
 
Mlpetree said:
I have had a problem with my 140 auto losing it's heading. This just happens some of the time. I had a avionics shop check it out and said autopilot works fine. Help!! Mlpetree
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What is your heading source ? An HSI or a DG ? They may be techincally correct in that the AP computer checks out on the bench, if the inputs are bogus or intermittent that may not help you much.
 
Thanks for responding! I had the HSI replaced. But the problem existed before I did that. I have made 2 trips in the last week both about 300 miles and it did fine. It's intermittent but they sat they can't fix unless it fails for them. Help! I like the plane. It's a 1999 c182s
 
On anything King, a can of contact cleaner, an eraser, a brush and a steady hand can fix many intermittent problems.
 
weilke said:
On anything King, a can of contact cleaner, an eraser, a brush and a steady hand can fix many intermittent problems.
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Another thing to check is the airplane's rigging. I spoke with the S-TEC folks at Oshkosh a couple of years ago about a similar oscillation (except in the pitch axis) and they handed me a card with a bunch of autopilot troubleshooting steps that they hand out, because they get a TON of autopilot computers back to their shop for "repair" that test out just fine. When they get the whole aircraft and can check everything, they find that the #1 problem is aircraft rigging, and that you don't start getting to problems with the autopilot computer until #6 or so...

So your avionics shop could be just fine. Get your maintenance shop to re-rig the plane and see what happens.

Of course, you haven't given much detail as to what exactly is wrong with the autopilot either, so it's hard to give a good answer as to what might be wrong with it. If this is all you told your avionics shop, no wonder they couldn't find a problem...
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Another thing to check is the airplane's rigging. I spoke with the S-TEC folks at Oshkosh a couple of years ago about a similar oscillation (except in the pitch axis) and they handed me a card with a bunch of autopilot troubleshooting steps that they hand out, because they get a TON of autopilot computers back to their shop for "repair" that test out just fine. When they get the whole aircraft and can check everything, they find that the #1 problem is aircraft rigging, and that you don't start getting to problems with the autopilot computer until #6 or so...
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Rigging would make sense for something like a permanent dutch-roll or tail-wag or pitch oscillation where the out of rig condition requires the AP to constantly correct with steering input for the out of rig condition keeping the aircraft outside of its inherently stable condition.

For the error as described of 'loosing heading' intermittently, if the AP computer checks out, I would look at the other elements of the heading control system: The HSI and the wiring between HSI and AP computer.

(I have flown a Cessna 172 that was considerably out of rig after some encounter with a hard object. The manufacturer approved 'fix' was to install roll-trim, trim it until it flew straight and then to collar the CB :eek: )
 
weilke said:
For the error as described of 'loosing heading' intermittently, if the AP computer checks out, I would look at the other elements of the heading control system: The HSI and the wiring between HSI and AP computer.
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Yeah, I wasn't quite sure what "loosing heading" meant. ;) But the main point is that it's quite possible, probable even, that the problem is NOT in the autopilot computer itself and thus the avionics shop did nothing wrong - There's a bunch of better places to look for problems.
 
Disagree, Kent.

I'm with you that the problem could well be in the device sending the heading signal to the AP computer. But the avionics shop should be checking the system, not the AP alone.

I went into the garage yesterday as my car was shaking while it was running though it didn't seem to be running rough or having trouble accelerating. I'm thinking motor mount or something loose on the powerplant frame rail.

But I told the service guy "the car starts and runs fine, but it's vibrating in a way it didn't before".

Turns out one of the wires was arcing and that was enough to make the engine shake a bit.

The point is that a shop should fix the customer problem. Of course, if the OP said "test my AP computer please" that's HIS mistake.
 
TMetzinger said:
Disagree, Kent.

I'm with you that the problem could well be in the device sending the heading signal to the AP computer. But the avionics shop should be checking the system, not the AP alone.

The point is that a shop should fix the customer problem. Of course, if the OP said "test my AP computer please" that's HIS mistake.
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Agreed, Tim. But I think a lot of autopilot problems are actually airplane problems, not avionics problems. If your autopilot is hunting for heading, it should be going into a maintenance shop to be re-rigged, not going to an avionics shop with "The autopilot isn't working."
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Agreed, Tim. But I think a lot of autopilot problems are actually airplane problems, not avionics problems. If your autopilot is hunting for heading, it should be going into a maintenance shop to be re-rigged, not going to an avionics shop with "The autopilot isn't working."
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Agreed, for certain definitions of "hunting".:wink2:
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Agreed, Tim. But I think a lot of autopilot problems are actually airplane problems, not avionics problems. If your autopilot is hunting for heading, it should be going into a maintenance shop to be re-rigged, not going to an avionics shop with "The autopilot isn't working."
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In the case of the Cessna/ARC junk from the 1970's, I'd say "poor design" factors more into it than rigging. :)

My Cessna/ARC 200 can't hold a heading to save its ass, even on its best day. It's barely a wing leveler, and with only the Turn Coordinator for input, add turbulence and it'll be rocking and rolling back and forth worse than even the worst primary flight student.

So I'd add, "... for differing values of 'autopilot'..." ;) ;) ;)

The blow up Otto doll from the movie Airplane holding on to the passenger side yoke in my airplane, would do a better and more stable job of holding a heading than the Cessna/ARC 200.
 
Rip it out of the panel if that's how you feel about it.
 
Jaybird180 said:
Rip it out of the panel if that's how you feel about it.
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Probably will once the space is needed for something else. We spent a few hundred bucks to try to get it to behave better a couple years ago.

Not that heavy so it's no significant W&B change, and no point in paying someone to remove it unless there's other work to be done on the avionics.

Might be worth a few more pounds if the servos and such were removed but I hear that some folks elect to leave those in place. Lots of hours to take it all out.

Never know. Someone might eventually build an AP that could drive those servos without having to swap them out for theirs, and doesn't cost more than the entire rest of the avionics stack combined.

Electronics get better and cheaper all the time, unless they need to be FAA certified. ;)

A boy can dream...
 
First thing thanks for all y'alls answers. When Ap will not hold heading, I mean if I turn the heading bug to a heading it will fly right through where the heading bug is. Also if I hit nav or switch to gps it still will not stop or even search, kinda of just goes wherever. That being said autopiloti works fine most of the time so I would not think it is the rigging as it would maybe do this everytime, I would think. I am in New Orleans to see my first grand baby that is in ICU. Just hope the locals can solve this. I live 300 miles from here so i got to get this fixed. Oh i forgot, the ap did this before i recently replaced the HSI. It seems to work fine after I land and turn everything off. Thanks again
 
My roll servo needed servicing and I had it sent and there were many repairs made. Happy to report my kap 140 is well and auto pilot works fine. I did take advise and went to another avionics shop! Thanks for imput. I feel like I have a new plane again.
 
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