Complete interior re-furbish
 

Well I flew 2JF for the last time today, at least for a while anyway. Tomorrow we totally gut the inside to make way for the new interior. What a great time to be involved. I have no job right now so I can participate in this project daily. I will start this thread and continue to update as much as I can the progress of 2JF as the new interior is born. Photos too. Here are some of my plans so far, please feel free to comment on any part of this as needed. I started working with Bill McFadden several months ago. He has a company in Kalamazoo, Michigan that does re-upholstering on all kinds of big boy toys. His specialty, airplanes. All kinds of airplanes. He has even re-done Skymasters before. This guy has quite a reputation in this area. He is known for his premier work when it comes to aircraft interiors. He doesn’t advertise and he is busy all the time. I scheduled 2JF in July to finally get started tomorrow. About a month ago Bill met with Tammy and I at our house with boxes and boxes of samples. We looked, matched, selected and finally came up with a pattern that we thought we liked. Leather, some fabric, wool carpet and ultra leather for the headliner. Tammy and I kept the samples and looked at them for about a week. We had a real sunny day so we took the sample outside and looked at them in the sun real good. Then Bill called back and said that the fabric was no longer available. He said that he would come back up to Grand Rapids and bring the fabric samples so that we could select something else that might be similar and work with our other materials that we had selected. Again Bill spent about 3 – 4 hours with us helping us to match samples. We found a nice replacement and then uses a different carpet to better match the fabric. We were ready to write a check for the down payment. Bill ordered the materials and is checking all the certifications and also having some of the fabric treated to meet requirement for aircraft. Bill has worked a lot with the Bonanza Flyers Club. There is a repair shop on AZO that specializes in Beech. He has gotten many jobs from that shop so his experience is valid. If you can work with the Bonanza guys and make them happy, us Skymaster drivers will be a breeze.

Along with the upholstery I am looking at all new glass. Maybe go tinted, any thoughts on that? The windscreen is still in amazingly good shape for 40 years but now is the time if you’re going to do it. Should it be tinted? I think Jerry’s is? I am looking at Rosen Visors, anyone have those? I think they are the best out there. I talked with Don Nisser over at Commodore Aero and he had a 5th seat for the rear of 2JF. For some reason I never had the right 5th seat. After owning this aircraft for the last 32 years it is time to get the right seat back there. I really don’t use it that much but I wanted the original equipment. Also needed the arm rest that bolts to the wall for that 5th seat in the rear. I plan to put some new strobes on the wing tips. Has anyone used LED yet? Whelen has some nice stuff out there but I would have to get a field approval. This LED stuff is really cool. I switch out the rotating beacon in July with an LED and wow, unreal how visible this thing is. Anyone else have one yet? Mine is Whelen, they have the thing STC’d for 337. As long as we are on lights, I am looking at making some changes on the interior lights in the cabin. LED would be nice here but I haven’t found anything that is certified yet. It’s all kit plane experimental stuff. Pluslight system for the landing lights is a yes too. Well there are a few other things I am looking at and if you have any ideas that I may not be thinking about let me know. For now that’s about all. See ya soon.

Go for the tinted windshield. I didn't and I wish I had. I have the Rosen Visors and the are far better than the solid visors that were original equipment.

Superior Panel has some LED and strip lighting that has been approved by Canada for helicopters. You might be able to get some data from them for a field approval. I was able to get a field approval for luminescent strip lighting from... Geez, I can't remember the company name now, but it doesn't matter... They are out of business now.

I think if you ask 10 guys the question about tinted vs plain, you'll get about 5:5 either way. Right now I am installing a plain windshield. I had a tinted one. Why did I change?

The tinted one got very "milky".
The vision through a tinted one is not as great, especially with dusk/dawn/rain.
As long as you have Rosen's, who cares?
Tinted windshields are more expensive.

BTW, I have Rosen's on GKEY. The BIG ones.

My other plane, a 172N, had a tinted windshield as well, and I changed to a plain windshield on advice from my trusted mechanic. I am very glad I did. Now that GKEY is in line for a new windshield I am doing the same thing. Plain for me.

I don't have LED's for beacon and strobes on GKEY yet, but I do have them on my 172N. They are absolutely awesome. Even the beacon can be seen miles away in bright sunlight. The strobes are bliniding too, and sometimes the glare is almost too much when I'm close to clouds.

