Sticking mechanical starter drives, e.g., Bendix drives, should be cleaned with mineral spirits and only lubricated with silicone spray. Oil or common greases should not be used as they will attract and retain dust and grit causing the starter drive to stick or wear rapidly.

Solenoid-actuated starters do not require any type of cleaning or lubrication. If the starter is not going to be used for some period of time the shaft can be oiled to prevent corrosion.

Check the "Detail" tab of the Slick Magneto that you are interested in buying and the Slick Magneto listed with a "Type: Impulsed" will come up with an impulse coupling.

The short answer is no. While we recommend using our taller oil filters when you have the space inside your cowling, using our shorter filters will still provide more than enough filtration coverage when replacing them at the recommended intervals of 25 to 50 hours.

According to the Slick Magneto by Champion Overhaul Manual L-1363F, the magneto should be overhauled at TBO, lighting strike, prop strike, sudden stoppage of the engine and immersion of the aircraft. 

We have made the many contact methods available on our Contact page.

First, the firing end of the plug must be cleaned of lead, carbon and oil. Once cleaned you can use the Tempest AT5K® or a multi-meter. If using an AT5K please see the tool section of our website. If using a multi-meter place one lead on the center electrode and the second lead on the contact point inside the spark plug terminal well. Be sure that your multi-meter is set to the correct setting.

Both Lycoming and Continental recommend oils qualified under the following specifications for use in their engines:

• SAE J-1899 former MIL-L-22851 (for ashless dispersant oils)
• SAE J-1966 former MIL-L-6082 (for straight mineral oils, intended primarily for break-in)

Military and SAE specifications are the same except for some additional packaging requirements for the military. In the future, the military specification may be dropped, although oil containers will still probably refer to the former military specification.

AeroShell® straight mineral oils, AeroShell Oil W single grades and AeroShell Oil W multigrade oils all qualify under their respective specifications. The oil requirements for other aircraft engines such as Pratt & Whitney are less defined. All AeroShell and AeroShell Oil W oils are qualified for use in P&W radial piston engines. The oils for engines no longer in production may be listed by military specification or by product name.

For more information, talk to an overhaul or repair shop that specializes in a particular engine, or call the Shell Technical Information Center at 1-800-231-6950.

The selection of a proper grease is clearly defined. For each grease point on a certified aircraft, the military specification or the qualified product is listed. AeroShell® greases are qualified under the following specifications:

• AeroShell GREASE 5 former MIL-G-3545-C
• AeroShell GREASE 6 MIL-G-24139A, former MIL-G-7711A AeroShell GREASE 7 MIL-PRF-23827C, TYPE II
• AeroShell GREASE 14 MIL-G-25537C
• AeroShell GREASE 16 former MIL-G-25760A, BMS-3-24A AeroShell GREASE 17 MIL-G-21164D
• AeroShell GREASE 22 MIL-PRF-81322F, Grade 2 DOD-G-24508A AeroShell GREASE 33 MIL-PRF-23827, TYPE I BMS-3-33A

Placing a permanent reference mark at 180°F on the green band of your oil gauge is a good way to get accurate readings.  To do this, simply place your sending unit and an accurate, referenced thermometer in a steel container filled with oil, and slowly heat it to 180°F with a hot plate. You may not be able to hold 180°F constant, so first mark your gauge with a pencil as the oil temperature passes 180°F. Then let the oil cool back to 180°F. Repeat the process to ensure accuracy. 

And be extra careful with the hot oil. In a naturally aspirated aircraft engine, a cruise oil temperature significantly below 170°-180°F will not ensure that the moisture in the oil is boiled off, especially during short flights. As oil goes through the engine, the highest instantaneous temperature will be about 50°F higher than the oil sump temperature. 

So, if you have an oil temperature of only 150°-160°F, the oil will not get above the 212°F necessary to boil off the water that can accumulate from condensation. The result is increased moisture and acid buildup in the crankcase, which will probably lead to rust and corrosion. 

Knowing this is especially critical if your aircraft is not flown regularly and sits in a humid climate for weeks at a time. If your oil runs well below the 180°F mark, have your mechanic check your oil cooler system and vernatherm. Also, ask about a winterization kit. 

Conversely, the concern with the typical turbocharged piston engine is excessive heat. In many of these engines, instantaneous oil temperature can increase 70°F or more at its hottest point versus sump temperature.  These high temperatures can cause deposit buildup and increased wear due to improperly cooled components or low oil viscosity. (All oils, especially single grade oils, thin out as the temperature

122 tooth gear rings have a "v" shape, whereas 149 tooth gear rings have a "u" shape. Be aware that just because your aircraft (or engine) is supposed to have a certain ring gear doesn't necessarily mean that it does. You should always confirm and order the correct starter to match. 

We make the following cleaning and sanitizing recommendations to be completed between flights:

Recommended Cleaning Process

1. Put on clean disposable gloves prior to cleaning and disinfection.

2. Pull controls back to the fully retracted position to expose the full length of the control shafts.

3. Apply isopropyl alcohol to a clean microfiber towel. Do not spray any solution directly on the controls or any other surfaces or components in the aircraft.

    !!! WARNING: DO NOT USE BLEACH WIPES ON ANY MCFARLANE CONTROL !!!

4. Gently and thoroughly wipe down every control knob surface and control shaft.

5. Let cleaning solution dry on these surfaces (contact time).

6. Use a clean and dry microfiber cloth to wipe away any solution residue left on knob and control shaft surface.

7. Remove all gloves, towels, and cleaning supplies from the work area in the aircraft.

Please contact McFarlane Sales directly at 866-920-2741 or 785-594-2741 or sales@mcfarlaneaviation.com if you have any additional questions regarding the disinfection of our controls.

