---------------------------------------------------------- Zenith640-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Fri 04/30/10: 2 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 05:53 AM - Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels (steveadams) 2. 02:42 PM - Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels (super58d) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 05:53:31 AM PST US Subject: Zenith640-List: Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels From: "steveadams" It is great that you are thinking ahead about this. While building you have open access to everything and it is very easy to forget about doing maintenance on the completed plane, which is completely different than building. Something as simple as checking the torque on a bolt can turn into an hour long game requiring 3 hands, a mirror, the skills of a contortionist and a lot of luck, so the more access you have the better. I have the standard sized access panels in the wing, and while I have changed out a fuel sender and replaced some pitot tubing through these panels, it was tight. I also put an access panel on the rear seat bottom for direct access to the control cable pulleys under the seat. Another thing to consider is access behind the instrument panel and where you put everything. Try laying on your back with your head under the panel and see how well you can see and reach things, and how long you can stand laying like that (it's not a lot of fun). So it's best to have good, relatively easy access from the front of the panel. As far as the fuel tanks, there is no sealant or bladder to go bad, so most likely any leak you have will be either around the sender or where the fuel line attaches. Making big changes to have easy access to the whole tank seems a bit overkill to me. Good luck and keep thinking ahead. Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=296287#296287 ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 02:42:32 PM PST US Subject: Zenith640-List: Re: Inspection/ Maintenance panels From: "super58d" Steve, Great ideas, thanks. I never even thought about the seat bottoms. As for the instrument panel, where would you propose an access panel go? I was thinking of making the instrument panel hinge downward, or have sections that hinge down, so as to make maintenance and getting behind easier. I think It'd make wiring and install of the panel components much easier too. The top I'd secure with screws and decent sized anchor nuts. -------- Mark s/n 094 Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=296320#296320 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message zenith640-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/Zenith640-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/zenith640-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/zenith640-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.