Yep, I am definately installing a LED beacon and strobes on GKEY too.

GKEY has a PulseLite system, and the two lights (taxi & land) in the cowl alternate (I don't have the wing lights). But even so, tower can still see me really quickly from far away. The ducks too.

Jim/Jakes, you are probably trying to say "Aero Enhancements" for the strip lighting. What I am more interested in is the LED Whelen
http://www.whelen.com/pb/Aviation/70...sion_Light.pdf
position / strobe combo. Is that what you have on the 172 Jakes? I talked to Whelen and they said that they do not have the STC/TSO on these yet but thought it could be accomplished with a field approval. I thought that if someone else has gone through this with a Skymaster it would make it easier for me. I have the LED rotating beacon and it is awesome. It is already TSO'ed and is available at Aircraft Spruce. You will love it. Jakes is right, the visibility is unbelievable. At night it's like a patrol car.

Interior LED would be nice but I have not located anything that is certified yet. There is lots of aviation related stuff out there but most of it says experimental only.

So for the glass on the side windows, I really think I am going to go with Grey tint and UV. Great Lakes Aero seems to be the best price.

http://www.glapinc.com

How does Pulselite compare to other pulse light systems? They seem to be a lot more money,
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...arlightsys.php
This is about a third the cost of Precise Flight.

Herb,

On my 172 I have almost exactly the Whelen LED unit you posted a link to, except that mine is red , i.e. a beacon. Can see it 5 miles coming. I will definately install it on my 337 too.

LED interior lights sound nice, but I am only apprehensive about the intensity of this kind of light. I don't know if they are dimmable. Having someone switch on an bright white LED inside the plane at an inopportune time, can reduce my night vision just at the moment I need it. In my 337 I have those little "eye socket" lights that can swivel around, and are individually dimmable. I still prefer them over LED's for interior lights. OTOH, a LED courtesy light under the wing might not be a bad idea...

I absolutely WILL, however, change out my landing and taxi lights to HID's. I have those on my 172, and last X-mas I had to buy Raybans's for all the folks working the tower!! I have the Precise Flight PulseLite system on both planes, and it works fantastic. You get what you pay for, for sure.

For windows, I don't mind a tinted side window. But the windshield should be clear. Just my own belief. Especially during dusk, dawn or rain I find I strain my eyes a lot less looking through a clear windshield.

Windshield
 

Hi Herb,
I just had my windshield replaced on my 337H last year. I also installed clear, because the tinted one was getting hassy and not to good at night. The clear is much better at night, but I left the side windows tinted. Dale

Thanks for all the info gkey and Dale. It sounds like staying with clear at least for the windscreen is advised. I can really see (no pun intended) how that makes sense. If a person installs the Rosen system then there shouldn't be a problem. While on the subject of windows, side windows that is, it appears that now with the interior completely stripped the side windows are truly fastened through the hull. I was told that they had a doublers or something inside around the frame for the window to attach to so that the outside rivets did not have to come out. Not so. I am so vein. So here is the question: have you had to tackle the replacement of the side windows before? Is it a big job? Mine are not that bad, and maybe I should just take out the inner glass and clean and replace the seal and be done with it. I really wanted to install the tinted glass on the side but not sure about removal. Any experience here would be nice.

What about insulation and sound control? My upholstery technician is using some padding/sound material that is bonded to the side panels but why not add more? This is the chance to do it. Will it help? Has anyone had experience with this? I would think that on the rear firewall it couldn’t hurt. The sides might be a different story but looking at Aircraft Spruce the material they had was not all that expensive.

I plan to change the air vents with some type of more modern device. I don’t think this will be a problem because I am leaving them in the same position, same ducting and will purchase units for aircraft use. The old originals are really bad and tacky looking. Not sure I will do anything with the lights inside yet but I am seriously looking at the LED exterior entry light that Aircraft Spruce has. They fit in the inspection panel penetration and are battery operated so that you don’t have to turn on the master to use them while loading the aircraft. They look really great and certified for aircraft. I might just put one on each side.

Here is a photo that Larry took of the cabin with the interior out. Thanks Larry. More to come as we continue down this road.

