Skates97

Try Airmark Engines in FL. I have an engine sitting at my mechanics waiting for him to swap it out starting next week. It came from Airmark. I originally had an order in with Airpower with a 12-14 month wait time. 12 months went by and when I reached out to them they said it would be another 7 months... So I went looking for alternatives. Airmark had an O-360-A1D core. They gave me a price with a 7-9 week turn around time for the overhaul. I canceled the order with Airpower, got my deposit back, and placed the order with Airmark. Eight weeks later it was done and shipped.

Thanks, it was a couple 14-15 hour Saturdays and 3-4 hours every night after work. When I ordered the PMA450B I also ordered the harness which came with everything including headphone jacks prewired which was a huge help.

Long delays at avionics shops have been the norm for a long time. I wouldn't expect to find an avionics shop that would work with me on an install, but my local AP/IA on the field is always willing.

Currently Garmin is the answer. If/when Dynon is approved it looks like a nice option, but that is a big if/when. I was on a waitlist for the Trutrack for years. When the GFC500 was on the horizon for approval in the short body Mooneys I decided I would just go the Garmin route and put in the G5's and GNC355. A few months later the GFC500 approval was final and I made the first appointment I could get and it went into the shop for the autopilot. I've been flying with it now for three years and 450+ hours and no regrets. In my opinion it is a very capable IFR setup. The nice thing about all Garmin is that it uses a CAN bus which really simplifies the installation.

I have built a good relationship with my AP/IA. I'll talk to him about a problem or upgrade and often he will say "that's in your wheelhouse" and provide instruction, oversight, etc... The first avionics I did was replacing the transponder. It was an easy one as I had the harness pre-made. The next job was the big one. I put in two G5's, a GNC355, upgraded the EDM830 to an EDM900, CiES fuel senders, and a PMA450B audio panel. There were a few moments where I thought "I wonder how much it will cost to have someone fix all this if it doesn't work." I went slow, double and triple checked everything as I went, and it all worked. I think I was down for 2-3 weeks which is much better than the 6 months my friend's plane was down for a similar avionics upgrade.

My plane had an ancient magnetometer in a bracket that spanned side to side. It was already level so I just cut a piece of aluminum to mount the G5 magnetometer to and mounted it to the bracket.

At our dealerships we have 4K cameras on the service drives covering all angles and the service advisors do a walk around video of the vehicle when it arrives. We still have people that claim that scratch/dent in the side of their vehicle "wasn't there" when they arrived. the cameras have more than paid for themselves in the false claims. Then they have also shown when it was our fault and we pony up for the repairs.

I also have one of these silicone mats to use as a fuel mat on the wing. It is not very heavy, rolls up and folds in half. I cut a hole in it about 3/4 of the way back, just long enough that it hangs over the leading edge. The only downside is that because it isn't very heavy if it is windy the wind can pick it up and blow it off the wing. https://a.co/d/cXIFDo8

Tom, Thanks for sharing the link, so grateful you and Beth are okay. I remember seeing your plane at Osh in 2021, it was beautiful. Still hoping to meet up one of these days.

When I got tired of the indefinite backorder of Plexus and started to get low I tried out the A-Plex and have been very happy with it. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/cs/plexiglascleaners/cx-56955.php

This was the first thing I did when we got our plane. Best upgrade that I hope to never need.

This is something to be aware of, the battery packs can go wonky if they get dropped. Also keep an eye to see if it starts to look deformed (swelling up), it's warning you that bad things are likely going to happen soon.

I have the same setup for power to my Stratux going to a USB outlet.

@Taildraggerpilot, I think I have one in my hangar from when I converted to an alternator. Was working fine when I pulled it. I can check when I'm there tomorrow.

Get one, sand it down a little so that you have now produced it for your plane...

In climb it is up about 220 and cruise typically sits around 195-205. A 1963 you have a doghouse, right? Check it really well, it doesn't take much of an opening to let the cylinder head temps climb. Also look at the openings around the generator/alternator and starter. Mine had old rubberish kind of stuff there when I bought the plane that didn't seal well. I replaced it with felt and that helped.

John, thanks for stopping by and sharing that painting. I have always loved your work!

We've flown into the SLC area a lot over the past 7 years. I haven't gone into KSLC but have heard they are GA friendly. Depending on which family we are visiting determines where we fly into. In the Salt Lake Valley, South Valley Regional (U42) is the easiest. It can be busy but everyone seems to make good traffic calls and you can coordinate for a rental car to be there waiting. I think the overnight is around $10. The fuel is the same price if you pump it yourself or have the truck do it so we just let them fill it up. There isn't much space under the Bravo, the shelf is just above TPA but it is doable. Looking at my logs we have been there 15 times and it is my preferred airport for the Salt Lake area. You can easily get an Uber if you don't want to rent a car. If you are coming from the south stay over the 15 freeway going past the point of the mountain. It will keep you away from the restricted area over Camp Williams and away from the paragliders and powered gliders that are directly above the point. We've been into KOGD as well because it's 5 minutes from our family up that way. It is convenient if you are going to stay in Ogden, but the drive to Salt Lake is not as good as going from U42. Skypark (KBTF) is just north of KSLC, we've been there once. It's a friendly little airport but is very tight to the Bravo surface. Provo KPVU is great, they have Go Rental on sight, but they are more expensive than going into U42. We use it if we are just going to be visiting family down there but I would not use it if you are going to Salt Lake. It might not look like a drive but the traffic at the point of the mountain can be a mess. Not CA traffic mess but still a pain. It's only about 10 more minutes of flying to get to U42 and saves you 45+ minutes of driving.

Newer avionics have fans and/or heat sinks. I have had mine capped for years and never had any issues with newer avionics even in AZ in the summer when it's 110°+ on the ground.

I considered adding it to one of the other threads but thought having the thread title that an order was getting placed might be helpful instead of someone thinking it was just a discussion on the part.

Will do, I know they are different part numbers and wasn't aware that they were putting in orders for both. I'll update the original post as well.

Just waiting to wire the money when the cowling is available...

If you were on the wait list for LASAR to order an intake duct they should be contacting you if they haven't already. If you weren't on the list you have about 1-2 weeks to place an order before they submit. Yes, they are expensive and it is a 35-week lead time... They are also placing an order for the E/F which is a different part number 600115-005. This is the email from Heather at LASAR with the information regarding the B/C/D/G Models. "I have you down on my waitlist for an intake duct part number 600064-000 (B,C,D, G Models). We are about to make a purchase for these and need to know how many customers want to place the order. There is going to be a 35-week lead time once the order is placed. The price of the ducts stays the same at $672.00. If you want to place an order, we are taking deposits for half the price of the duct up front of $335.00 and once the ducts are ready to ship we will charge for the remaining cost. I’m attaching a copy of the order form that needs to be filled out and emailed back to me at this email. If you are uncomfortable sending CC info, you can leave that part out and call me on my direct line for that info (541-398-7430), all other information needs to be filled out on the form." Her email is heather@lasar.com.

A good friend used to say "Buy the best and cry once."