A65-8

[Steve]

A few questions:
1. My engine has no primer. My mechanic has ordered one and we plan to install it next week, any suggestions? Is it worth it?

2. The throttle cable makes a rather acute bend in its course thru the engine, over the oil tank to the carb, any suggestions?

3. My plane has had now at least three different tachs in its life. The current one is placed in a position where I believe a left sided glove/map box was probably located. The cable exits the engine and makes a sharp turn to the left, and it is at this point it touches the firewall and continually leaks oil. The tach seems to work fine, and it is just a little oil, but is this worth changing?

4. The breather tube sure drips alot of oil (at least compared to my prior planes). An air/oil separator is an expensive fix. How about this extension that goes into the engine at the breathers origin. Is this a big deal? Does it need 337's and all of that?

[lktiller]

My opinions, experience
1) Primer, Yes. Worth it in cold weather. 'course I'm in the South. Couple of shots, leave it unlocked, start the engine, LOCK THE PRIMER. LOCK THE PRIMER. Put that on your checklist.
I cranked a '41 t-craft for several years without a primer. Had to spin the prop until fuel ran out of the carb. Crank it, engine would fire and stop, do it again until the engine was warm enough to run.

2)If the throttle cable moves smoothly & freely and the carb butterfly valve has full range of motion, all should be ok. Mine has a curve over the tank but no sharp bends.
If you are concerned about yours get the mechanic/IA to approve a firewall hole in a better position.

3)My tach cable does not leak! Only difference from your description is I have a right angle adapter at the instrument end.

4) Breather tube position has long been a topic of discussion for Magazine writers & web lists. What I get from those is the fix is unique for every aircraft.
The tube extension inside the engine may be the best fix for engines with high time. The extension puts the tube out of most of the vapor/splash area.
Others seem to benefit more by changing the position of the exit tube. Try to get the end in an area of higher pressure if you keep it under the cowl.
I fly cheap! Can't justify buying an oil separator.
My setup drips very little. I actually have carpet under the aircraft. The tube is extended to the bottom rear of the cowling and sticks out in the breeze about two inches. Keep it away from the exhaust.
Big Advantage. I do not have oil streaks on the bottom of the fuselage.

[Forrest Barber]

Never heard of one without a primer, yes have it installed. The cable should not "bend" only curve , it has to go over the tank and there is a "clamp" at the oil tank. cannot move where it exits the firewall , big tank behind it!!

[Robert Lees]

Forrst, my restoration project don't have no primer. My spare Taylorcraft does (both are A-65-8), the only apparent difference is the number of blades during sucking-in.

[Forrest Barber]

No no I mean from the factory what happened after that I am not responsible for doing. Maybe it happened but I cannot find a primer as being "optional" .

[Garry Crookham]

Steve:

There is an oil seal in the tach drive housing thats supposed to keep the oil from travelling up the tach cable. It is pretty easy to change the seal.


_______________
Garry Crookham
N5112M
Tulsa, Ok

[Goneflyin]

The tach drive housing is reverse thread I think and don't put the new seal over the slot in the shaft, my seal was changed 3 times by different shops and each time they pushed the seal in over the keyway and drip drip drip goes the oil on the right leg.

Bill

[Robert Lees]

Bill:

Can anyone confirm it's a reverse thread? And what shape is the seal (is it an "O" ring or a flat sided seal?

Rob

[Goneflyin]

The seal I'm talking about is #642714 in the A/S catalog ffor $5.40, it's a regular little oil seal. The adapter on the accessory case that the cable hooks up to on mine is definetly reverse thread. Somewhere in it's life someone rounded off the hex part and then took a pair of pliers to the outer part of the housing and buggered it all up. When I got the plane in 98 it had 3 seals in a 2 year period, After putting the seal in I've put 300 and some hours on it and no leaks. Mine pushed oil into the tach and the needle was inconsistent in it's readings. I sort of misss the brown strip on my leg though.

Bill

[Garry Crookham]

Rob

The tach drive housing has left hand threads. The 6 cylinder Continental tach drive adapters also use left hand threads. We see a lot of them that have been damaged. Had one last week that someone had used a pipe wrench to try and get it loose....needless to say that even a pipe wrench won't loosen it when it's pulled the wrong direction!

___________________
Garry Crookham
N5112M
Tulsa