Herb,

Take a look at what my interior looks like inside. Do you plan anything like this? The central console running along the headliner really makes thing work, and also actually makes the plane "look" bigger. It has a more corporate feel to it, almost like the bigger planes. I have the "eye ball" vents that can be adjusted for flow and direction, and my interior lights are also of the "eye ball" type. Especially duirng flying at night, I am very concerned about lighting up the interior too much, as it can decrease my night vision ability - at least for a while.

Just on a different note - I have the clamshell "airstair" type door, and no matter how many times I warn people to watch for the upper door, I still get people bumping their heads into it. Then I bought simple reflector strips and pasted them on the door, so that when the door is open the reflector shows. No head banging since. $4 modification, worth every cent.

Headliner
 

Hi Herb,

I had my old ceiling plastic panels covered with a felt like material that came out nice and helps to soundproof interior. Photo enclosed. Dale

Dale/Jakes
Looks nice, problem is you have a later model aircraft. I am dealing with a 1968 C model that never had ceiling panels as yours. Mine just has the fabric that is hung with wire clips. Not sure I can change all that but I will ask. If a person could source some salvaged panels it may be retrofittable but at what expense. I don't have the clam shell door just the ole swinging one on hinges, but haven't noticed anyone hitting their head on it. :-)

Modifications:
 

Herb, on RT Aerospace's page Ray has a 65 337 listed for sale. The last mod has a rigid celing mod. guy... www.rtaerospace.com

MODIFICATIONS:
RT AERO GEAR DOOR MOD
RT AERO CARGO POD
RT AERO O2A TYPE ENTRY DOOR WITH FLIGHT OPENABLE WINDOW
RT AERO CONVERTIBLE AFT BENCH
SEAT/CARGO COMPARTMENT
RT AERO WINDSHIELD CENTER POST DELETION
RT AERO O2A TYPE BUBBLE PILOTS SIDE WINDOW –GROUND OPENABLE FOR TAXI

"RT AERO RIGID CEILING MOD"

Ray does not have that option listed on his site. I saw his plane that is for sale at the SOAPA last year and looked at the ceiling panels. Based on some of the costs of these mods I think it would stretch the buget a little far.

Airtex makes a perfectly good headline for T337D
 

I recently replcaed the headliner on my 1969 T337D with an airtex. About $400, fit just fine.

D

On going project update
 

Well after spending 10 days in Idaho on assignment and then Thanksgiving week distracted me to the point of not making it to the hanger, I finally made the trip to 4N0 to check on the progress of 2JF. Flew the Twinco down on a beautiful Saturday morning.

The interior is completely gutted. It is really interesting to see all the framework that goes together in this aircraft. I have never been through a complete refirb before so bear with my amazement and report. I found the entire hull in very good shape. No corrosion (could be that spending most of it's life in the southern Idaho dessert helped) except one spot on the main door. Not sure what that's all about? Any way a little treatment of some kind should remedy that issue. I had to remove most of the insulation because my interior tech's left it in place. I pulled it out so that I could inspect what's under that wonderful stuff. All the insulation is Fiberglass (urgh) not my favorite product. I am thinking about removing it all and replacing it with a certified foam product. Anyone use the foam panels before? It looks positive, anything is better than filterglass. The insulation in the headliner was really ratty. It has been dug through so many times that it is to the point of lots of small pieces that really don't work anymore. I will need to do something different here. Maybe the foam.

I have decided to replace all the glass. Once I got into the window panel areas it looks like on the rear windows that it is a combination of screws and rivets that attach the aluminum angle to hold the glass in place. After removing the holding devices that are screwed in, I should be able to remove just some of the riveted holding brackets to release the glass. Shouldn't be too bad but going back in might be another story. We will see, stay tuned. I talked with Great Lakes today about replacement windows and they can ship within about 3 days of order. They are located in Flint, MI so I may just drive over and pick them up and take a tour. I think I will go with the grey tint on all exterior side windows, clear on the windscreen and pilot and co-pilot sides and may look at using grey on the inside and outside of the rear. I will see how dark that is before a final decision is made.

