Re-installing the new engine

During the examination of the engine area, the astute mechanic at Aviation Research noted that there was some cracking in the aluminum in the area of the nose bowl. Although cracking does occur, it generally appears on older airplanes and not in a new installation. so we pulled the engine (installed just a year ago) and examined the installation. What we found was simply frightening.

The mechanic that had originally done the work in rebuilding the nose bowl to accommodate the new engine did as bad a job as Aviation Research had ever seen. Parts were forced to fit, holes were drilled and elongated, the engine mounts were installed incorrectly, and the wrong engine mounting bolts were installed (they could be turned by hand prior to removal of the engine). New parts were damaged beyond repair.


When the parts were assembled, the drill shavings were not even cleaned from the mating surfaces. We were now faced with a complete rebuild of the nose bowl and re-installation of the new engine. An effort of nearly 3 months and a significant expense. The only bright spot is that the mistake had been discovered and was correctable. So the work began.

In the meantime, work continued on other parts of the airplane. The autopilot servos were installed, new honeycomb aluminum floorboards were fitted, the tip tanks and the related fuel system went in without a hitch. We re-scheduled the paint and interior for May, 2009 and feel like that is an achievable date.