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The
interior was in sad shape. Soundproofing was all worn out and seating was
comfortable for those used to sleeping on rocks. It had to go. The best help
that pilots and owners can provide to a new owner is sharing their successes
and failures on discussion boards. This is not the AOPA plane give away
project where everything is the best possible and donated for no charge.
Here, every dollar counts. It took a couple of months to formulate a plan to
refurbish 40842 and since most interior items are cosmetic, I started to shop
for materials and upholstery expertise. Once all the seats, except for
pilots, were removed, it was time to start the process of bringing 40842 back
to new glory. The
dirty job of cleaning all the interior aluminum took a couple of days. Flying
40842 to it’s appointment with the paint shop was akin to sitting in a very
noisy beer can. Do the major, dirty job of stripping, cleaning, priming and
painting first. |
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According to the paint shop, 40842
had two coats of paint which required lots of stripper. I asked that all worn
out parts, such as rod ends or the nylon locking nuts be replaced. Also, new
stainless steel external fasteners. At the same time, the brake system was
renewed with discs, pads, fluid. Front and main struts were rebuild with new
rubber and new tires were installed. The plane also has a new propeller and a
Knots2U speed kits installed, including, wing root fairings, flap gap seals,
flap/Fuselage gap seals, aileron and stabilator gap seals. Here are the final
stages of the paint job. |
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Process: All controls to be removed,
stripped, inspected and, most important, rebalanced to neutral specifications
after painting. Use methylene chloride mixed with a soap or a wax carrier.
But do not use an acid stripper that has corrosive properties. Etching, treating the surface with a
mild solution of phosphoric acid to thoroughly clean the metal deep into its
surface structure. Alodined, a so-called chromate
conversion process that serves as both a base corrosion protector and an
adhesion improver for subsequent coats. For paint, I considered DuPont
products, specifically Imron, AcryGlo, JetGlo and Desothane high-solids
exterior topcoat. Went with US Paints awlgrip. |

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N40842 |