Oil Temperature/Oil Pressure

[Frank DeBartolo]

Re: Oil Temperature/Oil Pressure

The first thread on this page was in 2004. I did tear it down and the crankshaft was scored We did a major overhaul on the engine in 2004-05 and it has run great since. If anyone is experiencing any of the symptoms on the first thread, it probably is the crankshaft--mine was scored and I bought the airplane a year before. It supposedly had a major overhaul. Logbook overhaul and probably some new rings to keep the compression up. 10 grand later it runs good.

Frank D
N43684

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Oil Temperature/Oil Pressure

Had a similar experience with my first Taylorcraft. It had a run out engine in a crate and had a freshly installed engine with 6 hours on a major. The seller said it smoked a little but that was part of the "break-in". The whole plane was a good deal anyway so I bought it. Turns out the engine had an "Aerosol Overhaul". It had been torn down, all the parts painted, new valve seats put in the cylinders (but NOT ground!), and it was all bolted back together. Sure was pretty! I didn't like the smoke and had an IA look at it. He wanted to pull a jug and we started tearing it apart. Needless to say I grabbed the run out engine from the crate and did a REAL overhaul on it.
In his defense, the guy who sold it to me offered to take the whole thing back but I was in love by this time with the Taylorcraft (love isn't blind, it's stupid). We DID change the sale price. The seller had bought the engine at a fly-in, in a crate with all the logs looking good, and the engine DID look great.
I reported the engine to the FAA and they checked the IA out who did the overhaul. The engine was overhauled in New England, by a name that wasn't in the FAA database using a number for a legit IA in Oklahoma. No way to trace where it came from except it WAS from a Taylorcraft.
Live and learn. The PROP I got in the deal is worth more now than I paid for the whole package, so I'm happy. Someday I'll get back to working on those pretty parts.
Hank

[Frank DeBartolo]

Re: Oil Temperature/Oil Pressure

Hank,

How true, how true about love not being blind but being stupid. And I still love my T-Craft. It is probably the best airplane for the dollars event though I have more in it than it is worth. I love it every time I see it and love it more when I fly it. I'd do it all over again.

By the way, I think I know why the T-Craft is not as popular as some similar planes of its day. I am 5' 6" and weigh appx 160-165#. It is easy for me to get in and out of the airpane. My larger friends struggle with ingress and egress of the airplane. The plane flies better than a Champ or Cub, is more forgiving than a Luscombe and and faster than all except the Luscombe. I just think a larger person will struggle with the ergonomics. Taylor must not have been a little guy. Don't know for sure but is just a guess on my part as to why Champs and Cubs seem to be more popular.

Frank D
N43684

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Oil Temperature/Oil Pressure

That's funny! I'm 6' 3" and weigh 217#. A actually wrote a quick article on how to get in and out of a Taylorcraft for "healthy" guys a few years ago. It's on the list here somewhere. If I can find it I will re-post.
Believe it or not, it ISN'T that hard to get in and out of for me. Of course I drive a Miata on a daily basis and don't consider it tight either.

[larrysmith1016]

Re: Oil Temperature/Oil Pressure

Larry, the reason the Accy case is 850.00 is because welding magnesium is a bitch and no other shop in the country will do it right. You can always get another accy case that is good, I bought one of the few aluminum ones and it was brand new but I got lucky. Good luck Tim

We have an aluminum accessory case and a magnesium one. Both of them need rebuilding. If you know where there is a new aluminum rear case, I'd be interested.

I can't see sending one of those off with $850 to Drake if a new or rebuilt accessory case can be purchased at a more reasonable price.