Message-ID: <003801c0eaa7$349b39c0$c9b088ce@pavilion>
From: "J. N. Cameron" <toucan@The-I.net>
To: "Lancair List" <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
Subject: Switches; a customer service tale; a dumb question
Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 09:28:58 -0500
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Switches:

    Eaton has a line of switches, their "Euro" style rockers, that work
pretty nicely for a panel.  They have one or two lighted panels in the
rocker, depending on the type of switch.  The lighted portions are actually
snap-in inserts that come in three colors, red, amber, and green.  Although
these could probably be imprinted with a legend, I plan to go with an
engraved vinyl label sheet and overhead night lighting to make the switch
labels visible.  The switches come in a variety of configurations, including
an (On)-Off-(On) type that works well for the flaps, and an On-Off-On for
the boost pump.  These can be purchased from Allied Electronics or Newark
Electronics.  Allied's stock number for the SPST type is 757-5532.  (Eaton's
part number is 8007K23N313V52  --  with a part numbering scheme like that,
you could label each grain of sand on a beach!)
    One little glitch with them is that the lighting in the SPST types is
"dependent", which means that in order to have it on all the time, you need
to snip a little copper strap on the back of the switch, and re-wire to your
lighting bus.

A Customer Service Tale:

    A couple of months ago I had my new Continental IO-550-N delivered, but
when I started working on hose hook-ups shortly thereafter, I discovered
that some of the fittings on the fuel pump were not the same as my earlier
IO-550-G.  The inlet fitting was an AN8, and the fuel return an AN6.  These
are the correct fittings for the turbo'ed version, but not the normally
aspirated.  Seems like a trivial problem, but they didn't match up with the
sizes of fittings on anything else in the airplane.  It also seems you can't
get a hose with different sized fittings on either end, so, for example, I
couldn't hook my fuel return lines (AN4) to the AN6 on the fuel pump.
    The first couple of calls to Lancair got a "Can't be." response.  When I
finally convinced them I could tell the difference between an AN6 and an
AN8, they contacted the factory.  Response: can't be.  Those are the wrong
fittings.  Finally convinced, TCM apparently agreed to fix the problem.
This is second hand, because I am relating conversations that apparently
took place between Carsten and Chip at TCM.
    After a month and a half of nothing happening, a whole new fuel pump
arrived on my doorstep a couple of weeks ago.  It has the right fittings,
but no new gasket was included.  Naturally, when I removed the original fuel
pump, half the gasket stuck to the block, the other half to the fuel pump.
SOP on something like this is to use a new gasket every time.  So . . .
    Two more weeks and innumerable telephone calls later, I still have no
gasket.  I would also like to know the proper torque for the odd widgets
used to hold the fuel pump in place, and I'd like to know if that's really
Permatex sticking the old gasket to the block.  I've left many messages with
Chip's number at TCM, and can't get a return 'phone call.  I wonder, how
much do you have to spend with TCM before they think you're worth a 'phone
call?  Apparently seventy grand ain't enough (2 engines).
    I'm still waiting for that gasket and the proper torque values.  Great
customer service, eh?

Now, a dumb question:

    I've bought an RC Allen electric AH for my all-electric panel.  The gyro
comes with zero documentation -- I'm lucky the connector pins are even
identified.  There's a big knob on the lower left that says "Pull to Cage."
Whazzis?  I think it's supposed to be caged when I do my Immelman's and
tail-slides in the ES, but I'm not sure.  Seems like something everyone
knows, everyone but me, apparently.  Whatzit for?

Jim Cameron
N143ES reserved


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