I have ordered the Rosen visors, new style air vents that might require a field approval, FM oil filters to replace the factory screen system, Max Pulse light system for the landing lights (has anyone used this?) it's STC'd, new electric clock (still had the original wind up) because the old one is getting really tired, LED exterior light for under the wing that is battery operated so that you don't have to turn on the master to load up.

I have attached these photos to keep you from getting board of reading my report. Some close ups of the window holding devices and general shots of the hull stripped out.

Herb
I noticed on the shot of the ceiling of your plane these big black rectangles glued to the aluminum. I think this is the lead stuff Cessna used for soundproofing. If so, it has resulted in corrosion in some planes. I would rip any of it you see out, and look for corrosion underneath. I bet you will find these in the belly as well, and corrosion is more likely down there. As to the foam insulation, my P337 had it when I got it and I think it helps on the noise front. It really helps with temperature insulation as well. Nice panel!! Hope your interior goes in well....keep us in the loop......we all love seeing other guys spend money!!

Nice pictures
The panel picture shows the King PFD, actually, a full size cardboard version, in place. It is substantially larger than the Aspen PFD.

Thanks Jeff I will take a look at the black units up there. What is the best method of treating the corrosion under those units? I wondered what those were. I think the unit on the door came off and that is where I saw the corrosion. What type of foam do you have, any idea? Here is the stuff I was looking at.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...oofinstall.php

I figured while the interior is gutted now is the time to do this. I will take a look under the spots and let everyone know what there is.

BTW, thanks for the encouragement (spending the money)

Herb,
That looks like the foam I have. When we removed that lead soundproofing and found corrosion, we cleaned up the surface with Scotchbrite, did an acid etch and Alodyne, then applied a coat of Zinc Chromate primer. That was the recommendation of my mechanic, and he suggested we remove all that stuff in the belly of the plane as well.
The foam was cut to match the location it was placed very meticulously, it must have taken a few hours to get all the inside walls and ceiling of the cabin covered. I am glad the plane came to me that way!!

SoundEx Products
 

Herb,
Last year at Sun N Fun I talked to this company. http://www.soundexproducts.com/

Guy....

Another day in paradise, snow paradise that is. Winter has officially arrived in Michigan and driving to Kalamazoo this morning to remove more windows from the hull was just about all I could do for excitement. Earlier on the road to Kzoo a pickup crossed over the median and created a head on situation for the on coming traffic. I fatality, not a comforting thought as I proceeded to Larry’s hanger at 50 MPH. Nice thing is, I am not in a hurry. No set time schedule. Makes things a lot easier when the stress is gone. Well because I am now writing this it is evident that I made the trip there and back safely and uneventful.

Enough about that let’s talk aircraft, removal of windows, not too bad. Installing windows, yet to find out. I have all windows out except the windscreen up front. Again it has really been a learning experience. Sorry to bore you if you have been through this already but it’s just plain exciting stuff for me. The AI that is working with me prepped me on removing the rivets and said “have at it”. Well I got them all out and started to clean up the frames. Left side center has a fuel line right along the frame that I was drilling rivets from. That made things a little more exciting but no leaking fuel yet. Larry had some toluene that really make the clean up easy around the frames where the sealant has been for the last 40 years. After scraping the big stuff off with a putty knife I used the toluene to make it look new again. It is really amazing that the sealant was still soft and sticky. 40 years is a long time. The photos below show the before and after and the fuel line.

How do you work comfortably in the cabin of a Skymaster with the interior gutted? Well on a bumper of course. While on my knees working in this wonderful aluminum cave, I decided it would be a lot nicer to have something to sit on. First thing I thought about was a bucket or something and started snooping around Larry’s hanger to see what type of throne I could come up with. All of a sudden I saw several boat bumpers over in the corner. Now when I have used boat bumpers they would make a good seat for a 4 year old but not my fat ____. The bumpers Larry has were for some kind of yacht or something because they are biggies. Just right for a growing boy working on his toy. Anyway I soon learned that using this bumper was just about the best idea that I have had since I installed the 530. I showed my AI and he said WOW that works great. Nice cushy seat and won’t even scratch the floor. With all the irregularities in the floor a bucket is all but stable but with the bumper it just doesn’t matter. It’s stable no matter where on the floor it is. OK enough about my new invention. Anyway next you’re in the plane without seats you gotta try it.

