Both of these lens were broken unknown years ago and in the case of the left wing tip something had actually bent the housing. We were able to remove the assembly and repair the damage. I know it's a small thing but every little bit is moving us closer to getting her airworthiness back!
I also replaced the gas cap gaskets to help keep the water out of the tanks. In a perfect world your gaskets should be soft and supple, however after sitting for 10 years mine were hard as a rock. This causes the cap to not seal properly which lets water run right into the wing tanks.This is the old seal
This is the new seal, see how nice and white and fluffy it is.
Look how brittle and hard the seal is, that is no good.
I absolutely love this blog. I look forward to all the updates. You're doing the Cherokee world a huge service by resurrecting this poor girl!! Keep the pics and info coming. I'm particularly interested in any snags you guys hit along the way. I bought a Warrior II that had been sitting outside for quite some time. I keep finding little things that are probably a result of the neglect. (Brake caliper o-rings, strut o-rings, scissor link bushings, tight jack screws, tough elevator/aileron hinges, oxidized Plexiglas, etc..) Anything that's rubber will probably have to be replaced! I can vouch for that. If it's one thing I've learned keep lots of various types of lubricant around; you're gonna need it. (For the plane and your ### when your wife finds out about the bills and attempts to insert them into....well you get the idea.) I have Aircraft Spruce on speed dial! What part of the U.S. are you in? Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comments....I am down at EQY near Charlotte NC.
Deletehttps://disciplesofflight.com/rescuing-indian/
ReplyDeleteAwesome we need to meet up and fly them together
DeleteJoesph, EQY isn't that far of a flight from CRW. If you'll accept some volunteer help a fellow Cherokee owner and I might be willing to come down one Saturday and roll up our sleeves for an afternoon. Let me know!
ReplyDeleteSure thing the more the merrier...I try and work on it as much as I can every weekend. In fact today I've got a full day planned at the hangar
DeleteHi ... I just got a Cherokee that is back in the air, but we are still fixing the small stuff. Can I ask where you got your gaskets for your fuel caps? That one has been a bit of a mystery for me.
ReplyDeleteSure they came from aircraft spruce. They are simple piper fuel gaskets. If you look in the parts manual it will show the part number for your model. They were only a couple bucks....
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