How to get pickled?

[1000 HP]

I'm thinking next fall of pickling my Mooney's IO-360 and parking the beast for 6 months. Any hints? How about the fuel system and tires? The bird is in a hanger, and although it is for sale, it is overpriced and unlikely to sell, so I may as well just keep working with it. Any ideas are appreciated.

[Colonel Sanders]

If it's not a 231/252 "K" model (with TCM) you
probably want to look at Lycoming SL 180B:

http://www.lycoming.com/support/publica ... SL180B.pdf

You need some Shell 2F, dessicant spark plugs, etc.

Depending upon where you're storing it (humidity,
salt in the air) a more drastic method of engine pickling
that an AME told me about (that he uses for float
planes) is to put a pan under the engine and entirely
fill the engine with oil, to try to submerge the camshaft
and lifters in oil. Don't expose them to air at all. I
haven't tried this method, but it sounds interesting.
You might also invest in a pint of camguard to try to
slow down the corrosion.


As far as the airframe goes, I would strongly suggest
pulling the battery and taking it home and putting it
in your basement. Service it with distilled water and
either leave a battery "tender" on it permanently, or
manually charge it up to 15V every couple of weeks
with a $10 constant current charger, which are NOT
safe to leave on permanently, even if they are only
2 amps.

These are on sale for $30 this week at Canadian Tire
and they will NOT fry your battery - they are constant
voltage, and thus can be left on all winter:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4 ... ?locale=en

Don't let your batter go dry, and don't let it go flat.
I wish more people would spend $30 on a tender.

Personally, I like the RG batteries from Concorde - no
battery acid to muck with, and they don't go flat as fast
as the lead acid batteries.


Again, depending upon the humidity and salinity, you
might want to hose down the airframe lightly with
some corrosion-X.

Keep your airplane away from UV.

Some guys like to pull the radios and take them
home. In a hangar, I'm not sure it's really necessary
except perhaps for theft. I don't like to mess with
the connectors at the back of the radios/trays if
they're working.

[Heliian]

One thing that we are running into now a days is that manufacturers are putting storage procedures and time limits in their MM's which need to be adhered to and include flyable storage, temporary storage and extended storage The easiest thing to do is just fly it once a week but if that's not doable then you'll want to follow the manufacturers instructions on preservation.

Regardless of type of a/c and engine, you want to lubricate all the points, spray with corrosion inhibitor any exposed metal, condition the leather, cover the windows(if outside) to prevent uv damage, clean and wipe down the prop with inhibitor(small erosion pits can trap salt and moisture and cause detrimental corrosion), make sure the interior is clean and dry under the carpets, pull the battery, check tire pressure and put tyres on dry carpet or wood (tyres will rot on concrete) also make sure tyres are clean as any leaked fluid from an oleo will rot the tyre. As for the fuel system, they may recommend a compatible corrosion inhibitor for the fuel system internal or one theory is to keep the tanks full to keep moisture out and prevent the tanks for corroding but still undissolved water can accumulate in the low points and cause corrosion or breakdown of bladders. Leaving the fuel system dry though will be bad for the seals and diaphragms.

You could completely fill the engine i guess, I've never done it and it would really only be viable for a removed engine.

[Colonel Sanders]

The easiest thing to do is just fly it once a week

Exactly! I don't know why owners find this such a
difficult option, when the alternative - let the engine
internally corrode - is so expensive. At least $25k.

Pickling is generally more trouble than just starting and
flying the damned thing, but is essential to avoid damage
if it's not going to fly.

[Beefitarian]

Maybe you should sell me a 1/100th share. (Because I'll need a little dual unless you can check me out to your insurance provider's and your satisfaction.) Park it in Airdrie. When you come home, stop at YYC, I pick you up. You relax as long as you need to. The mooney is fueled up and ready for you to fly it home until you go back to work.

When it's time to go back. Fly it to Airdrie I pick you up again and drop you off for your flight back to work with your laundry done and a case of delicious stag chili.

[Shiny Side Up]

a more drastic method of engine pickling
that an AME told me about (that he uses for float
planes) is to put a pan under the engine and entirely
fill the engine with oil, to try to submerge the camshaft
and lifters in oil.

I've never done it before, but this is exactly what my Suzuki maintenance manual reccomends for long term storage. In addition to filling the crank case to the top, it reccomends a tablespoon of oil into each of the spark plug holes as well (keep in mind it has a bore of 62.6 mm and a stroke of 48.7mm for a total displacement between the 4 cylinders of 599 cc so a tbsp is a fair bit of oil in each of those). The oil goes into the plug holes before the crank case is filled and then the engine is turned over manually a few times (with plugs in place). I can't see why a similar procedure wouldn't work with any engine.

[cgzro]

I suppose you could pull the oil pressure relief and pump oil in from the drain until it comes out the relief valve hole but much easier to fly, infact if i remember correctly it is ok to do the odd very short flight with the 2f.

[1000 HP]

Maybe you should sell me a 1/100th share. (Because I'll need a little dual unless you can check me out to your insurance provider's and your satisfaction.) Park it in Airdrie. When you come home, stop at YYC, I pick you up. You relax as long as you need to. The mooney is fueled up and ready for you to fly it home until you go back to work.

When it's time to go back. Fly it to Airdrie I pick you up again and drop you off for your flight back to work with your laundry done and a case of delicious stag chili.

This is the best one yet. I'm thinking about it...

[Shiny Side Up]

The start of "Beefitarian's Light Aircraft Concierge Service"?

[Beefitarian]

Oh oh, my laundry commitment might be increasing. What have I done? I should have just offered the chili.

[comfail]

The easiest thing to do is just fly it once a week

Exactly! I don't know why owners find this such a
difficult option

I'm too lazy to figure out how to make more money, so I'm stuck working 60 hours per week to pay for my spam can...

Hey Beef, Stag chilli for Mooney time? Keep a case of Puritan stew and some Tang in the baggage area of my 172 and maybe we can figure something out. My wife already does my laundry.

[Colonel Sanders]

Wrong tree. I will fly anything for a case of

[Beefitarian]

Hey Beef, Stag chilli for Mooney time? Keep a case of Puritan stew and some Tang in the baggage area of my 172 and maybe we can figure something out. My wife already does my laundry.

Is it parked at Airdrie?

[1000 HP]

Nope. Lloydminster. I'd fly it more but I am out of country for nearly 7 months per year. I'm putting it up for sale on the controller this week. I put 25 hours on it in October, and only 1 since then It's a beautiful airplane but it needs a dedicated owner. Trades considered...

[Beefitarian]

Comfail's 172 was the subject of that last question. The reason I said Airdrie is because I live a ten minute bicycle ride from CYYC but parking and landing fees there are a bit much.

Hopefully your plane can find another good home.

Do you keep a maintenance fund, if so how much do you put aside per hour when you fly?

[comfail]

Is it parked at Airdrie?

Unfortunately not Beef. And a few days ago I went to check up on it and found that it's surrounded by 3 foot snow drifts and has 2" of ice on all the critical surfaces. The price of neglect I suppose, but with our nice winter last year I wasn't prepared for what happened this year. I did heed the Colonel's advice though and added a gallon of 2F and removed the battery after my last flight in November. Makes me feel a bit better I suppose.

[Beefitarian]

You should get some of that cam-guard stuff he posted about somewhere also I suspect.

Some of the winters in the Calgary region last five years or so, have been a little more like they were in the 1970s.

Nice thing about here is it's pretty dry humidity wise. Bad for asthma but good for machinery that sits idle. My dad's 51 Merc is not as rusty as my 79 F-250.