I decided were changing the windscreen too. That will have to be removed next but I will wait for Craig my AI for that one. I did receive the new air vents and looks like they will retro to the existing vents really easy. They should really bring things up to date inside aesthetically. I also bought the battery operated LED under wing light from Knots2U. It will be a nice addition and easy install. Really a cool item. It has a built in timer so that if you turn it on it goes out automatically in 5 minutes. If you need light longer then a different sequence of the power button keeps it on for 15 minutes and then turns off. You can use the provided access panel or use the original under the wing and modify it to mount the light in it.

Seat belts will be shipping next week. The BAS system up front and all new matching lap belts for the other 3 seats. I will be writing more on this with some detail and photos because there have been a lot of questions about these lately. I have never had the 5th seat, not sure what happened to the original. I don’t think we ever got the 5th seat when we bought the plane in 1976. I had used a Cessna 206 rear seat in the past but it really didn’t fit right and not legal. I purchased a seat from Don at Commodore Aero. I will now have that seat re-upholstered to match the new interior. I also found the luggage tray (parcel shelf as Larry calls it) and will have it trimmed to match too. Haven’t used this much but thought I should include it in the redo. Anyone else use this unit? It is hinged to the rear firewall and has spring loaded pins that keep it in position when used or release it and allow it to lay flat against the rear firewall.

Well that’s about enough today, more to come.

Hydraulic Lines on Mains
 

Looking at the Hydraulic lines on the main gear and wondering if I should change them while I have this all torn apart. When running my fingers along the braided lines I notice it feels a little like there is hair protruding out of the braiding. Is this rubber? Is this normal or could this be an indication of something?

Also Jeff indicated that I should remove the black patches that are glued to the skin of the interior of the cabin. There were a couple already missing and some corrosion was apparent on the skin where the lead patch was. I removed a couple more but did not find corrosion under them. Some of them seem to be really attached strong and I had a hard time even forcing the putty knife under them. Should I still remove them all? Even if there is no corrosion?

I haven't looked under the floor yet. I assume there are some of these down there too?

Herb,
there were plenty of those lead sheets in the floor of my plane ( '77 T337G ) and there was corrosion under most of the ones near the door. My observation was if they came up relatively easily, there was corrosion underneath. If they were really stuck down well, there wasn't much if any corrosion, like the picture you showed with the shiny aluminum underneath. My guess is that on those sheets, there was glue between the lead and the aluminum preventing contact, water intrusion and thus, dissimilar metal corrosion. The right thing to do is remove all of them just to be sure, but I think a reasonable argument could be made based on the above observation to be selective. I will tell you I left some behind that were stuck well and were in hard places to get to.

Replace the hoses
 

They are cheap compared to a gear up, and they are likely 40 years old. I just had them all done in mine over the last 2 annuals, and this go around had all the fixed hydraulic lines checked and double checked, as well. In one case found some corrosion on a hydraulic line (on the outside) where it was touching a braided brake hose and also another that was scoring where the adel clamp was bent such that the hydraulic line was chafing against a hole punched in a web. It really is the time to check all those lines very carefully (both hoses and lines) while you have it all open. You can see way more than what the typical annual will reveal with small mirrors and flashlights.

Just my thoughts Herb.

Hydralic lines
 

Hi Herb,
If you have everything apart and the gear lines are 40 years old, I would change them.
If one of those lines leak you will never get the gear down, even with the handpump. I have the 78' 337H and changed all hydralic lines just to be safe. they did not cost that much.
Dale

Good advice, it will be done. Where did you source the lines? Has anyone used Precision Hose, PHT, in Tulsa? They indicate that they have a complete kit. I am searching the logs now to see if any hoses have been replaced just as a good exercise. Also checking the Service Manual for requirements, not real clear.

Installing the FM oil filters adaptors, eliminate always cleaning those annoying screens. Also found issues with the rear motor mounts. One is actually cracked and crumbling. New ones on order.

My front engine has plagued me with an oil leak for several years now. Nothing huge but very discouraging. I have looked and looked but haven't been able to really zero in on a obvious source. My AI said that some push rod tubes showed a little wet, could be but I keep thinking there is something on the rear of the front engine that is culprit. What about the alternator? Has anyone had a bad leak around that unit? When I fly 2 - 3 hours and stop I have a couple of small puddles of oil on the front tire and ground. I don't use that much oil in the engine. Maybe 1 - 2 quart for between oil changes (25 hrs). Is that too much? I have 1500 hours on the engine.

