The price of simple parts?

John Baker

John Baker

Final Approach
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John Baker
My little PA-28/161 Warrior is going through its annual. I stopped by the mechanics to see how its going today. They said my gas tank caps are wearing out and showed me the male metal part on the inside of the cap was completely worn down. There are two screws holding that part to the cap. I'm thinking twenty or thirty dollars to order the new metal part. Nope, ya gotta order the whole cap, at the astounding price of $450.00 EACH! We decided on just now ordering new rubber gaskets at ten dollars each and putting it off till the next annual.

The gas pistons under the seats for controlling the vertical hight are shot. I'm thinking between 80 & 100 dollars each. Nope, new from piper, almost nine hundred dollars each. He found a 25 year old new one in the box from somebody for only $450.00 that could be put on the pilots side.

I figure a 25 year old gas piston is nothing but a bunch of dried out "O" rings and probably wouldn't last a week, so I declined. I'll use a cushion.

So, my question is of course, anyone got any ideas on how I can get these parts at a realistic price, legally?

John
 
Well, you can start by telling your guy to not get any more quotes from Piper. Personally, I'd find a new shop. Whether they do good work or not, I would need to find somebody with a more realistic approach to controlling my MX costs. YMMV.

John Baker said:
My little PA-28/161 Warrior is going through its annual. I stopped by the mechanics to see how its going today. They said my gas tank caps are wearing out and showed me the male metal part on the inside of the cap was completely worn down. There are two screws holding that part to the cap. I'm thinking twenty or thirty dollars to order the new metal part. Nope, ya gotta order the whole cap, at the astounding price of $450.00 EACH! We decided on just now ordering new rubber gaskets at ten dollars each and putting it off till the next annual.

The gas pistons under the seats for controlling the vertical hight are shot. I'm thinking between 80 & 100 dollars each. Nope, new from piper, almost nine hundred dollars each. He found a 25 year old new one in the box from somebody for only $450.00 that could be put on the pilots side.

I figure a 25 year old gas piston is nothing but a bunch of dried out "O" rings and probably wouldn't last a week, so I declined. I'll use a cushion.

So, my question is of course, anyone got any ideas on how I can get these parts at a realistic price, legally?

John
Click to expand...
 
John Baker said:
So, my question is of course, anyone got any ideas on how I can get these parts at a realistic price, legally?
Click to expand...

Legally as in order them from a vendor, pay money and receive the items? Sure!

Legally as in PMA'd parts? Nope!

The seat cylinders are available from the US rep of the European manufacturer without the PMA. They are the same item that the Piper parts pipeline will sell you. Of course they can't be installed in a certified aircraft even though they are identical and I would never even think of suggesting that someone use the cheaper identical part.

Gas caps? Haven't had to look into that one yet. I'm sure the answer is the same as the seat cylinders. Too bad we have to pay the high price and can't use or even think about using the cheaper alternative even though the cheaper alternative is an identical product.

Good thing we all walk the straight-n-narrow and only use PMA'd parts otherwise we would endanger ourselves in our certified aircraft.

Of course there is always the option of having your own parts manufactured and then approved by your IA...
 
$450 for a gas cap??!! You have to be kidding! Boy I thought my tractor parts were high.

Was thinking about buying a plane someday. Guess I'll keep renting.
 
John Baker said:
My little PA-28/161 Warrior is going through its annual. I stopped by the mechanics to see how its going today. They said my gas tank caps are wearing out and showed me the male metal part on the inside of the cap was completely worn down. There are two screws holding that part to the cap. I'm thinking twenty or thirty dollars to order the new metal part. Nope, ya gotta order the whole cap, at the astounding price of $450.00 EACH! We decided on just now ordering new rubber gaskets at ten dollars each and putting it off till the next annual.

The gas pistons under the seats for controlling the vertical hight are shot. I'm thinking between 80 & 100 dollars each. Nope, new from piper, almost nine hundred dollars each. He found a 25 year old new one in the box from somebody for only $450.00 that could be put on the pilots side.

I figure a 25 year old gas piston is nothing but a bunch of dried out "O" rings and probably wouldn't last a week, so I declined. I'll use a cushion.

So, my question is of course, anyone got any ideas on how I can get these parts at a realistic price, legally?

John
Click to expand...
Shop around for some parts. Check with Wentworth or another salvage yard and look to see if your seat struts can just be rebuilt instead of replaced.
 
ScottM said:
Shop around for some parts. Check with Wentworth or another salvage yard and look to see if your seat struts can just be rebuilt instead of replaced.
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Or find a new mechanic who can point you in the right direction. But yeah, these parts should be fairly common on the salvage market. Its not like you're flying a rare aircraft no one has ever seen before.
 
ScottM said:
Shop around for some parts. Check with Wentworth or another salvage yard and look to see if your seat struts can just be rebuilt instead of replaced.
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I was gonna suggest and or ask that. Aren't there salvage yards from which you could by used gas caps and other parts. I mean we do it with cars.
 
AdamZ said:
I was gonna suggest and or ask that. Aren't there salvage yards from which you could by used gas caps and other parts. I mean we do it with cars.
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There are, its just a matter of knowing where to look. A good mechanic can assist you with that.
 
Use a free site or service such as http://smweb.componentcontrol.com/StockMarket/Welcome.do;jsessionid=F699D341A352E144FF9334574A58B051

and develop some contacts that are willing to search the other subscription services or surplus parts houses for you. Often older parts will cross reference to other manufacturors that may be much cheaper.

Find the parts experts for your particular make/model. They will know the salvage or wholesale houses that buy/sell new old stock parts.

The single best investment you can make as an owner is to buy a copy of the maintenence and parts manuals for your m/m so you have access to diagrams and part numbers. Then you can shop intelligently and informed.
 
there is no such thing as a simple airplane part
 
tonycondon said:
there is no such thing as a simple airplane part
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'cepting the pilot of course

Tower's question: "What is your location?"

Student's response: "Behind this yoke!"
 
Gsim Aviation said:
You can make your own part, you just can not sell it with out a PMA.
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How much of the 'making' aspect do you have to do yourself ? Let's say the raw-materials fairy dropped off a seat cylinder very similar to the piper part and in a laborious process the owner strips the paint, grinds off some material to make it lighter and engraved it with his name, would that make it owner made ?
 
weilke said:
How much of the 'making' aspect do you have to do yourself ? Let's say the raw-materials fairy dropped off a seat cylinder very similar to the piper part and in a laborious process the owner strips the paint, grinds off some material to make it lighter and engraved it with his name, would that make it owner made ?
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IIRC you really only have to "supervise" a significant portion of the "making" to call it an owner supplied part. But I think there's also an issue of documenting how it conforms to the original. For a gas cap that shouldn't be too difficult if you can determine the materials involved and measure the dimensions of a serviceable one.
 
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