Top cowl hinges available, NEW!

[Hank Jarrett]

A day late and a Dollar short for me but hopefully useful for anyone who needs a new hinge for the top cowl. I spent a LOT of time straightening and smoothing out the three pieces of the top cowl hinges for my planes. You know, the ones where the long hinge pieces are "supposed to " slide over each other. My repaired ones are sitting on the bench in the garage ready to go back to the airport to be built into my top cowl doors and what do I find while looking for wheel bearing washers?
https://www.joesantiqueauto.com/imag...ed/catalog.pdf Page 63 of 157 on the left hand side is a replacement hinge from Joe's Antique Auto! Stainless Steel and brand new. Listed under HOOD CENTER HINGES No sign of the front and rear little fairings….YET. Hope this helps some of you guys.

If anyone finds the part numbers for the washers that cover the main gear wheel bearings let me know!


Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Looks like the same Catalogue also has the trim handle (he uses it for a window winder) and some of the door handles I have seen on Taylorcrafts. Looks like Taylor did quite a bit of shopping at car parts stores before WW-II!

Hank

[EXPlanes]

I agree with you. I think the early aircraft engineers and manufacturers were very creative but also didnt want to reinvent the wheel when it came to era parts that were already available and fabricated for the transportation industry. If the FAA understood this many proven experimental aircraft components available today could be used on the older aircraft. Let's face it they are safely flying on many kit and plans built aircraft. This alone would assist the owners (and many who could be owners) of early aircraft the option of an improved component at a lower cost.

I have seen many automotive parts used for Champs and Chiefs in addition to Taylorcrafts and Pipers. Good examples are copper fittings, valves, filters, rebuilt starters and alternators. Obviously, one has to evaluate and understand what they are buying but it is possible to be successful. A component I never go cheap on is fasteners. Aircraft fasteners today are not only available but actually inexpensive.

[Ragwing nut]

they are a close approximation but not the same. I think several people have used them. They are also steel or stainless, not aluminum. Many aircraft parts of that era came from automobiles.

[Jim Herpst]

Looks like the same Catalogue also has the trim handle (he uses it for a window winder) and some of the door handles I have seen on Taylorcrafts. Looks like Taylor did quite a bit of shopping at car parts stores before WW-II!

Hank

Hank, Are you able to provide the Trim Handle (ok Window crank handle) that will work as a replacement ? Many there however I cannot discern which one will work. 46 BC12D. I think they were all the same for many years

[Hank Jarrett]

I salvaged a few trim handles from wrecked planes but most are pitted and have some corrosion. I cleaned up two of them for my two planes and they came out pretty good Basically bead blasted them exposing lots of pits in the Ni plating (Nickle plating was more common around WW-II and was less expensive than Chrome). I primed them and filled the pits with Epoxy, then sanded and filed them smooth, followed by a second prime and used Rustolium Chrome paint. Their chrome paint does NOT look like chrome but is just "dusky" enough to look just like old Nickel plating. With a coat of clear the finishis very convincing. I need to look and see if I still have any of them left.

Hank.

[Jim Herpst]

I salvaged a few trim handles from wrecked planes but most are pitted and have some corrosion. I cleaned up two of them for my two planes and they came out pretty good Basically bead blasted them exposing lots of pits in the Ni plating (Nickle plating was more common around WW-II and was less expensive than Chrome). I primed them and filled the pits with Epoxy, then sanded and filed them smooth, followed by a second prime and used Rustolium Chrome paint. Their chrome paint does NOT look like chrome but is just "dusky" enough to look just like old Nickel plating. With a coat of clear the finishis very convincing. I need to look and see if I still have any of them left.

Hank.

Hank,

Actually what you did to your was what I was thinking of doing. In fact exactly.
No need to look for one as I do have one. Frankly I have not seen a handle on the antique car parts catalogs that I have been able to match up the mounting as being the same. That said one can bet is it IS out there.

[George Bassett]

Look at Model A Ford car parts. 1931 Slant Window Town Sedan Model 160B Window cranks nickel plated is the same thing that is on my 46BC12D trim knob.

[Jim Herpst]

Look at Model A Ford car parts. 1931 Slant Window Town Sedan Model 160B Window cranks nickel plated is the same thing that is on my 46BC12D trim knob.

Will do that. Thank you George