Well, I didn't brave the trip yesterday but will be working on it today. I am ordering all the glass today from Great Lakes Aero in Flint, MI. I will be talking to Precision Hose and consulting with Whelen on their LED / strobe position wing tip lights. Has anyone had these installed? Whelen says that I will need to get field approval. It would be a lot easier if I can show another aircraft that has been approved through the FSDO. Even if it is not a Skymaster let me know if you know of anything. This LED technology is amazing. I can't imagine not allowing something like this. It has to be safer (greater visibility for other aircraft), uses a lot less amps, come on get with the program here. Whelen should be more proactive on this.

I have used Precision Hose before and they were very good. They even sent two free replacement hoses that were wrong on their list when I supplied them the correct details.

Just a note, when you replace the main gear downlock hoses, make sure of their position and that they are not twisted. The downlock remains unpressurized until the gear moves it at which point it pressurizes down and locked. You don't want it to pressurize early by being forced by the hose pressure.

It sounds like a geat job. Where have your folks sourced all the plastic panels?

Please take and post all the pictures you can so we can all enjoy.

A full description of replacing the windshield would be appreciated.

Are you replacing the wing tip light covers? If so, can you let me know a good source as I need mine replaced.

Regards - Dave

On the first Skymaster I owned, N1873M, way back in 1975, there was an oil leak in the rear engine. It was the gasket for the alternator which is mounted on the rear of that engine. It was rather simple to repair however. On the rear engine there is an inspection plate on the rear bulkhead that opens directly to the alternator. Check the gasket on the alternator if your oil loss is minimal as that is what I found.

Pht
 

Herb,
I used PHT this summer for the rear engine hose kit. Kim Geyer (frequent poster on this board and overall nice guy) pointed me in their direction. Overall my experience is mixed.

It took them a little longer to get my kit shipped after I ordered it than what they had promised, but then they shipped it overnight at their cost - so a wash on that point.

When I handed the whole kit to my a&p, he said that several hoses were wrong. I quickly emailed their sales rep and told him the lenths and connections (as measured by my a&p) for the 4 or so replacement hoses and asked they overnight them to me - see point #1 about thier initial delay which caused me other scheduling challenges. They said they couldn't ship out that day, but would make them up the next day and ship out to me. OK, sounds like a plan to me (although it then delayed me leaving TX where I was now grounded with a half-done houise sawp out). The new hoses arrived and they fit nicely. So I took the wrong hoses and shipped them back that same very day, at my expense. Thinking, 'wow this finally worked out'....then a few weeks later I looked at my credit card statement and saw that they charged me almost $600. MANY emails later, they finally credited me back about $300. Still don't know why I had to pay them $300 extra, when they had sold me a complete kit. They had even verified my serial number when quoting me the kit.

I will probably use them again, but make sure I have a better written trail on responsibility if any hoses in their 'kit' don't fit.

Also, I noticed on several other posts to this board that others have used Sacramento Sky Ranch for thier hoses.

Finally - you will probably consider the firesleeving option on your hoses, so I'll share that part of the story.
After reading many articles and posts - I decided to firesleeve all the hoses for my rear engine. This cost more, as the hoses in the PHT kit only firesleeve the ones that came that way from the factory. No problem, I decided to pay the extra for a little more peace of mind. You have two firesleeving options - the orange bulky firesleev which is attached by clamps, or the brown firesleev which is basically cooked on. I wanted the brown one, but the PHT rep talked me into the orange ones - saying they were cheaper, faster to make (see my scheduling issue above), and worked just as well. After they arrived, I had lots of issues during the install due to the now much larger size of the hoses with the orange sleeve versus the originals they replaced. Was told by the a&p that the install would have gone much smoother with teh brown cooked on sleeves. Also, understand that the Sac Sky Ranch folks give a lifetime guarantee on the brown sleeved hoses they make.

Hope this all helps,
Robert
________
Ford performance vehicles history

Herb,

I chased an oil leak on my front engine for several months. I finally took the airplane to my FBO and their mechanic found it first try. It was leaking through the seal around the alternator shaft.

