Jeff,
Those hair raising tales are almost enough to make a guy quite flying,
but not quite.
Bob Stone, Harker Heights, Tx
rsto...@hot.rr.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <jeffyor...@qx.net>
To: "KRnet" <kr...@mylist.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 12:39 PM
Subject: Re: Réf. : KR> KRs around the world
WOW !!
Now I do not feel so bad for doing really dumb things too.
While doing some engine maintenance one day, I forgot to fully tighten one
of the oil lines going to the remote oil filter.
As my luck would have it, there was a big party going on at the hanger
across from me. Probably about a hundred people. Of course this is part of
the reason that I will blame for the dumb blunder as people where
constantly coming over to look at the weird little airplane I was working
on. This distraction my have been to blame for me not double checking my
work. OK, that's my story and I am sticking to it.
Anyway, I pulled the airplane outside, started her up and soon realized that
a lot of oil was being dumped and sprayed all over the place. Even all the
way back onto my car.
Nobody in the crowd next door seemed to notice. However, I spent the next
couple of hours cleaning up my mess. It actually only dumped a quart but
with a propeller spaying it, it made a big mess.
But, this is not the most embarrassing moment I have had with an airplane.
That would be the day I hand propped my Varieze and the carb return spring
sprung off and the engine went to full throttle. I ended up chasing the
plane and getting dragged for about 75 yards. I felt I had no choice as the
engine went to full throttle just as I was walking up to the cockpit. It was
either drop and get hit by the propeller. Varieze's are rear engine. There
was also the thought of it hitting something else or even worse taking off
without me.
I probably should not have told this story on the internet. OK I did it so
the rest of you guys don't feel so stupid when you do something dumb. Again,
That's my story and I am sticking to it.
Jeff York
KR-2 Flying
N839BG
Home page http://web.qx.net/jeffyork40/
My KR-2 http://web.qx.net/jeffyork40/Airplane/ to see my KR-2
Email jeffyor...@qx.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Serge VIDAL" <serge.vi...@sagem.com>
To: "KRnet" <kr...@mylist.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 10:05 AM
Subject: Réf. : KR> KRs around the world
> I know it's not Friday, but all this oil leak talk made me feel like I
> should share that painful memory with you, guys!
>
> A few years ago, in South Africa, I was busy upgrading the instrument
> panel of my taildragger KR2. Obviously, the aircraft was grounded for a
> while, so it was a good time to do some engine maintenance too. Then, one
> day, I finished the new instrument panel, and felt like fitting it
> quickly, so that I could resume the fun part: FLYING! . So, after work, I
> drove directly to the hangar, installed the new instrument panel,
> reconnected all the wires and lines, and prepared the freshly serviced
> engine for a run-up.
>
> At about 8 PM, I asked Andrew, the Black guy who kept the hangar to open
> the doors. I pushed the aircraft outside, and got ready for the engine
> run-up. Obviously, I did not bother to put the engine cowling back.
> Wheels chocked, tail tied town; I swinged the prop, and sat happily in the
> cockpit... until Andrew signalled that something was wrong. I shut the
> engine, and asked "What's wrong?". Andrew answered: "Eeesssh! Baas, the
> oil, she is too much!". And indeed, there was a very large oil pool under
> the engine, exactly as he said!
>
> So, I learnt my first lesson of the night: do not, ever, forget the seals
> when you put the tappet covers back, otherwise you are going for a serious
> oil mess!
>
> A few minutes later, tappet covers seals duly in place, all evidence of
> the blunder wiped clean, I made a second start, sat in the cockpit, and
> happily revved the engine, when suddenly, I got the disturbing feelng that
> my pants were wet. A glance down confirmed the impression: my pants were
> soaked with engine oil!
>
> That's how Iearnt my second lesson of the night: when installing the
> instrument panel, never, ever, forget to reconnect the oil line of the oil
> pressure gauge, otherwise you are going for a VERY serious oil mess!
>
> Oh, well! Now, my heart was filled with anger, so I smartly channelled
> that anger towards the one-and-only culprit: the MECHANICAL oil gauge!
> What a stupid idea, anyway, to run a high pressure, high temperature oil
> line inside a cockpit! What would happen if the line burst in flight, eh?
> Who wants to get an engine failure and a pair of burnt legs to boot?
>
> Incidentally, a few days ago,I had bought an electrical oil pressure
> gauge, which I intended to mount some day. Well, let's say that's the day.
> I am not going to ever start that engine again with that sillly mechanical
> oil gauge!
>
> So, I rushed home, took the electrical gauge, informed my wife that she
> was in for a lonely evening, and rushed back to the airfield. By the time
> I was back, Andrew had wiped any evidence of my second blunder clean. How
> nice of him!
>
> Installing that electric gauge took nearly two hours of hard work. You
> see, my engine has fancy baffles, made of mild steel, which had to be
> reshaped to fit the sender, so a lot of drilling and grinding was
> required. But a couple hours later, I was ready for my third engine
> run-up, this time with an electrical oil sender in place. With such a safe
> and reliable solution now fitted, nothing else could go wrong, right?
>
> Well, not quite. This time, it took a few minutes before Andrew gave me
> the dreaded signal again. Oh, no! ANOTHER oil mess! Sprayed all over the
> engine!
>
> A short investigation led to the third lesson of the night: when drilling
> and grinding in the oil sender area, make sure you don't nick the oil
> cooler, even slightly, because the darn thing is VERY fragile and any tiny
> nick may result in a high pressure oil leak!, which in turn will give you
> a VERY BAD oil mess!
>
> That last blunder was the most costly, because, you see, VW Type 4 oil
> coolers are expensive, and also hard to find. But at least, I did not have
> to tell them at the shop why exactly I needed one!
>
>
> Serge Vidal
> KR2 "Kilimanjaro Cloud"
> Paris, France
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