Most Overpriced part or service. Not necessarily most expensive

[steingar]

CFI smelled fuel, as did Mrs. Steingar.  Cost for mechanics to tell me there was no fuel leak, just shy of 0.4AMU.  Pretty inexpensive piece of mind, though.

[mike_elliott]

pull the side panels and tighten the screws on the inboard fuel level senders. Might save you .4 AMU's to have someone tell you that your CFI and wife are wrong (something you dare not do yourself)

[EMB]

Fun (not) topic.

Oh I have a lot of entrants into this thread.  But first comes to mind is when my trim switch went bad for my KFC200 King autopilot.  About 5 years ago.  King wanted $2500 for a new switch.  Apparently it had been $450 just a couple of years before.  I called around a lot and found a old new-stock on someone's shelf for $900 and glad to have found it.  This was seriously over priced since it is a little plastic knob on a micro switch.  My son could build that for me out of radio shack parts for $10.

[EMB]

7 hours ago, carusoam said:

Pick an AD... Any AD...

1) Huck bolts are expensive... to replace them requires taking the tail hinge off the fuselage...

Fortunately, Mooneys are built with great part number control and documentation... (LB issue)

 

2) Cam gears are expensive... to replace them requires gaining access to the cam

Fortunately, Continentals are built with great part number control and documentation... (IO550 issue)

 

3) Aluminum gear in the oil gear pump... sure, that is low cost part hiding behind a cover on the back of an O360...

 

Nothing feels like the relief you get when your S/N is NOT on the list...  

Best regards,

-a-

Oh yeah...AD - of course - how could I forget?

About 7 or 8 years ago, I did a top overhaul when two of my cylinders went soft.  I really regret having replaced all 6. I was mad at Continental that their cylinders are poorly machined generally so I got Titans.  What do you know -  like 3 months after I had them installed they got implicated in an AD.  AOPA fought the good fight which allowed me to fly them for like 5 years.  And they ran beautifully.  But then I was forced to remove them by AD and replace the 6 perfectly good cylinders and throw them in the garbage and put on 6 perfectly good new cylinders - now everyone knows a cylinder job is >10k all in, r&r etc.  Oh hum.  And of course the way the process works, nothing even hoped from the cylinder company that sells a product that turns out to be defective.  In any other industry when a product is determined defective and recalled the customer is compensated.  Ahhhh flying. 

[whiskytango]

How about the alternator coupling on the TCM TSIO360?  It seems to fail after about 300 to 400 hours, and my mechanic recommends overhauling the alternator at the same time.  I think it was about 1.8 AMU last time.

[RogueOne]

12 hours ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

Ok Scott, I’m a fan of you and your posts, but think about it ..... you are still getting service from a company that hasn’t produced your conversion in, what, 15-20 years?   As a business owner, that’s still something that deserves a “little “ appreciation.  

Next time post on the forum your request. Some dumb sh*t like me might have pictures or a spare they can supply for less money.  (Coming from a guy flying a Lancair 15 years out of production and appreciating ANY support from the OEM).  

Tom

No doubt Tom.  Rocket Engineering did me a solid.  I needed the part.  They don’t stock it, but they (Patrick) FOUND IT and arranged for “it” to be shipped to me.  Whoever is making “the part” is getting their “effort” back by charging handsomely for “it”.  I could of said “No”.  Or even “Hell No”, but I need this for oil changes as it would be an absolute mess without it.  My bad for not posting, but I hate putting others out for my problem.  I was just trying to entertain myself and (maybe others)?  Vicariously made myself feel better as overpaying as a “collective” somehow feels better than being the only “mark”.  We all share in the joy of that “overpriced” (at least in our eyes) part or service.  I understand it is a price of admission, but as a CB it is my duty to be self-righteous

So I guess we don’t have that special bond yet where across the ethos you sensed I was in need and shot me a part lol....damn.