That's two votes for the alternator seal. Guess I know where you will be looking tonight :D

Gear Hoses
 

Hi Herb,
I to had the seal on the alternator in my front engine leaking. They fixed that and the push rod seals on my bird also were leaking. As for the gear hoses, my A&P purchased them from Cessna, because he said on that item Cessna price was close to after market price and he always got the right hoses. On other hoses he purchases after market. Good luck, Dale

This is fun!
 

Plastic panels? Are you referring to the interior? Those wonderful, high quality, decorative, fashionable luxury interior parts from Cessna? Stay tuned because we did not source any new plastic for this job, details coming.

Here is a start on the windshield. It was removed last night and actually was very easy to come out. Now if it just goes back in with a minimal amount of frustration I will be very pleased. I ordered all the glass yesterday and the company talked me into the grey tinted windshield. I know, several of you said not to go with the tint and stay with clear but my original was tinted and was just fine. This company sells all the glass to Cirrus, Mooney and Champion and all windshields are grey tint with solar control. Along with Piper and Cessna. I hope I am not disappointed but that's just what I did. The pilot and co-pilot windows are also grey tint and solar control and the rear are just grey tint because under the wing the solar control is not needed. I will probably drive to Flint Friday and pick up the whole window kit. They have the Cessna u-channel also.

Last night was another beautiful drive to Kzoo. 32 degrees and rain all the way down and then about 2 hours later it changed to snow with 29 degrees. The trip home at 11 PM was white knuckle. Well it's back down tonight to meet with the AI again. We'll start prepping the hull for the windows. Most everything is ready but around the windshield will still require some clean up. I have to remove the door window yet too. Trying to remove those little pins in the hinges has been a challenge. Once those items are finished we are ready for new glass all the way around.

After the windshield is out, the interior tech's will work on the glare shield to match the new interior. A lot easier to access this glare shield with the windshield out. The glare shield will be wrapped in leather or ultra suede to match the new components in re-upholstery process. I have seen some of the glare shields that Bill has done and they are really nice. Should be a big improvement.

I ordered the certified foam sound control insulation to go on the rear bulkhead and ceiling. I don't want to try to deal with the fiberglass garbage that Cessna used up in the headliner. It's going to be tedious to install but it's only time. (well money too, that stuff is expensive) I will use Pliobond (thanks GMAS for this) for adhering the foam to the interior skin. The patches that we have been discussing with the corrosion behind them, once removed and the corrosion treated with Alumaprep, Alodine and Chromate paint, a piece of the foam will be placed in that area to substitute for the linoleum patches that were there. They are not lead like some thought them to be but just a cheap linoleum (thanks Cessna) that contains salts and when the adhesive comes loose allows moisture to sneak in and ............. yep corrosion. The patches are there to keep the vibration down on the skin of the hull. Too much vibration and you could start to see fractures or cracks. The foam will absorb that vibration. So if you remove the patches make sure you replace it with something like the foam.

***Thanks to gmas for all the great ideas and tips***

Well that's about it for now, my second project is a Twinco with a gear motor issue. Love this unemployment stuff :-)

Herb,

Before you drill any holes in the new windshield, make sure you are using the special 4 flute bit. When I replaced my windshield 15 years ago, LP Aeroplastics made sure I knew I needed the special bit to drill for the thermometer.

I think the issue is that the regular 3 flute bits (which also have a different cutting edge angle) can cause the windshield to crack around the edge of the hole you are drilling.

Jim, yeah buddy on the drills. I to have had issues with drilling polycarbonate before. The company will provide (sell) me the bits that I need. Interesting enough they also will use a Unibit step drill for this material. I had never heard of this so I will find out more on this when I visit them on Friday.

More pictures were requested so here you go. The photos above are from my phone, not very good (I forgot the camera yesterday) so the owner of the place, Larry's Hanger, captured these fine photos for all you 337 addicts. Thanks Larry.

