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Post by buzz on Dec 8, 2021 3:49:55 GMT
Wanted to advise all of a minor issue that we have discovered. Some of you may remember my ordeal with my annual inspection last year and the 5-year hose replacement. I won't go into those details. Sometime after getting the plane back, I started noticing some deposits on the inside of the cowling of orange liquid. The color was consistent with my coolant however it was kind of sticky. I did a lot of looking around the engine for the source. Then one day when I showed up at my hanger, I noticed orange liquid on the nose wheel pant and on the concrete. I got down on the ground and looked up and found that the liquid had dripped down through the hole in the floor of the cabin where those linkages come through.
Looking inside with flashlight and mirror I found a small puddle on the floor under the rudder pedals. Looking up from there with a mirror I found this liquid coming from the from the in-cabin heater. Obviously, this was coolant from the engine cooling system that circulates through the cabin radiator that serves as the heating source for the cabin. A closer look showed that it was coming from the lower of the two fittings to the heater. One being the incoming and the other outgoing. I am still not sure which is which.
Not wanting to send it back to the shop (after 3 months in the shop) I decided to test it out and monitor the leak (wanted to make sure it wasn't going to come apart and spray hot coolant in the cockpit). I kept a paper towel directly under. It continued to leak but not really bad.
Fast forward to this year's annual last month. I mentioned this squawk to the mechanic and told him it appeared after last year's annual, so I thought it had to do with a loose fitting. Which I surmised became loose in the process of replacing the rubber hose on the engine side of the firewall during the 5-year hose replacement. Remember this metal tube goes through the firewall and connects the rubber coolant tube in the engine compartment to the metal housing of the heater in the cabin.
So, what was the cause. Well since it showed up directly after the annual/hose replacement work I am sure that the work had something to do with it. I have had the plane for 5 years and hadn't had an issue with this system. The kicker is that when my mechanic was evaluating the problem, he found the connection on the bottom of the heater did not look like the connection above. The top connection has a washer between the fitting and the heater, and the bottom didn't. I think this is probably a crush washer that is missing. Common sense says that it was never installed. The leak started because the connection was disturbed during the hose replacement.
We have been waiting for a month now for a confirmation that in fact a washer is required here and what one. The parts manual doesn't show the heater so that is why we are waiting for info from Tecnam.
Providing this info in case you have a similar issue.
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Post by cole505 on Dec 8, 2021 4:42:00 GMT
Wanted to advise all of a minor issue that we have discovered. Some of you may remember my ordeal with my annual inspection last year and the 5-year hose replacement. I won't go into those details. Sometime after getting the plane back, I started noticing some deposits on the inside of the cowling of orange liquid. The color was consistent with my coolant however it was kind of sticky. I did a lot of looking around the engine for the source. Then one day when I showed up at my hanger, I noticed orange liquid on the nose wheel pant and on the concrete. I got down on the ground and looked up and found that the liquid had dripped down through the hole in the floor of the cabin where those linkages come through. Looking inside with flashlight and mirror I found a small puddle on the floor under the rudder pedals. Looking up from there with a mirror I found this liquid coming from the from the in-cabin heater. Obviously, this was coolant from the engine cooling system that circulates through the cabin radiator that serves as the heating source for the cabin. A closer look showed that it was coming from the lower of the two fittings to the heater. One being the incoming and the other outgoing. I am still not sure which is which. Not wanting to send it back to the shop (after 3 months in the shop) I decided to test it out and monitor the leak (wanted to make sure it wasn't going to come apart and spray hot coolant in the cockpit). I kept a paper towel directly under. It continued to leak but not really bad. Fast forward to this year's annual last month. I mentioned this squawk to the mechanic and told him it appeared after last year's annual, so I thought it had to do with a loose fitting. Which I surmised became loose in the process of replacing the rubber hose on the engine side of the firewall during the 5-year hose replacement. Remember this metal tube goes through the firewall and connects the rubber coolant tube in the engine compartment to the metal housing of the heater in the cabin. So, what was the cause. Well since it showed up directly after the annual/hose replacement work I am sure that the work had something to do with it. I have had the plane for 5 years and hadn't had an issue with this system. The kicker is that when my mechanic was evaluating the problem, he found the connection on the bottom of the heater did not look like the connection above. The top connection has a washer between the fitting and the heater, and the bottom didn't. I think this is probably a crush washer that is missing. Common sense says that it was never installed. The leak started because the connection was disturbed during the hose replacement. We have been waiting for a month now for a confirmation that in fact a washer is required here and what one. The parts manual doesn't show the heater so that is why we are waiting for info from Tecnam. Providing this info in case you have a similar issue. Hi Buzz, Yes, sounds like a maintenance induced problem……. Caused by the missing washer I know it’s extremely frustrating to ask Tecnam for anything! If I may suggest taking the other washer off ( if possible ) and find a like one on aircraft spruce I think that may be the fastest way to remedy your problem. This is just my two cents if it works your done ✅ problem solved and the best part you don’t have to wait for Tecnam 😊😊😊😊😊 I have had several other small issues like yours and used my own common sense and found suitable parts that work fine. If you really take a close look at your airplanes it’s a mix of metic, standard and what I call the Italian size screws and washers that don’t fit either category….. Please let me know how you address this issue and I hope my suggestion is of some help to you……. Ray & Lucy ✈️🎄🎁🇺🇸✅😊✅🎁🎄🎁🎄🎁🎄 |
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Post by slingpilot on Dec 9, 2021 2:33:45 GMT
Buzz, can I ask, who make the heating unit in your Tecnam? Is it OEM or installed aftermarket?
