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Section 44: Spinner and propeller questions

Stockmanreef

Well Known Member
I am about to embark on putting on the prop and fitting the spinner.

1. Install the prop according to the manufacturers instructions. What flange is on the IO-390?

2. 44-04: I assume that step 2 can be ignored: Remove spark plug from each cylinder so that the prop can be rotated to drill. Everything that I have read (including the plans) says to not rotate the prop if you want preserve the pickling of the engine. So just leave prop in place and drill.

3. Do most people put the prop on at this point and leave it in place? I know that it has to be in place for the cowling fitting, but then can I just put it back in the box and install later

4. If I do install permanently, then the plugs have to be remove from the engine. Does removal of these impact the pickling of the engine?

Thanks
Ken
 
I am about to embark on putting on the prop and fitting the spinner.

1. Install the prop according to the manufacturers instructions. What flange is on the IO-390?

2. 44-04: I assume that step 2 can be ignored: Remove spark plug from each cylinder so that the prop can be rotated to drill. Everything that I have read (including the plans) says to not rotate the prop if you want preserve the pickling of the engine. So just leave prop in place and drill.

3. Do most people put the prop on at this point and leave it in place? I know that it has to be in place for the cowling fitting, but then can I just put it back in the box and install later

4. If I do install permanently, then the plugs have to be remove from the engine. Does removal of these impact the pickling of the engine?

Thanks
Ken

I waited as long as I could to do these steps but decided to move as fast as possible once done to get to engine running. So part of the answers depend on how long it will be from now until you're running the engine. Also, the environment (especially humidity) you're working in.

Not sure I understand question #1 - engine comes with the starter ring and in front of that are the mounting points for prop bolts. To my knowledge it's a standard prop mounting.

#2/4: I drained the pickling oil at this point. (some of it came out when I put the sniffle valve in place). I was working in an air conditioned space and expected to be running the engine within 2-3 months. I discussed this at length with my tech advisor who said it would be fine. It would be hard to do all the steps (won't say impossible) without rotating the prop. At some point you have to move it to set mag or other timing. VERY HARD to fully fit cowling without some movement of prop.

#3: Once I mounted the prop I left it in place. There's an O-ring that seals the prop that is vulnerable to damage if prop is removed, and I didn't want to have to potentially replace that, nor risk damage to prop by lifting it again. Easier to wrap prop with thick padding once it was on the airplane.

I would add that if you're concerned about engine preservation there are other options: fogging, dehydrator plugs are one (see here: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/tanis1.php). The pickling oil is very thick/sticky and my gut feeling is that it probably sticks around for a while in most parts of the engine. Cylinder walls may be an exception but fogging oil/dehydrator plugs can help address that.

Once I moved from my air conditioned garage to hangar, I did some dry runs of starter (mags off/plugs out) with oil in the sump to circulate oil (mineral oil) in the engine while waiting for first start. But I was running the engine and flying within 3 weeks of moving to hangar.

FINAL POINT: BE SURE to remove the cap in front of engine that allows oil to circulate into the prop before mounting the prop. That was the hardest part of prop mounting for me.
 
FINAL POINT: BE SURE to remove the cap in front of engine that allows oil to circulate into the prop before mounting the prop. That was the hardest part of prop mounting for me.

A slap-hammer makes this a 5 minute task. :cool:
 
FINAL POINT: BE SURE to remove the cap in front of engine that allows oil to circulate into the prop before mounting the prop. That was the hardest part of prop mounting for me.

A slap-hammer makes this a 5 minute task. :cool:

My A&P buddy helped me with this - we didn't have one and wished we had. It wasn't crazy hard but took the most time.
 
are there two caps or just one. Some one told me that there was the one in front and one deeper in the cavity.

thanks
ken
 
are there two caps or just one. Some one told me that there was the one in front and one deeper in the cavity.

thanks
ken

The deeper one either should or should not be there already (I forget which), as it is unlikely anyone would use an IO390 with a fixed pitch prop. I understand that is the reason for the ?deeper? one.
 
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