Next time I will reach out.  I still need the sump plug that the adapter fits into.  I welcome a part number for best one.

Edited August 30, 2019 by RogueOne

[alextstone]

11 hours ago, Bravoman said:

A couple of annuals ago I had my Annunciator panel sent out to the OEM for overhaul. They still are in business and their work was relatively reasonably priced. If you need the info on the company let me know and I’ll look it up for you 

Thanks @Bravoman!  I would appreciate that :-)

[Guest]

$2500-3000 for an AN5812 heated pitot head!

Clarence

[Yooper Rocketman]

8 hours ago, RogueOne said:

No doubt Tom.  Rocket Engineering did me a solid.  I needed the part.  They don’t stock it, but they (Patrick) FOUND IT and arranged for “it” to be shipped to me.  Whoever is making “the part” is getting their “effort” back by charging handsomely for “it”.  I could of said “No”.  Or even “Hell No”, but I need this for oil changes as it would be an absolute mess without it.  My bad for not posting, but I hate putting others out for my problem.  I was just trying to entertain myself and (maybe others)?  Vicariously made myself feel better as overpaying as a “collective” somehow feels better than being the only “mark”.  We all share in the joy of that “overpriced” (at least in our eyes) part or service.  I understand it is a price of admission, but as a CB it is my duty to be self-righteous

So I guess we don’t have that special bond yet where across the ethos you sensed I was in need and shot me a part lol....damn.

Next time I will reach out.  I still need the sump plug that the adapter fits into.  I welcome a part number for best one.

Oh, don’t get me wrong.  I just paid $800 for 5 elevator bearings that wouldn’t be sold to me without the brackets.  Found out later I can buy a BETTER bearing by itself, and all 5 likely under $100.  But at least now I have an extra set of brackets I can have new bearings pressed into the next time they are worn.  

Tom

[M016576]

Trim switch for the KFC-150... they are about $650.00 if you buy it new.

Any avionics. (G500TXI for example- $16000 for far less capability/power than in iPad).

[Steve W]

18 minutes ago, M016576 said:

Trim switch for the KFC-150... they are about $650.00 if you buy it new.

Any avionics. (G500TXI for example- $16000 for far less capability/power than in iPad).

Luckily the rumor mill says that the trim switch can be re-built for less... Also, the disconnect switch can also be had for less using the commercial part number for it. Not that I'd recommend that, of course. (And people wonder why any time King tries to come back to GA we just laugh and laugh.)

[bradp]

11 hours ago, EMB said:

Fun (not) topic.

Oh I have a lot of entrants into this thread.  But first comes to mind is when my trim switch went bad for my KFC200 King autopilot.  About 5 years ago.  King wanted $2500 for a new switch.  Apparently it had been $450 just a couple of years before.  I called around a lot and found a old new-stock on someone's shelf for $900 and glad to have found it.  This was seriously over priced since it is a little plastic knob on a micro switch.  My son could build that for me out of radio shack parts for $10.

And now you can 3d print one for a few bucks. 

Seriously - OPP

[jkarch]

Each bushing in the gear door is the size of a bead and is just a tube of metal cut to size: $20 each

[jkarch]

Also the oil pressure restrictor  fitting  is the size of my pinky tip for 258, and the gear relay retrofit kit is 1200 and the gear spring for the actuator is 1200. Brackets that hold the prop governor line in place are like 250 and are basically a block of aluminum drilled then cut in half. Good thing for owner produced parts. Though some of these parts aren’t so easy to produce. The IO-360A3B6 with 1950s technology is a rip-off at 65k new total too.

Edited August 31, 2019 by jkarch

[jkarch]

22 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

The tank reseal from Willmar Air Service.

Paid $10000. Worth $-100000!

Worst money I ever spent!

Paul Beck had nothing to do with the problem.

Thats why I know so much about fixing tanks!

