Don't have parts fail during OshKosh week

It's great having small vendors who normally give you terrific personal service.
With that said, you better hope that your sole source part doesn't fail during the week of OshKosh because they are closed for business and the item is not available.
I've found the part from the many spin off businesses but apparently they don't stock them and they drop ship from the mfr.

Sorry for the rant. But I'm getting ready for a long cross country out west next week & am grounded with a bad sender.
I'm going to start making a list of these inexpensive sole source items & build my own inventory.

DanLandry said:

It's great having small vendors who normally give you terrific personal service.
With that said, you better hope that your sole source part doesn't fail during the week of OshKosh because they are closed for business and the item is not available.
I've found the part from the many spin off businesses but apparently they don't stock them and they drop ship from the mfr.

Sorry for the rant. But I'm getting ready for a long cross country out west next week & am grounded with a bad sender.
I'm going to start making a list of these inexpensive sole source items & build my own inventory.

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Sorry to hear about that. Been there (broke part, vendor at "the big show, unavailable"), done that. Fortunately, I was at my home field when it happened, not halfway across the continent. I'd have probably blown a mental gasket if I'd been stuck in some little town in flyover country for a week because the vendor was busy that week.

That's one of my learnings. When critical items with single (small supplier) support go tango uniform on my airplane, I retrofit to something I can get shipped "next day" from Spruce, Van's, or whoever.

What broke?

Perhaps someone on VAF has one or knows of an alternative replacement.

-DC

parts failure

One thing that I learned many years ago racing cars, was to make "things" as interchangeable as possible, and still be "unique" enough to have an edge. I think that could apply to airplanes as well. Many items that you use to build YOUR plane, are the same as others have, except in a different location. Yes, the "one-off" parts may be cool, but might not be available from your local aviation isle at Autozone, NAPA, or even Lowes.

Hoses, fittings, maybe even tires might be available at a stop-over airport on a cross country. Senders, flow transducers, even rod ends, may not be, due to their propriotary use with a particular system in your plane. Obviously, you can't carry spare parts with you like the Nascar guys do ( in a 53 foot transporter), so you have to be able to find the replacement part at the location where you are at. That could be a tough situation if you are away from home and in an unfamiliar place.

It also occured to me that vendors have a responsibility to their customers to have parts available for AOG---even if they are at a "show".
Its great to be able to go to an event like AirVenture, or Sun N Fun, but alot of us didnt go for various reasons. We still have orders to fill for customers, and even if we did go, it would be pretty expensive to take your "entire staff" to one of those events.

I'm sure that I have a different opinion than others, (being a newbee), but gee, what better way to mess up a great trip that to have a part failure that you cant get replaced do to "logistical "problems. Maybe this great RV community can come up with a way to help solve this problem and help fellow RVers.
Tom

TS Flightlines said:

Maybe this great RV community can come up with a way to help solve this problem and help fellow RVers.
Tom

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Actually Tom, it has - time and time again! I can't count the number of times that folks have asked for help here on the forums, needing apart, and someone has given them what they needed out of their "private stock" within minutes. Many times, it is a builder who has something unique sitting on the shelf, and isn't going to need it for a year....he gives it to someone who is AOG, and the recipient replaces it for the donor later. It's a great system that has helped me a number of times!

Which says it really pays to know other builders in your area....

I agree

Paul, I agree 100%. I have seen it at the local airport that I frequent. I was really getting on the vendors who close up shop for a week and dont supply their customers.
I was also saying that the "trick of the week" part or installation, may not be in the best interest of reliability. From what I have seen, the RV community is the best group of family member that I can imagine. From technical help, to parts, this group is the best. I probably spoke out of turn. I dont know what part Dan was refering to in his post, but i am sure that someone can help.
Tom

I have located the part, a FT-LC-01 oil temp probe used in conjunction with the EIS4000.
I'm still trying to get it shipped from South Florida. The hold up now is trying to pay for it via an electronic invoice. I'm waiting for it now.
It's a $20 part.

Fortunately, this part failed at my home base.
I could still fly(short flight) but would be flying blind with no oil temps reporting.
Too much risk for me although all other systems go.

DanLandry said:

I have located the part, a FT-LC-01 oil temp probe used in conjunction with the EIS4000.
I'm still trying to get it shipped from South Florida. The hold up now is trying to pay for it via an electronic invoice. I'm waiting for it now.
It's a $20 part.

Fortunately, this part failed at my home base.
I could still fly(short flight) but would be flying blind with no oil temps reporting.
Too much risk for me although all other systems go.

Click to expand...

Dan, this is very interesting as I am having issues with my oil temp readout on the GRT HX on my plane. I just posted a thread about my problems with the oil pressure and oil temperature readouts on my GRT.

Do you have any details on what is going on with your oil temps? I am not sure if I might need to replace my probe or not but can you give information on where you got this part?

RVbySDI said:

Dan, this is very interesting as I am having issues with my oil temp readout on the GRT HX on my plane. I just posted a thread about my problems with the oil pressure and oil temperature readouts on my GRT.

Do you have any details on what is going on with your oil temps? I am not sure if I might need to replace my probe or not but can you give information on where you got this part?

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My oil temp is reporting 59 degrees.
I believe this is the baseline reading.
I've never had a problem with it until I changed my oil. On my startup, to check for leaks, it's reporting 59 degrees. I thought I might have hit the sender wires and maybe shorted it while removing the oil filter. I've not taken it apart until I get my new one in the event I want to do a short flight.

I have a new part coming from http://www.affordablepanels.com
They don't normally sell parts but he had some extras that he could send me.
If you email them from the website, their address is incorrect. It's [email protected] (the 2 is omitted from the webpage)

Rv part support

Dan,

Next time just post your request on this site. I am still building, live in Tampa and would have been happy to let you take mine.

Pat

Pat Stewart said:

Dan,

Next time just post your request on this site. I am still building, live in Tampa and would have been happy to let you take mine.

Pat

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Thanks Pat. I appreciate the offer.

I didn't ask cause this is the kind of part that if you have it, most likely you've already installed it on your engine. I didn't want to have anybody inconvenienced if I could get it another way.

Also, I guess it's because at our local airport, I'm the guy who always has the extra parts, brakes, o rings, hardware... Not this time.

I'll save the rescue for when I'm out of my local area.

You're never alone when you can get a connection to this site.
Thanks Doug.

BTW, my part shipped today & I should get it tomorrow.

I just wish

that vendors would tell you if they were working over Oshkosh week. I ordered some stuff from a vender with 2nd day air for shipping Monday morning and their website states if the order is before 2PM it will ship that day. No word from the vendor, no product, no responses to email or phone calls... very unprofessional.

All it takes is a banner on the webpage...

If anyone needs anything from us, Dynon still has full time support, production, ordering, and shipping staff at the office even when we're at Oshkosh, or any airshow.

dynonsupport said:

If anyone needs anything from us, Dynon still has full time support, production, ordering, and shipping staff at the office even when we're at Oshkosh, or any airshow.

Click to expand...

Thank you Dynon.
I'm using the D10A and am looking forward to upgrading to the SkyView as soon as your moving map becomes available.