First Annual - Some Quesions

S

scottj33gm

New member
Hard to believe its been almost a year sine I purchase my 1947 Bellanca 14-13-2 Cruisair. I''ve logged over 60 hours in that first year. Today I assisted my A&P with the annual and I have a few questions. First, where is the engine data plate? It's a 165HP Franklin and we both looked and can't find it. I'm sure it's obvious, but only after you've found it. Second, the tachometer drive housing has leaked oil since I bought the airplane. Time to fix it. But it doesn't seem to have a seal in it. In fact it doesn't appear to be serviceable. There's a bearing in the end where the cable attaches but there's no snap ring. Any ideas or is it always going to drip oil? Third, the tachometer has always worked, not sure how becasue the end that is driven by the drive was not crimped to the cable. The end is off, and the cable is still in the flexible sheeth. The cable will not come out so I'll have to crawl under the dash and disconnect the other end from the tach. Has anyone run in to this before and any thoughts on where I can get a new cable? All for now.

Thank you,

Scott
 
I had the tach drive gear in the engine shear on my way to OSH a few years ago. Replaced it with a Horizon Digital Tach. I learned that I was not the first person to have that gear fail...it is not uncommon in our engines. It was a lot easier to install and even get FAA approval than to remove the accessory case and replace the gear!
Larry
 
I have seen NOS tach drives on Ebay often. Less than 100 dollars which a repair could cost that much. Good Luck.____Grant.
 
New old stock tach drives are available from Lil Red whatever it is in Nebraska.
He charges about $80 to put a new seal in your old one.. but a new one was $ 30 more
( about $110 bucks) and no back and forth for the shipping both ways and no wait.
I stuck my digital camera in between the mags and got some pix... it is essentially a
braille procedure to change... but there are only two small mounting bolts.
I stupidly paid an A&P to change mine to stay legal.. took him 4 hours to do what I could
do in 2 or less . He decided to pull the upper cowling and the left mag to see what he was doing ( not necessary)and then couldn't find the timing marks... (under the prop spinner with the aeromatic)
so synched the Left to the Right and called it good ( $400 please).
What I found out is that both the older and newer style tach drives DO have a circlip on the
cable end, and yes virginia they do have an internal oil seal.
My new tach drive ( bronze body) was stiff with cosmolene, and required cleaning in solvent and
lubrication before installation. My cable was not properly seated on the tach drive either.

BTW the thing still leaks... apparently from the starter gasket, directly above the tach drive.
I dont think the old one leaked at all !
 
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