My first annual

[LTek1]

I'm coming due on my first annual for my DA-40 - the first plane I've owned, so I'm expecting it to b quite the learning experience. I'm working through the various threads on the subject, reading the AMM for the second time, and soon will spend an evening pouring through the logbooks to confirm the expected intervals on various components.

I want to have as many ducks in a row as possible, as I plan to owner-assist as much as possible. So that means ordering parts up front, getting my squawks detailed, annotating the AMM with previously-serviced dates on time-limited items, etc.

First, my plane is now 12 years old, so I'm expecting a few of the time-limited replacements: Seatbelts and engine shock mounts seem to be the biggest of these. Any experience or advice here? My pilot's seatbelt doesn't retract properly so I've been expecting that one; the other three all work perfectly, so that's a little annoying. At least it's not rudder cables!

I'll check my ELT, backup, and main battery. I'll check the fuel pump date to make sure it was overhauled as scheduled 2 years ago. Any of the above items coming due, I will confirm part numbers with my mechanic and order from either Spruce or Diamond.

I will additionally order some oil filters and crush washers to stock in the hangar, as well as a case of oil - if any of those prove cheaper from Spruce than from my shop. I expect they will. I think I'll add a quick-drain for the oil, and make myself a channel for draining the filter.

Are there other consumables I should order, expecting to use in the process?

I will confirm a list of my to-do items with my mechanic, presumably including opening all inspection panels, cowls, removing the seats, glare shield, and wheel fairings.

My squawks: Wet compass light is out. One detached static bond on the rudder. Squeak coming from the area of the rear left seat / wing root when applying left roll input: I am hoping this is a pushrod lubrication issue and not an autopilot servo going bad. Any experience/advice? I expect this will become evident when I remove the rear seat. I've also got a slow oil leak on the back of the engine somewhere that we haven't gotten nailed down yet - seems to me like the magneto gaskets are leaking, but I'm not sure. I'm hoping it's something simpler.

I'm starting to wish I had started this process a month ago! But I do kindof like getting deep into the logbooks, looking at the various dates and times, and getting the details right.

What else? I bought a torque wrench and safety wire pliers.. but I can't figure out how to get the torque wrench on the back of the oil filter!

I was planning to do LED lighting replacements throughout, but think my budget is going to be sapped by the 12 year items and the fact of this being my first annual.

[LTek1]

Okay, re-reading the chapter requirements: I understand that chapter 4 items are requirements. Chapter 5 items are recommendations? Despite the fairly strong language at the beginning of Chapter 5?

Additionally, because an annual inspection is required in the US, the manual indicates that the 100-hour items should be used as the annual procedure.

So, then, the 12 year MSI is optional. Replacing my functioning seatbelts is optional. Replacing my engine mounts.

Still, 5-10-00 says, "A. Airplane Life-Limited Components
The following table lists life limited airplane components which must be replaced at a specific time"

So I'm pretty confused what's really required and what's simply recommended. I think there have been some heated threads on this topic. Any pointers?

[Steve]

Lee:

Others will chime in on your various questions, but I know what your squeak is. The aileron and flap pushrods have rubber weather boots on the inside of the fuselage under the rear seat. These can bind and squeak. I simply repositioned mine and it solved the problem for 13 years. Now it has started to squeak again, so I guess I'll have to look at it again in a few months when my annual is due.

If your leak is the mag gasket, it is a fairly easy job on the left side, right side is more difficult due to clearance issues - I just replaced my mags last year. No one I know uses a torque wrench on the oil filter. Someone does make a special one for the oil filter, but I just tighten 3/4 turn after the gasket makes contact.

Good luck, and enjoy the process. You will know a lot more about your airplane when you are finished...

Steve

[LTek1]

Okay, a specific question:

The plane has a 28v electrical system, but the Compass is listed in the Diamond parts list as a 14v compass. Which lamp should I order?

I guess, at a dollar a piece, it can't hurt to order both a 14v and a 28v replacement lamp, but stuff like this is what slows me down in feeling like I know the plane well!

[rwtucker]

No one I know uses a torque wrench on the oil filter. Someone does make a special one for the oil filter, but I just tighten 3/4 turn after the gasket makes contact.

Yep. Until you get a little experience, you'll want that torque wrench for your plugs but just tighten the oil filter 3/4 to 1 turn after initial gasket contact. I always add a thin coat of silicone lube to make the next filter change easier. Observe the line-up on your filter's safety wiring points; overtighten slightly then retract after you have completed safety wiring to add positive pressure on the safety wire.

Assuming you have a good basic tool chest, here are a few other items to have on hand before you start:

- Good quality flex extension mirror (maybe to of different sizes; one with a magnet can help)
- Small high intensity LED light, preferably one you can hold in your teeth if necessary
- Larger high intensity LED light with some kind of clamp mount
- Shorty stool with wheels (http://www.harborfreight.com/pneumatic- ... 46319.html)
- LPS-1. LPS-2, WD40, high temp wheel bearing grease, Stoddard solvent, Dow Corning silicone gel
- Lots of baggies & a Sharpie for storing & labeling parts
- Replacement stainless steel screws and driver bits
- VOM
- Belt tension gauge (this one is clever & inexpensive http://www.amazon.com/Gates-91107-Belt- ... sion+gauge)
- Silicone sheets (MLG toe in/out)
- Some kind of safe jack that works for our design (this is separate discussion)
- Compression gauges (probably not worth it if your A&P has his own set but nice to have)
- Air compressor

That's what comes to mind off the top of my head. Someone else will pick up where I left off. I have done 100% of my annuals under an IA's supervision. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Rich]

Couple of comments from me:

I do use a torque wrench on the filter. I have one that is made for just this purpose. A regular torque wrench just won't fit.

