Well I really did it.

Larry Lowenkron

Larry Lowenkron

Member
I have sold my Cruisair after 26 1/2 yrs. Of course I now have tremendous sellers remorse, but the time and price were right. I guess I'll keep using my friends 182 for trips to CA. My wife sure likes that better than the Cruisair, but then she isn't flying it!

I sold the plane to Gary Holmes who is very much a Bellanca enthusiast! He is a member of the club, so hopefully you will be seeing his posts here when he get's it back to NJ. He left yesterday and is now in Idaho. Tomorrow the Rockies! Am anxious to here how it goes.

Today I flew a bunch of Young Eagle flights in the 182, and kept having to correct myself on the radio when I ID'd myself as Bellanca 86866! How long with it take to get past this. As I said on the Triple Tail FB page-my wife is a retired psychiatric social worker and she says it'll take a year (among other things she has said-not all complimentary to the Cruisair...but while I love her dearly, she ain't no pilot!)
I am going to hang around the Forum for a while, unless it just hurts too much (or you guys flame me for being disloyal...or stupid) I still need to sell a bunch of Franklin stuff and may have some Cruisair parts too.
Larry
 
I totally agree with Grant. Pat and I continue to make progress on 413R. Hopefully we'll be ready for an annual next spring. Since we're not far away, we could make a weekend trip so you can scratch your feet on Bellanca rudder pedals.
J.R.
 
Larry, as I mentioned in the FB post we hope you will remain a Bellanca owner in spirit, even though your plane has gone east. Your knowledge and experience shared on this forum has been immensely valuable to me and many others. I for one consider you to the "professor emeritus" of the triple-tail forum. I understand that situations change and wish you the best regardless of what kind of wings take you aloft. Please stick around the forum and, or course, there will always be a place for you in Columbia each year... Rob
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate it. Still having MAJOR sellers remorse. As I was complaining to my wife, she says I am deconstructing my personality. :? I sure have identified with Bellancas for the last zillion years!
 
Owned and flown my 14-13-2, N86728 - since 1991.

I am considering the probability that I may sell the Cruisair in the next couple of years. Already know that I would also suffer from severe seller's remorse. It is such a nice flying airplane.

As the world turns.
 
Larry,
Sorry to hear that you have downgraded to the 182, at least you are still flying!
Any chance you can fly the 182 to the Columbia fly-in each year?

It seems like there was a glut of Triple-Tail sales in the last couple of months. I hope you hang around!

-Adam
 
Adam, I did take the 182 to Columbia last month, parked in the transit area, and slunked over to the flyin. We didn't have many triple tails this year. Hopefully more next year. Hope to have something more exciting than the 182 next year, though it really is a nice x country plane. Biggest plus is that my wife likes it!
LL
 
Been talking to him every day. Turns out that the no. 1 cylinder x valve is carboned up and doesn't fully close. Sent him my cyl. Base wrenches and he ordered gaskets/packing from Susan.
 
If it is the valve stem rather than the seat which is carboned up the valve can be dropped into the cylinder, the guide reamed and everything put back together without pulling a jug. It is a recommended procedure on other engines (cant remember if Cont. or Lyc.) and I have done it once of a Franklin and it worked fine. A friend did it to all 6 of his cylinders over a dozen years, so it is not impossible. ____Grant.
 
Gary is planning on reaming the guides. He soaked the inside of the cylinder with brake cleaner fluid and closed it up in plastic. He said that went a long way in dissolving the carbon. Considering how far he still has to go, I think he did the right thing in pulling the cylinder. I have also dropped a valve (on an O-320) and lapped it. I don't think either C or L recommend that, in fact I would bet that they are pretty much against it.
I am just hoping Gary makes it back without more problems. I will let him describe what happened when he starts getting active in this Forum. Suffice to say, it was preventable.
LL
 
Since I had the Sacramento Sky Ranch Engineering Manual sitting right next to me, I looked it up. "Lycoming Service Instruction 1425" is about reaming guides without removing the cylinder. The book says the instructions can also be used on Continentals. Sky Ranch Engineering Manual is the best aviation book I have ever read. Much is actual engineering information which is over my head, but it is good reading for any pilot that can tell one end of a wrench from the other. The book doesnt even mention Franklins, but much of the info applies. _____Grant.
 
You're right Grant. My bad. Ly Service Instruction 1425a makes for interesting reading. See:

https://www.lycoming.com/sites/default/files/Suggested%20Maintenance%20Procedures%20to%20Reduce%20the%20Possibility%20of%20Valve%20Sticking.pdf

BTW, I talked to Gary this afternoon, and he said the guides were clean! This is good news, so hopefully the rest of the engine does not have significant carbon deposits.
 
I suspect that it is easier with an engine with 18MM plugs, since you are looking in one plug hole with a light shining in the other plug hole. It was an interesting job to do with only telephone instructions from a friend. I knew that if I screwed up, it would mean a lot of work to pull a jug. As a side note, my IA started the annual on my plane yesterday and the compressions came out fine. I was worried after having it sit for too long. This will be a real pain of an annual since my logs burned in the fire, so everything has to be gone over more carefully.
 
Lycoming also talks about going through the exhaust port...of course then you're talking about removing the exhaust.
I remember one afternoon trying to put the exhaust back on my Cruisair,and just beating my head against a wall. It wouldn't go on. Even had others try and finally gave up. Came out the next morning,and put it on first shot,like there was nothing to it. I imagine everyone has one of those events! Just to keep you humble!
 
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