More photos from Larry at Larry's Custom Re-Furbishing Hanger. Hurry and schedule your project today, spaces are fill fast! That's Craig the Chief bottle washer (AI) on the project. We removed the door first, in doing so found the hinges a tad bit worn. Craig decided to look up the hinges for price and availability, one is around $200 but the other is like $2400 for just the door hinge!

late in the game
 

Hi, sorry to be so late with my comments... I haven’t had much time for the computer lately! I did my interior work when my plane was in the avionics shop. Those black patches need to come off and the glue needs to be removed! I used a plastic scraper for the big stuff, then went to work on the glue and corrosion with an angle grinder with skotchbrite disks. Then zincked the whole thing before installing insulation! In retrospect I would have somebody who is good with paint shoot the zinc on every thing made of metal then a clear coat on top to prevent peeling! Also the foam insulation is good stuff, but on the fire walls and maybe the roof over the front seats you should use leaded vinyl then foam. If you keep the double windows then you should have a pretty quiet plane! If you have questions about where to get TSO'd insulation at lower prices contact Ed Cabella at Flight Seating 817.338.1655 he did my upholstery work and I am very happy with it and what it cost.

I installed tinted windows on the sides and have slightly tinted windscreens and am very happy with the results, though the windows are pretty dark at night!

I also used Aero Enhancements glairshield lighting and had them make overlay pannels for all of my panels includeing vent surrounds and inbetween the throttle levers!

Good luck, Keep us posted



_travis

Here are a couple of photos that show the removed windshield and the trim cuts that were required when the original was installed. I don't understand why Cessna didn't just use holes here instead of cutting out slots. I wonder if they would have used holes they may have been able to eliminate the center strip (it is not really a true center post because the w/s is one piece) because the holes would secure the windshield to the cabin without the center strip. Must be a reason, Cessna is smarter than the average, right? That is the felt that is still on the edge of the w/s.

The inside center strip was really difficult to remove.

I am on Christmas Vacation, more to come next year :-)

Before Christmas break we started a couple projects; the BAS seat belt system and inspection of the fuel cells. I have a small stain under the right side aux that was due for some inspection. Because the aircraft is going to paint after the interior is complete it only made sense to tackle the fuel cell inspection now. I have some really good and friendly help from the owner of the facility. Thanks to all involved.

The photos below show the flap motor and gear mechanism. I thought I would shoot some pictures of this for reference if nothing else. The insulation that will be going back into the cabin is compared with the original Filter Glass that Cessna installed. I will be cutting and fitting the new approved foam for installation on the rear firewall and ceiling to start with. We will see how much time and money permits for the rest of the cabin. Where there was indication of corrosion behind the linoleum patches, the areas are being treated with Alumiprep and then rinsed with water. While the area is still wet I apply Alodine 1201 using a spray bottle and let it set in. Then rinse again with water and let it air dry overnight before treating the area with Zinc Chromate paint. Each area will be patched with the 1 inch foam to replace the original linoleum. The foam is attached with Pliobond adhesive. This is an approved adhesive that will not promote corrosion. The linoleum has salts in it, therefore when the Cessna adhesive allows moisture to migrate between the skin and the patch it corrodes. The patches are there for a purpose and that is why the foam will be the replacement item. These patches deaden the skin from vibrations that cause cracking in the skin. Thanks GMAS for the process just described. That's the trick, just takes a ton of time. Not really all that expensive for the supplies, just time, time, time. More insulation pictures to come later.

The other photos show the initial installation of the BAS restraint system for the pilots. The A/I is drilling the holes through the spar and roof to attach the shoulder belt nurse reel to the bracket provided by BAS. Again, because we are going to paint, we went ahead and buffed off the paint in the attachment areas for the BAS brackets. This was a little scary seeing a drill bit pushed through the spar and out the roof. I hope those holes are in the right place ;-) More BAS install photos to follow.

Well it's New Years Day and I think I'll hop in the Audi (Tammy's car) and take a visit to Larry's Hanger. It's been 19 days since I have seen my project. Stay tuned!

Photos described above

The slots are there to compensate for the expansion/contraction in the windshield. The acrylic plexiglass has a greater coeffecient than the surrounding structure. This assures that the windshield will not be under stress with temperature changes.

Actually, that center post keeps the windshield from being sucked out, not to hold it in. The natural forces around the windshield tend to suck it out, not blow it in. This is from some engineering data that I saw at Cessna. This is why it is easy to throw something out of the hinged DV window.