A Meyers A5 jack works fine on the DA 40. I got a used set some years ago.

[RMarkSampson]

Lee,
You sound like me. I just finished my second annual on my DA-20. First one I did owner-assisted opening up of the plane, removing seats, inspection ports etc. The second one I owner-assisted much more. Here is my recommendation - build an Excel spreadsheet for your annual - each year you will become more familiar with what needs to happen and you will improve on it each time.

A diamond service center can probably do this from memory - your local FBO maintenance shop will either spend a lot of time building their situational awareness of all the pubs and charge you for it, or do the basic requirements and miss a bunch of manufacture checks, or...well I'm no expert. All I know is the second annual cost me less, but the aircraft was inspected to a much higher degree because I knew what needed to be done and could manage the workload and focus of effort (and $$s).

I've uploaded my most recent spreadsheet for your review and use if you like it (version 4 for me). Unfortunately (for you) I'm a DA-20 owner so there is a completely different list of items contained within the DA-40 AMM, diamond and engine service bulletins, engine manual and avionics to consider. My engine was overhauled just before I purchased my aircraft so I did not need to go too far back with looking at the service bulletins for the engine - it was brought up to date during the overhaul. Therefore I only had to focus on the last few years. This spreadsheet is a work-in-progress so I'm sure my annual next year will see a version 5 and maybe a version 6 as I tweak it.

Good luck - you will learn an amazing amount of stuff about your plane. Share it with the rest of the community when you know it!
Cheers, Mark

[Charbie]

Lee, I'm about to go through the same thing on May 1st. I've started with the AMM as well and reviewed the technical logs making notes. I was wondering if anyone has a spreadsheet of part numbers to make the aircraft spruce ordering easier. Filters and oil etc are easy. What about items like the 5 slow blow fuses that need to be replaced every couple of years . Not sure where to find that.
On a separate note, the mags need 500 hours checks here in Canada, assume you would be the same. Had my right mag fail after 325 hours or so. Had it replaced. The left was a rebuild/check and frankly, after all the costs I would have been better off biting the bullet and getting a new left mag, although it is a few hundred dollars more. Something similar to the da20 spreadsheet in a previous post would be ideal, if it doesn't exist, we should start one.
Thoughts ?

[LTek1]

Here's a little update of the kind I always like to read when I'm doing my research:

First and foremost, prep your AD list first. I read my logbooks and all the ADs thoroughly ahead of time, but never really wrote them down. When my mechanic and I sat down at the end of the process to verify everything, we realized we missed the die penetration test on the nose gear (I believe this applies to pre-2009 DA40s), so I have to pull the plane back to the shop and disassemble the NLG again.

My engine is weeping all over the place, so while it's ovef for the NLG test, I'm going to replace the valve cover gaskets with new silicone gaskets, replace all eight exhaust gaskets with no-blow gaskets, and then evaluate if I really need to get in to the magneto gaskets, which seem to be the biggest source of oil on the engine.

Replaced both MLG tires, including learning how to dissassemble them and pack wheel bearings, which was fun.

The best part of my process was discovering that the emergency battery was AA and the ELT was Ds. Finally, a cheap part on the airplane! I had the worst time getting the emergency battery compartment closed without losing connection to the battery - eventually scrunched it tight and used two pairs of vice grips to hold it closed while I put the bolts back in.

My roll squeak was resolved by lubing the boots, exactly where Steve said it would be.

Removing the rear seat is a bear, but getting it back in without tearing the leather is even harder. I swore I would not scratch the passenger window.. but I did. Next time I'll try taping a packing blanket up before starting.

Gorilla glue seems to be working pretty well to re-adhere my interior panels. We'll see how it does in the summer heat.

My propeller hub was absolutely spotless under the spinner. That was nice; I had a little scare at runnup the other day when I saw what looked like grease spots all over the windscreen; later traced back to grungy snow melt water running off the roof of the hanger when I pulled the plane out. I'll be sure to clean the windshield before every flight so I'm not getting out of the plane in the runup area to look for oil.

I was embarrassed that my automotive spark plug wrench was not deep enough to get over the plugs. Need to buy a deeper wrench for that, as well as a 3/4" wrench for the spark plug wires.

My mechanic's safety wire pliers have a reversing gear - nice when you're trying to get the tail of the wire to lay flat instead of lifting up over the bolt head when you're tightening. May have to re-invest.

The very first thing I did when taking the spinner off was drop a machine screw - I had been setting them in my little magnetic dish which, hello, stainless steel. The screw fell down and bounced off one of the alternator cooling fins right in to the alternator. Couldn't make that shot again in a thousand times if I tried - took me 20 minutes to find it, and with a spring loaded grabber and inspection mirror got it out in about 10 minutes. Don't do that.

It sure is easy to check tire inflation with the fairings off...

Last, I repainted my spinner, as it was covered in scratches from the previous owner's mech pulling the cowl on and off. I always use painter's tape. Duplicolor Universal White with a good coat of clear, looks pretty good!

Thanks for the help and guidance. I need to get another day off work to go do the NLG dye test, but I imagine next time I'll have this down to two days.

[rwtucker]

My engine is weeping all over the place, so while it's ovef for the NLG test, I'm going to replace the valve cover gaskets with new silicone gaskets . . .

You will be happy with these. I was weeping a little and replaced them before it got bad. I haven't seen a smudge since. Two tips. Remove and clean the residue from the old gaskets well. I used a solvent but my A&P suggested careful scraping with a plastic blade. Also, pay close attention to the torque specs and don't go over the recommended value. You will need an inch/pound or equivalent torque wrench and, if you are like me, it will seem too loose.

Haven't had to do the other gaskets yet.