There are many different installations that were used for the different Cessna models. Please consult your applicable Service/Maintenance Manual and Illustrated Parts Catalog for the proper location for your specific aircraft.

We sell tool P/N 970 to facilitate the installation of the aft rollers and make the installation easier and simplified for this hard to reach location.

The handle of the tool makes access to the bolt hole in the small inspection opening easy. The pointed tool allows you to align the parts and easily insert the tool in the bolt hole. The next step is to push the tool back out of the hole with the bolt.

The fuel selector valve works in unscreened fuel. Contaminated fuel can cause selector valve seal damage. When fueling from possibly contaminated fuel sources McFarlane recommends the use of a fuel filter, such as Mr. Funnel or another filtering device, to reduce trash in the fuel system.

The new fully automatic chargers on the market today need to be hooked up to a battery before they will output any voltage. This is primarily a safety feature that prevents spark when hooked up, and protects the charger against reverse polarity hookup. Some chargers need to see as much as 9V volts before they recognize that they are attached to a battery. Once the charger is hooked up, it should output 13.9-14.6 volts. If your charger does not do this, you may want to contact the manufacturer for further troubleshooting tips.

The Cessna steering system is an engineering masterpiece that is simple in function while allowing good directional control throughout the transition from flight to ground or ground to flight, even in crosswind conditions. A key part of this system is the steering rods. The steering rods are a spring loaded device that applies spring pressure to pull on one side of the nose gear when it is activated and yet have a specified amount of free play in the opposite direction until a solid push is required for positive steering.

The following are some common symptoms of worn out or failed steering rods:

1. Weak steering (You can push on the rudder but not much happens and you have to use a lot of brake to steer. Often the weakness is one direction only.) The early Cessna steering rod springs were designed such that if the rudder pedal was pushed hard in one direction while the nose gear was pointed all the way the other direction and had some resistance to moving such as soft ground or snow, the spring could be compressed to an extent that it would be permanently shortened leaving it weak. McFarlane has redesigned the spring so this cannot happen.
2. More or less than 1.2 inches of free play movement or inconsistent free play of the steering rod shaft is present. The spring is retained by a washer that was stop swaged into the steering rod housing. During an overload, such as extra hard pedal force applied with the nose wheel pointed all the way in the opposite direction and restricted or undetected damage from a previous hard landing, the spring retaining washer can be deformed and forced past the swaged stop. This will result in inconsistent free play and erratic function of the steering rod shaft as the washer passes past its designed swaged stop in both directions. The rudder rigging in flight might also be inconsistent. This is a dangerous situation that results in inconsistent steering and the steering rod must be replaced. McFarlane has redesigned the washer and shaft machining to prevent the washer stop failure.
3. Rust and corrosion can make the steering rods unreliable. The steering rods get water and contaminates from the runway that the nose tire throws at them. The fit of the shaft into the bushing that is swaged into the housing is not a precision fit. This can allow internal contamination, moisture, and salt that will rust the springs and steel housing interior, leaving the components weak and subject to failure. Red rust streaking on the shaft exit area or bubbling of the exterior paint indicate corrosion failure. The McFarlane steering rods are made from 304 stainless steel and have a special corrosion preventative and lubricating coating on the springs to fight against corrosion and wear.
4. Wear of the shaft and bushing is caused by steering movement and aerodynamic pulse vibrations created by the rotating propeller. This wear can be detected as looseness of the shaft in the end bushing. Some wear is acceptable.

A universal joint attaches to each control yoke shaft behind the instrument panel. Universal joints are very precision. Replacement of the universal joint is required if any free motion or rust around the joint pivots is detected or if the joint fails inspection required by the Piper AD 2010-15-10.

All battery types lose power and capacity as they age. The rate of when this happens depends on the maintenance of the battery and how it has been used (or abused).

• If you notice your battery just doesn’t have the same “umph” as it used to, it might be time to replace it.  In the cold this issue is more prominent.
• If you notice the battery is “swollen.” As the battery ages, gases can build up inside the battery and make the battery look bulging or swollen. The gases are not dangerous or have any safety issue, but the pressure can puff the case.
• If the battery is left in a discharged state and then very quickly charged, the cells can puff causing the case to look bulging.
• The battery will not hold a voltage above 13.28V for the 12V vehicle applications or 26.56V for 24V vehicle applications.
• The fault light is solid or flashing on the battery models that have the LED alert and is consistently on for days.

The most common indication of external fuel valve leaks is the smell of avgas in the cabin. Most valves are located under the cabin floor. Fuel stain on the valve and drain plug or drain valve or on the belly of the aircraft can also indicate external leakage. External leaks are generally around the actuation valve stem. Internal leaks are detected when the fuel is turned off and fuel continues to drip during fuel system maintenance. Inner port leakage will allow fuel from one tank to leak into another fuel tank. This type leak is difficult to detect. Fuel transfer from one tank to another with the fuel valve selected to one tank only will indicate inner-port leakage. An extended period of time is needed to detect fuel transfer from one tank to another. Generally if internal leakage is detected when servicing the fuel system, it is likely there is also inner-port leakage. 

The screw kit depends on if the holes in the floor of your airplane have been carefully removed and are close to new size or if they have been enlarged by unskilled rivet removal or the rails have been changed before. It will make a difference if the previous rails installed were Cessna rails with predrilled holes in the rail. (They do not normally line up well and the floor has been mis-drilled some to force them to align). If the holes are good, use the SR6-SCREW-KT kit. If the holes are enlarged some, use the SR8-SCREW-KT kit.