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Post by buzz on Dec 9, 2021 2:51:08 GMT
Buzz, can I ask, who make the heating unit in your Tecnam? Is it OEM or installed aftermarket? No idea who makes it. Could be Tecnam not sure. It is part of standard equipment on the plane. It's essentially a small radiator with a fan behind it to blow the heat around. |
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Post by Flocker on Dec 9, 2021 12:45:00 GMT
Looking inside with flashlight and mirror I found a small puddle on the floor under the rudder pedals. Looking up from there with a mirror I found this liquid coming from the from the in-cabin heater. Obviously, this was coolant from the engine cooling system that circulates through the cabin radiator that serves as the heating source for the cabin. A closer look showed that it was coming from the lower of the two fittings to the heater. One being the incoming and the other outgoing. I am still not sure which is which. Have you tried tightening the fittings? I've had a few leaky coolant hoses over the years and a simple tightening of the fittings always solved the problem. |
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Post by Flocker on Dec 9, 2021 21:47:03 GMT
Buzz, do the lines attach at the back of the unit? Are they braided? I looked at mine today, but they were hard to get to without removing the center console. Any pics?
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Post by Ed Midgley on Dec 10, 2021 0:44:59 GMT
If the heater is the same as mine then the hose clamps are on the engine side of the firewall.
If they need to be tightened the coolant could still run into the cockpit side of the firewall.
Ed
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Post by buzz on Dec 11, 2021 5:33:37 GMT
Buzz, do the lines attach at the back of the unit? Are they braided? I looked at mine today, but they were hard to get to without removing the center console. Any pics? I will post a pic tomorrow. Yes, the metal fittings (tubes) attach to the back of heater Yes, it's in a hard to get to spot up next to the fire wall. You can only see the location with a mirror and flashlight. Tried very gentle pressure as I didn't know exactly what was going on with it. Didn't want to break anything off. I am almost 100% sure it's because of a missing washer. The picture I will post shows what appears to be a washer between the heater and the top fitting and the bottom one (the one leaking) does not. No, they are not braided. That is something else, maybe brake lines. The fitting in question is metal, comes through the fire wall, and is brass or gold colored. |
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Post by buzz on Dec 11, 2021 5:41:02 GMT
If the heater is the same as mine then the hose clamps are on the engine side of the firewall. If they need to be tightened the coolant could still run into the cockpit side of the firewall. Ed Not sure if yours is the same. On mine it is a metal tube that goes from the engine compartment, through the firewall, and then into the cockpit, and screws into the back of the heater. Yes, the hoses and associated clamps are in the engine compartment and are not an issue. My leak is in the cockpit where the metal tube screws into the back of the heater. |
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Post by buzz on Dec 12, 2021 3:19:44 GMT
  First picture shows my finger pointing where the leak is coming from. You can see the brass-colored fitting is screwed into the black colored housing of the heater. Metal to metal contact, no washer. This picture is sideways shot. Floor is at the bottom and the firewall is to the right. The second picture is from above looking down to the floor. You can see the other gold colored fitting which sits above the other fitting that is leaking. If you look closely at the top fitting there appears to be a washer between the gold-colored fitting and the black colored housing of the heater. |
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Post by Flocker on Dec 12, 2021 12:19:59 GMT
Should be an easy fix. Yes? |
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Post by buzz on Dec 12, 2021 17:04:36 GMT
Should be an easy fix. Yes? I think it will be a bit of a pain due to location and the fact that the fitting goes through the firewall. So, it will require work on both sides. Hopefully all we have to do is clamp off the coolant lines, so we don't have to drain the entire system. I suspect it will cost me a few hundred dollars. |
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