77J pitot tube refurb

[Grant_Waite]

Thinking about possibly chroming the pitot tube one of these days. Has anyone done it? Is it a good or bad idea? A new heated tube, is like 2800 dollars on aircraft spruce atm. I do not want to be messing up a perfectly functioning, albeit worn pitot tube. I know a decent amount of bonanza owners have done it. I’ve only ever hear of not chroming the spinner but that’s it. 

[A64Pilot]

Interested in hearing where this is going, if you find a place and get a price, let me know. I have an old one in the wall locker that I would like to get chromed.

I know there is hard chroming which I think would be best, but it’s not as pretty as the I guess I’ll call it show chroming.

So long as it still gets hot and doesn’t plug any holes I don’t see it affecting airworthiness.

Biggest argument I think on the spinner is pretty spurious and that’s that the manufacturer doesn’t specify chrome plating, just polishing and painting.

But you can’t fight City Hall

[N201MKTurbo]

On my old M20 F, my pitot tube was rusty and ugly. I took it to the local bumper shop and for $40 they made it a piece of jewelry. 

[Grant_Waite]

1 hour ago, 1980Mooney said:

 

The Beech guys recommend SpaceCoast Plating in Melbourne FL. I think you are both in Florida. 

https://www.spacecoast-plating.com

Boat and Plane are in their portfolio.  They plug the ports so the internal diameter doesn’t change  Also protect the wire/element on the pitot heat.  
 

Comments around 2020 suggested it was under $200 back then  

 

Yeah, I had heard a lot of guys using them. I’m on the opposite coast of Florida so I’d have to ship it to them. It might be something I do at annual so the plane isn’t down. I’m trying to burn my hours. 

[Grant_Waite]

2 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Interested in hearing where this is going, if you find a place and get a price, let me know. I have an old one in the wall locker that I would like to get chromed.

I know there is hard chroming which I think would be best, but it’s not as pretty as the I guess I’ll call it show chroming.

So long as it still gets hot and doesn’t plug any holes I don’t see it affecting airworthiness.

Biggest argument I think on the spinner is pretty spurious and that’s that the manufacturer doesn’t specify chrome plating, just polishing and painting.

But you can’t fight City Hall

I always thought and read that it was because chroming could hide cracks in the spinner. But my memory is shit, so I could  be completely wrong. A chromed spinner would beat the hell out of aluminum and its upkeep 

[OR75]

will the chroming keep the part and serial number engraving visible ?

 

[A64Pilot]

10 hours ago, Grant_Waite said:

I always thought and read that it was because chroming could hide cracks in the spinner. But my memory is shit, so I could  be completely wrong. A chromed spinner would beat the hell out of aluminum and its upkeep 

One argument is I believe if not done correctly that chroming doesn’t hide cracks but can cause them.

Maybe hydrogen embrittlement? I know that’s a steel thing, but maybe aluminum too?

This is a decent article about it, biased I think towards chroming, but I think brings up salient points.

https://www.aviationperformanceproducts.com/chrome-it.cfm

Often the FAA position is you can’t do something because the manufacturer doesn’t say you can, basically it goes towards “approved data” which is a big deal in the Certified world. To chrome spinners without problem would I believe require an STC.

Personally I don’t see any issue with a Pitot tube myself, back to the discretion of the A&P who determines airworthiness upon installation I think.

Plating causing problems is real, sometimes it does. I remember reading about someone who built an Experimental helicopter, the swash plate was aluminum so he had it anodized to make it look good, well apparently anodizing changes the properties of aluminum somehow, the swash plate failed killing the pilot / builder.

I didn’t find the swash plate failure but did find this that explains Anodizing’s effect on 7,000 series aluminum

https://www.kitplanes.com/error-chain-15/

[N201MKTurbo]

There is a big difference between chroming a spinner and chroming a pitot tube. When was the last time you heard of a pitot tube cracking? Never!

[A64Pilot]

8 hours ago, OR75 said:

will the chroming keep the part and serial number engraving visible ?

 

I don’t see how, I think just the prep work for chroming alone would remove them, this is the one I have that came off of my Maule years ago, then I worked in an aircraft factory and we had tube type pitot tubes in stock that we didn’t use anymore so I just replaced it, but as you can see it could use some chrome plating.