 

What happened? He did so far a great job on my right wing for $3900

[vorlon1]

Okay, I thought I had a good one until I started reading some of the entries in this thread, but now I feel like sherrif Brody in the scene in Jaws where the two guys are comparing fish stories when he looks at his lowly appendectomy scar  , but here goes: how about a pressure transducer (about the size of Willy Wonka's everlasting gobstopper!) for $650, and the other options start at 1,000.00...

[ArtVandelay]

how about a pressure transducer (about the size of Willy Wonka's everlasting gobstopper!) for $650, and the other options start at 1,000.00...

Which is why if my AP breaks, it will probably be replaced.


Tom

[vorlon1]

Not in a short body , at least not yet...

[N201MKTurbo]

1 hour ago, jkarch said:

What happened? He did so far a great job on my right wing for $3900

He who? I don’t know the name fo the guy the screwed it up.

[jkarch]

4 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

He who? I don’t know the name fo the guy the screwed it up.

 

4 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

He who? I don’t know the name fo the guy the screwed it up.

Paul Beck of WeepNoMore did great work on my plane’s right wing tank. The annual work at Willmar’s replacement was ok too but I was happier with the WeepNoMore work. Except when I flew home they didn’t let the RTV cure on the wing fuel gauges and the right wing fuel gauge almost fell out !

[jkarch]

1 hour ago, vorlon1 said:

Okay, I thought I had a good one until I started reading some of the entries in this thread, but now I feel like sherrif Brody in the scene in Jaws where the two guys are comparing fish stories when he looks at his lowly appendectomy scar  , but here goes: how about a pressure transducer (about the size of Willy Wonka's everlasting gobstopper!) for $650, and the other options start at 1,000.00...

Yeah the stec pss altitude hold sensor...

[N201MKTurbo]

5 minutes ago, jkarch said:

 

Paul Beck of WeepNoMore did great work on my plane’s right wing tank. The annual work at Willmar’s replacement was ok too but I was happier with the WeepNoMore work. Except when I flew home they didn’t let the RTV cure on the wing fuel gauges and the right wing fuel gauge almost fell out !

What part of my post didn’t you understand? I said Paul Beck did not have anything to do with screwing up my plane!

He knows who did. This is before he owned the business.

[jkarch]

8 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

What part of my post didn’t you understand? I said Paul Beck did not have anything to do with screwing up my plane!

He knows who did. This is before he owned the business.

But what was the issue relating to your fuel tank that had nothing to do with Paul Beck, WeepNoMore, that cost you 10k? A reseal gone bad by someone else?

Edited August 31, 2019 by jkarch

[N201MKTurbo]

3 minutes ago, jkarch said:

But what was the issue relating to your fuel tank that had nothing to do with Paul Beck, WeepNoMore, or resealing?

They charged me 10000 dollars. And did a horrible job. There was fraud! They didn’t even finish the job! There was PR1005 on the gas cap cells only. It started leaking almost immediately. 

I have talked to Paul about it many times. He has been very generous with his offers to make it right even though he has no liability it wasn’t done by his business. I have lots of pictures.

[jkarch]

6 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

They charged me 10000 dollars. And did a horrible job. There was fraud! They didn’t even finish the job! There was PR1005 on the gas cap cells only. It started leaking almost immediately. 

I have talked to Paul about it many times. He has been very generous with his offers to make it right even though he has no liability it wasn’t done by his business. I have lots of pictures.

Sorry to hear that happened to you, I know he has a guarantee but actually I think he’s pretty good, I’d take him up on it, but yeah I was less impressed with Willmar for the annual except they made a great deal on shock donut installs. The only places I’ve seen strange things is the inboard fuel sender is still brown in the cabin on the right side and the fuel sampler still has staining. I also didn’t like how the top of my tank was resealed, it just doesn’t look as nice as it did when I brought it in for the reseal. But no more fuel stench in the cabin nor leaks on the hangar floor.

Edited August 31, 2019 by jkarch