Airplane Owner Maintenance - By Dean Showalter

I’m so glad I got talked into this one! (Thanks Kenneth!) It turned out to be a definite highlight of the week… you can hear more about the details in the podcast audio. I want to thank PilotWorkshops.com for sponsoring the podcast. The book, “Airplane Engines: A Pilot Friendly Manual” is a resource you’ll love. […]

I installed this starter and starter adapter on a Beechcraft Debonair IO-470 engine last week… the starter adapters (or sometimes called a clutch, or starter drive,) sometimes begin to slip, and when that happens, it’s time for overhaul. It’s also recommended to overhaul the starter at the same time, or install a new one. There […]

Valve lapping is sometimes a great option for improving cylinder compression and extending the life of an exhaust valve. We’ll talk about it in today’s episode. Pilot Workshops.com is our sponsor for this episode, and I wholeheartedly recommend their resources. Be sure to sign up for the “Tip of the Week,” and receive a short, […]

Although a shop vac might not pull as much vacuum as an engine driven vacuum pump, it can still be useful for some parts of the troubleshooting process. This was just one thing we did on the path to solving a very strange vacuum problem. Listen to the story in today’s podcast episode. Our sponsor […]

This is what Josh discovered recently in his Beechcraft Debonair while getting some training in his airplane with an instructor as part of the Bonanza Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP.) The gear motor was the culprit. Josh’s story is the main feature in today’s episode, but first I want to thank PilotWorkshops for sponsoring the podcast. […]

A good friend from another airport recently bought this Piper Archer, and I’ve had the opportunity to do a little maintenance on it and take a look around. This is one of three airplanes I’ve had an opportunity to look at recently… all three were in annual inspection, but I noticed a few things that […]

Josh recently purchased his 1963 Beechcraft Debonair and needed some help, so I flew to his airport and spent the good part of a day with him. We replaced a broken exhaust support angle on the right exhaust tailpipe, and then we took a good look around the airplane. It surprised me when we discovered […]

This was Jim’s story when he brought his airplane in for the annual inspection. Listen to today’s episode to find out what we did with Jim’s door latching system… he did most of the work on that issue, and I think his wife will fly with him now! Other items of interest in this episode: […]

I’ve known Tom for a long time, and what a fantastic experience it was, working with him on his annual inspection! Tom is the president of our local EAA chapter, and he’s given me numerous opportunities to speak to the group about maintenance topics. Thank you Tom, for serving our local general aviation community so […]

In today’s episode, we get to hear how John and Leslie got into aviation, and their move from Arkansas to Maui. It’s a real adventure, and I’m sure you’ll be inspired listening to their story! Be sure to also listen to their latest episode of the Fly Maui Podcast, “Don’t Let Setbacks Define You.” What […]

In today’s episode, I’m super excited to introduce John and Leslie Caubble to you! They’ve become good friends of mine in the last couple years, and they have a really inspiring aviation journey. We put together some Cessna 172 maintenance related questions, and I thought it would be a lot more fun to have them […]

You might be wondering, “How is that possible,” or “What kind of shady operation is that?!” Same here. When I first heard about the $200 annual inspection, I was skeptical… until I actually researched what Jim does and how he does it. That prompted me to call him, and he was gracious enough to take […]

In today’s episode, I’m happy to introduce my good friend, Aram Basmadjian! Aram has a very interesting aviation journey, and it was fun talking with him for this episode. Aram flew for Skywest Airlines for about 8 years, which was a great foundation for the flying he does today. Aram enjoys going places with his […]

The part in the yellow circle is an oil scavenge pump that returns oil back to the engine oil sump after it lubricates the turbocharger center bearings. The right side of the assembly is the adapter that fits into the engine accessory case. The left side of the assembly is the hydraulic pump that is […]

NOTE: I now have limited spots available on Fridays for one-on-one calls. Here’s how it works: Click the following link and pick a time on my calendar that works for you. https://calendly.com/deanshow/60min Send me a payment for $100 at the following link: PayPal.Me/airplaneownermaint (This is for a one-hour call.) Why would you invest in one […]

Joe Godfrey is an expert when it comes to analyzing engine data from aircraft engine monitoring systems. Joe is the Director of Operations at SavvyAnalysis, as well as a Columnist and Editor for SavvyAviation News. Not only does Joe analyze airplane engine data, but he also owns and flies his own airplane, a Bellanca Viking. […]

Note: The “Safety Wire Like A Pro!” video training course is available for one more day at 20% off (use code “canard” for discount coupon.) Read about the training here: https://airplane-owner-maintenance.teachable.com/p/safetywiring Three stories for today: Story #1: A Lycoming exhaust stud pulled out. It was disappointing, but turned out to be an inspiring learning experience. […]

What an adventure! This airplane got stranded at Wilmington, Delaware due to failure of the #2 cylinder on the Lycoming IO-360 engine. The local maintenance shop discovered the exhaust valve rocker shaft stud had broken… here’s what it looked like: Obviously, that cylinder was rendered useless… and it caused a significant power loss. Thankfully, the […]

Scroll down for pictures of some things included in today’s episode. Sitting in my truck the other day, I had a revelation. Here it is: When you are having maintenance done on your airplane, Aviate, Navigate, Communicate, is exactly backwards. Instead, it’s important to “Communicate, then Navigate, and finally Aviate.” First, communicate. TALK WITH your […]

Before we get into the places I “traveled” through FaceTime calls, I wanted to share something you might be interested in… my friends, John and Leslie Caubble (FlyMauiHI.com) now have a “Fly Maui” YouTube channel, and I recently watched their new video where they talked about ForeFlight basics… It’s called ForeFlight 101. It’s really good […]

NOTICE: UNTIL THE END OF MAY 2020, USE CODE “CANARD” FOR A 20% DISCOUNT ON MY VIDEO COURSE “SAFETY WIRE LIKE A PRO!” (Listen to the podcast to hear the story behind the word “canard” and why I chose that for the code.) Click the following link to learn about the course: https://airplane-owner-maintenance.teachable.com/p/safetywiring I received […]

——————————————————————————————————————– Special announcement: We have more pictures of Mike’s airplane, but first, I want to let you know about a Zoom call I’ve scheduled for tomorrow. I’m hoping to provide a way to get together online for some aviation encouragement in this weird time we’re in with the Corona Virus and the effects of it. […]

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to present a talk at our local IA renewal seminar about exhaust valve borescoping. I shared some of my favorite pictures – the ones that demonstrate how critically important borescoping is, and that compression testing alone is not sufficient. The following three examples are especially startling, since they showed a […]

Engine oil leaks are a common problem on small airplanes with piston engines. But how much oil leakage is too much? Here’s an indicator: If there’s oil on the nose tire, and it paints a stripe on the pavement with each revolution, that’s too much oil leakage. This was the case the other day on […]

After a successful career in computers early in life, Carl Valeri decided years ago it was time to pursue his passion for aviation. Since that time, he’s been an airline pilot, flight instructor, aviation careers coach, mentor, Piper Cherokee pilot, and many other things. Carl is well known as the host of two podcasts, the […]

“There’s no RPM drop when I select left mag, and if I turn the ignition switch off, the engine continues to run.” That’s what the owner of this Cirrus reported when he arrived at our airport the other day. One of our technicians got to work to troubleshoot the problem. Here’s what he found: The […]