68 Turbo with electrical problem

[cbxmike]

Dave,

The compass is a great idea. I'll have to explain to my teenagers why the compass app on their smart phones won't work for this.

Yes, I agree to that a dual Alt failure is hard to believe. I typically fly long trips so I guess one could have failed initially and I didn't recognize it. I have the Alt restart button. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't that used on older style Alts that did not automatically flash their field when running?

I've heard from another Skymaster Mechanic friend who brought a dozen or so O-2's out of the dessert many years ago that the mating surface for the Altenators can be tricky or uneven due to a poor engine case design in that area and that oil leaks after replacing Altenators can be problematic. Anyone able to confirm this?

Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention that I'm kind of a battery guy and I always put the battery right on a charger after running the engines. I typically keep it on a "maintainer" float charger while sitting in the hanger. It's made for aircraft applications and not something generic. Some believe in these "tenders" and some say no. I've had good luck with them over the years.

Thanks,

Mike

[DrDave]

Hi Mike:

The procedure of flashing the field only pertained to generators. The oil leak issue is present with every accessory pad on the accessory case. I totally agree with putting the battery on a tender or maintainer as soon as you roll it back into the hanger. I typically get 12 years out of a car battery. I can get seven years out of the batteries on my motorcycles.

Do you have any new info to add to your findings on the charging system? I'd be glad to give you my number if you wanted to talk through this.

Dave

[cbxmike]

Dave,

We are waiting on a Working VR to arrive and try that as a last resort. I would be glad to speak with you directly. Thank you for the offer! The last thing I want to do is start replacing alternators unnecessarily.

Mike