First Vac Pump Failure

[banned username 2]

Someone should shoot the plane and put it out of it's misery...

I feel your pain, I used to fly an old Falcon 20C that everytime I would walk out to the ramp, I would hope that to find a heap of molten metal on the ramp... But no such luck...

 

[CaptBuzzard]

I had my heading indicator fail in a C-402 last fall on a Part 135 flight. Luckily again it happened on a clear day. I did a little brush-up on compass turns however.

 

[metrodriver]

Big D, that's Cessna quality nowadays. I recently talked to a guy who 2 years back bought a brandnew 206. First the airplane leaked water, so much that during a heavy rainshower everything inside was wet, including avionics. Cessna gave him a hard time about fixing it and reimbursing travelcosts. Then he had something else (I forgot what), then he found out that his engine had a bad cranckshaft, one out of a series that has been recalled. He flew the airplane only 40 hrs in the first year and traded it in for a much better piper product.

Dry vacuum pumps are only guarateed for 700 hours if I'm correct. Most operators leave them on the plane till they fail.

I have seen a lot of problems with the Ford alternators on Cessna's. I had one fail where the stud on which you screw the cable broke out of the diode bridge and arced a big hole in this bridge. C172 RG in IFR. I left one com/nav and txpdr on, manual gear extension (just in case), no flap landing. Battery didn't need to be charged after replacing the alternator.
Second one was the standby alternator on a caravan, where ford didn't put enough resin in the receptacle on the inside of the alternator to keep the wires in place. When I touched the plug the whole thing fell out with the wires from the inside of the alternator attached to it.
I also have seen an alternator causing a total electrical failure to a pilot over Flushing Bay in NY, He decended to 400' before breaking out of the clouds (C172 RG)

 

[bin LAAidoff]

thread reminds me of a tip to pass on

beware of "dual vac" installtions. concept is splendid, but as pilot and MX I've seen more than one dual vac install s-h=i=* the bed. Vac line has a check valve of sorts, but when a pump fails, often impeller and assemly flies apart, and the "stuff" somehow gets in the other pump.

so...if you are flying along, fat dumb and happy, and one pump fails, be ready for the next to go withing ten minutes to the next two flights!

happy frying

 

[buzzer]

I lost my vac two days ago. I just turned on the electic driven standby pump and was on my way with a grin at having the back up in the most well equiped small airplane I have ever flown. This was my first flight in an airplane I purchased less than an hour before. I had just dropped off the salesman who sold it to me. The very next day (yesterday) the alternator belt gets tossed (without me knowing) and I end up loosing everything. The only vac drivin item was the AI and now that is gone since I'm on the standby eletric one. The airplane is loaded electically and I ran down the battery to the point where the gear barely made it down. It did come down, but it also drained what I had left in the battery (even after turning everything I didn't need off). So I get the gear down and loose my last radio. No green gear light. I'm on final (had been cleared to land) and an airplane takes off in front of me and I have to go around! I just turned out, wagged my wings, looked for a possible green light and landed.
My mechanic thought it was funny since he just did the prepurchase inspection and said the vac pump is 10 years old and the alt belt was looking bad..."both should be replaced". Good thing he is starting the annual next week. Weather wasn't a factor.

 

[generaltso]

No, by letting the weather be CLEAR. I'm saying if it wasn't clear, it would have been a really f-ed up situation... partial panel with no TC? Ouch.

You would have really taken that plane in IMC? It always amazes me how some low timers will take a PoS plane in to IMC. I've seen some guys take these planes in to solid IMC, at minimums. Scary stuff.

 

[flyby]

been there

funny you mention that, I had that exact thing happen in a seneca once. took off and on climbout noticed a button on the vac guage showing. sure enough, within a few minutes the other popped and both pumps were dead. lesson I learned is if I ever lose one vac. pump in a twin I'll expect the other will go shortly and act accordingly. good info.

good luck

thread reminds me of a tip to pass on

beware of "dual vac" installtions. concept is splendid, but as pilot and MX I've seen more than one dual vac install s-h=i=* the bed. Vac line has a check valve of sorts, but when a pump fails, often impeller and assemly flies apart, and the "stuff" somehow gets in the other pump.

so...if you are flying along, fat dumb and happy, and one pump fails, be ready for the next to go withing ten minutes to the next two flights!

happy frying

 

[mattfish42]

Speaking from my vast experience of slightly less than a year of both flying and fixing C172s, I gotta agree that the Ford alternators are cr@p and R models break down irritatingly often. My favorite airplane is a 1985 P model with 15,600 hours on the airframe. Fun to fly, and reliable; it's a great plane.