Thorp Air Command - T18.net

I'm in the middle of my yearly and thought I would change my pushrod tube seals as they were weeping and making a mess in my Plenum, Wow!! What a pain. Got it done today along with the timing plug check and adjust, carb inspection and so forth. Has any one else had to do this little pushrod tube seal change? if you have let me know I'm curious as to how it went for you. ....Dan

I just had #2 cyl off to look inside my O360. No problems with the seals, but I forgot to drain down the lifters. I had to take the exhaust side apart again. When I did, I found that the seal on the head side of the pushrod shroud was nicked because I had assembled it dry. Good think I bought extras. It went better with a little oil. I changed them both.

I changed mine last year for the same reason. They are very hard to disassemble, and should be. I used a rag on the tube with a channel lock twisting it. Be careful you don't ding the tube. The twisting action is what released mine. A tab of oil makes putting them in a snap.
Cubes

I replaced mine with the newer silicone rubber ones quite a few years ago. No problem as I recall. I believe that I used a very small amount of silicone grease on reassembly.

_________________
John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

The only problem I had was getting the rocker arm shaft back in, I had to push in on the valve spring just a tad to put them back in. The pushrod tubes I just gave a little twist and they popped right loose, the old sales had given up......Dan

Inspection done, got the ELT installed and then installed the remote on the panel. Thought all was well and here is somthing interesting for everyone. Was going on a little flight yesterday so I fired up and headed across the airport to Iras hanger we were going to fly a two ship for a bit. Checked weather got the alt setting and went to set the altimeter and noticed it was showing 1400 ft, KVIS is @ 295ft. Checked all Pitot and static hoses, no blockage, no nothin. Here is the clincher: I had flown the plane after the ELT install and all was well, but I hadnt installed the remote cause I was hesitant to cut on the panel(big mess it was going to make) to install the remote, so I installed the remote the next day. I cut the square hole in the panel with a dremel, it really buzzed that hole out really good, the buzz in the panel also fouled my altimeter. One of my friends was standing there when I cut the hole and he said he noticed the pointers in the alt going nuts but didnt think anything of it. I had to take the alt out of the panel and recalibrate the thing yesterday afternoon and reinstall it, now it is fine. If you going to use a high speed cutter on your panel for whatever, clamp a block of wood to the panel or somthing to rid the high frequency buzz you may get from the cutter, it could save you a little grief. I surly didnt think it would hurt anything but found out different, everything else was jut fine, but that altimeter threw a fit............................Dan

Oh wow - were I to know you to indulge in excess inebriation, I might have read that post with some reservations as to its validity.......given you're not,....good post Dan.

Twas my flight instructor that watched me cut the hole, and Ira witnessed the results as to what it did to the Alt. I was rather shocked myself, and I dont like taking Altimeters apart either they are kinda cranky so to speak.........Dan

As long as you're 'geared up' for it

_________________
Scott Emery
EAA Chapter 326
T-18 N18TE