Pre purchase tips?

S

spike01

New member
I'm planning to take my mechanic to look at a 76 7GCBC; it is currently on floats and it's got about 1900 hours AF & E. Can anyone provide some suggestions of what to look out for on this airplane, aside from the obvious wing AD? I've been drooling over the idea of a Citabria for quite a while so I'm probably not going to be thinking straight when I go to look at it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Spike
 
Spike:

I just bought a 1976 7GCBC on wheels with 1100 hours total time. I have a tip from personal experience for you. If the logs show the plane has sat for a period of time without being flown, even a few months, have the mechanic pull a cylinder and look for rust, pitting and gauling, especially on the cam shaft. I took a mechanic with me on the pre-buy inspection, but did not have him pull a cylinder, and now, 5 months after purchase, the engine is udergoing a major overhaul. Believe me, it's worth paying the mechanic 4-5 hours of time to make sure the price you pay for the plane is what it's really worth.

Joe in MT.
 
Joe;
Thanks for the advice. Too bad about your engine. What precipitated the rebuild? Unusual oil consumption? Metal in the oil or some other obvious failure? It's not unusual for Canadian airplanes to sit for six months at a time without any prep work and they seem to keep running just fine.

The plane I'm looking at has in fact sat for some time; on floats and on the water as well. Given that the engine already has 1900 hours on it and the fabric looks like it needs to be reconditioned at least, I think the price reflects the work required. He's only asking 35K Canadian but if I have to drop another 30 for a new engine and covering it's just an average deal; If I have to replace the spar I'm pretty much screwed.

So what I'm hoping to get away with is just rejuvenating the fabric and flying the plane with the engine "on condition" until it really needs an overhaul in which case it's not such a bad deal at all. I wonder if there's a way to just borescope the engine to check for significant rust?
 
Spike:

I took it in for an oil change and they found significant metal on the screen. It was the first oil change since I owned it. That's what caused a further investigation. I talked to the prior owner about it, and of course he said he had no idea. It was the first plane I purchased so obviously I wish I had done some things different. My fabric is still pretty good and the spar looks good too. So, I may have bought the plane anyway, I just would have negotiated a much better price. I hope everything works out for you.

Joe in MT
 
Check the following:

Stick play for and aft - endemic on Champs thru Decathlons, not a big fix but a pain, new bearings and bolts under the sticks.

Check for corrosion around the whole of the back end, get a torch and a mirror and be diligent.

Spars, spar nails etc, that is a given.

Brake master cylinders - I know it is on water but if the tops are full of fluid - there is $300 to replace - O rings don't fix the problem, it is wear on the shaft.

Check the elevator for slop on the hinges, they have needle roller bearings and they are replaceable but fiddly and a cost.

Ailerons always float a bit on the hinges, don't panic, the hinges are very long.

Check the battery area, make sure the rubber drain cover is OK and there are no signs of spillage or acid anywhere.

Check the upper door latch, they wear and the door has a tendency to pop open, espescially when you are upside down !

Make sure the flaps and ailerons all line up when retracted - the flaps aren't easy to rerig.
 
Check the fuselage wood stations all the way back in the tail especially where they connect to the bottom tubing. Mine had several which had seperated from the rivet attach pt. This required me to replace and recover the fuselage. Send me your e-mail and I can e-mail you pictures of this area. I just completed rebuilding my 1979 cgaa I thought I was just going to re-juvenate. This worked fine for the wings but the engine needed OH and fuselage needed to replace all wood and recover.
 
sorry forgot to give my e-mail. ernstmfg@aol.com. Also be sure and check the fuel valve for ease of movement and leaks. These are no longer available.
 
A good tube and fabric mechanic will be worth the money. He'll probably use a sharpe pointed object like an ice pick to see if the tubing is bad on the tail. Look at the cover real close little things can get big in a hurry. Borrow someones maintence manual, it has an inspection check list and go over each item to see if the plane has been getting all the attention it needs, just for instance,the inner landing gear bolts are suppose to be replaced every 500hrs..Get the serial number and look up the AD's that apply to this plane, sit down with the log books and see if all have been complied with and logged. To make it simple don't let the airplane cloud your eyes, look at the cold hard facts that are there in the paper work then look at the plane itself. Make sure you have a "current " title search done if you really get serious. These are really simple airplanes and ACA has a good supply of parts to back them up. Hey, even if the spars are bad Jerry can fix you up with a new set of wings to bolt on, then he might get something for Christmas to!!!! :D :D :D


Woodie
N29763
 
Thanks everyone for all the advice. Please excuse my ignorance, I'm new here, but who's Jerry and what are a set of his new wings worth? I know new metal spar kits are around 20K, so I'm thinking it's crazy to buy a fixer upper when one could easily spend 50 thousand to make it right. Adds up pretty fast. Still, if the existing spars are okay, the fabric can be saved, and the engine's got some time left in it...
So if fuel valves are no longer available, is there any substitute? I assumed because the airplane is still in production that ACA could provide any part required. Are there any other show stopping parts unavailable for the '76 7GCBC?
 
20K for metal spar kits????

I got a price from Millman of $3900 USD for their metal spar kit. I'll be ordering mine later this winter after the fuselage is covered and moved out of the shop. (my shop is very small) I'm doing all the work myself so it will be a fairly cheap upgrade.

Jerry is from ACA (American Champion Aircraft) and he checks in here from time to time. Always gives good, friendly advice.

Good luck!

Rob
 
"20K for metal spar kits????"

Aint a kit. Whole new wings. All new parts (gas tanks, everything). Covered and painted.
Scouts are more than 20K, Citabrias are less.
Dont forget the GW increase with them too.

And how dare you call me friendly!! :p
 
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