If I were concerned about part / serial number I’d record that in the logbook. “removed part number / serial number pitot for refinishing, reinstalled part / serial number after refinishing” I wouldn’t specify plating, calling it refinishing isn’t a lie I don’t think.

 

[N201MKTurbo]

3 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

I don’t see how, this is the one I have that came off of my Maule years ago, then I worked in an aircraft factory and we had tube type pitot tubes in stock that we didn’t use anymore so I just replaced it, but as you can see it could use some chrome plating.

If I were concerned about part / serial number I’d record that in the logbook. “removed part number / serial number pitot for refinishing, reinstalled part / serial number after refinishing” I wouldn’t specify plating, calling it refinishing isn’t a lie I don’t think.

 

Yep, that's what mine looked like before "refinishing" I think it was nickel plated  from the factory.

[EricJ]

That kind of patina takes years to accomplish, though.    You can't buy that kind of finish. 

[N201MKTurbo]

The marking on the side is laser marked. The best thing to do would be to take a picture of it and after plating, send it out to be re-marked.

[A64Pilot]

Mine is marked on the bottom just like the above picture, but nothing on the side. Mine is difficult to read now

I’m not aware of any requirement of having to have serial and part numbers on a part, unless maybe it’s annotated by serial number in the aircraft’s equipment list, and even then the chances of it being a problem are nearly zero. I believe the logbook entry would cover you in the one in a million chance.

Military wise it’s a no go, I have probably a $100,000 AH-64 main rotor blade grip made from titanium that I use as a door stop because the data plate fell off and even though I had historical records showing it’s data I had to scrap it, but this isn’t the Army.

I’m no chromer but I’m nearly certain the process requires the part to be chromed to have all corrosion removed and then polished to a nearly mirror finish, if not then I I think it may not stick and have that perfect finish I’m sure we are after, if so no way on mine will those markings survive.

I even have a chrome pitot mast that needs re-chroming, wonder how much more for that?

[Fly Boomer]

20 hours ago, Grant_Waite said:

But my memory is shit, so I could  be completely wrong.

Lot of that going around. 

[OR75]

1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said:

The marking on the side is laser marked. The best thing to do would be to take a picture of it and after plating, send it out to be re-marked.

That would work if you can find a shop willing to do that. 

sadly, 12V are a lot more $ than the 24V or 115V or non TSO heated pitots. not sure why. 

Personally, I would hate to loose "traceability" on an expensive airworthiness part.  but agree it is one in a million. 

[N201MKTurbo]

1 minute ago, OR75 said:

That would work if you can find a shop willing to do that. 

sadly, 12V are a lot more $ than the 24V or 115V or non TSO heated pitots. not sure why. 

Personally, I would hate to loose "traceability" on an expensive airworthiness part.  but agree it is one in a million. 

Why would the shop care! You give them money, and they will mark your part. I know two guys that have laser systems at their houses that could mark that. The only down side to sending it out for one part is you are going to pay the setup charge for one part. They could mark 100 parts for a little bit more.

[A64Pilot]

You could vibro engrave a serial number and part number if you felt the need, chrome is hard but I think you could.

I don’t think you need to though, instruments / radios have serial numbers as do the prop and engine, but not much else. I don’t think crankshaft, rods, pistons etc do though. I assume serial numbers etc are there more as a warranty issue than FAA required.

I’m pretty sure any life limited item is required to be serialized.

Here is an AC that covers parts marking

https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_43-213a.pdf

[OR75]

43 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Why would the shop care! You give them money, and they will mark your part. I know two guys that have laser systems at their houses that could mark that. The only down side to sending it out for one part is you are going to pay the setup charge for one part. They could mark 100 parts for a little bit more.

again 1 in a million ... but I am not sure that the FAA would be ok with that statement : give them the money and they mark your part 

bogus part is a big deal , and I am not sure what the chroming would do. probably depends on the shop capability. that's why all shops are not always repair stations

[GeeBee]

The plating is all off my pitot tube and I wear it like a badge of honor. It means I've been out there, running the heat on it to keep ice off of it and flying the airplane in conditions for which it was designed. Purdy pitot tubes are  like rhinestone cowboys! Nothing wrong with riding a Palomino but have a working saddle on it.