It had been too long since we had spent time working on Sis.
Sis is a 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza model 35, one of the first 1000 off the assembly line. For all intents and purposes, she is my big sister as I have grown up flying with her and now am her caretaker.
There had been flurried moments of getting her cleaned and the hangar organized which were also needed but not the primary goal of getting her back to flight status.
Nights spent by the restorer pouring over the Continental engine manual as well as the shop manual making sure he had understood the process and all items necessary for the assembly.
Lists and orders made from those lists of oil, foil trays, and disposable brushes needed.
As Moraine is about a 30-minute drive from New Carlisle, care was taken to have everything on hand when we were ready to begin.
The cylinders have been sitting in boxes in our basement since their return from Poplar Grove Airmotive earlier in the year.
After we got the Cub annual done, the restorer was ready to turn his attention back to Sis.
Lists were checked and double-checked for items needed, the car was ready to be packed.
The restorer has had experience with engines before and had a game plan for the process.
It will take longer to reassemble the rest of the engine than to reinstall the cylinders.
Explaining the order events, he would take the cylinder out of the box and set it on the worktable with the piston end facing up.
I would hold it in position while he partially removed the piston from the cylinder.
Then he would remove the pin from the piston before resetting the ring around the piston to reinsert into the cylinder.
Prior to reinserting the ring, an assembly mixture of STP and 40-weight oil is coated on the inside of the cylinder.
Once the piston is reinserted into the cylinder, the focus is turned to the engine itself.
The assembly mixture is coated over the studs that attach the cylinder to the engine case.
The pin removed from the piston is also coated in the assembly mixture which I will hold in one hand while holding the connecting rod from the engine in the other as the restorer aligns the cylinder with the bolts and rod.
Once aligned, I insert the pin and the cylinder is bolted onto the studs.
After all cylinders are attached, the nuts will be torqued before moving on.
While the manual is necessary and indeed helpful, the restorer said interpretation was still necessary as it assumes the engine will be on an engine stand rather than in the airplane.
Unlike the restorer’s Cub, there is a fair bit of metal still around the engine with the cowling open.
I’m getting more comfortable opening both the cowling and lower inspection plates, knowing where the proper screwdriver is in the restorer’s toolbox.
As we prepare for the first cylinder, the restorer is looking through the assembly kit supplied by the engine shop.
Everything looks good for the cylinders but some seals for the intake and exhaust tubes need to be replaced. A note is made on the phone, and we return to the task at hand.
Rosie and the airplane sons are busy with life, so it is just us today. The restorer says it’ll be good – he’s done this before and it’s a more intimate process than the ruddervators were.
A foil pan, the size of a small loaf of bread is pulled out to hold the assembly mixture along with a small metal brush.
Next, a ring compression tool is set on the table – I must be hungry because it reminds me of a cheesecake pan with a release on the side.
Its time.
The restorer pulls the cylinder out of the box and sets it on the worktable for me to hold with the piston to the top so he can pull it out.
I brace myself and take a deep breath holding the cylinder in place.
It takes some force to get the piston out of the cylinder, but the restorer is not surprised.
Once the piston is out, the pin slides out of the side and is gooped up with the assembly mixture and set aside.
Focus is returned to the piston and more importantly, the rings around the piston ensuring they are in good shape and their gaps are not in alignment with one another.
The compression tool is slid around the piston and tightened.
Once everything was in alignment, the restorer had me hold the cylinder upright once again so he could reinsert the piston.
Once the piston is reinserted, the ring tool is placed back on the top of the cylinder as there is a ring still protruding that will be going into the engine case itself.
The assembly mixture is brushed onto the cylinder studs and we get the cylinder and pin ready to install.
The restorer gets the cylinder lined up with the rod protruding from the engine and begins to maneuver.
I am holding the rod in one hand and the pin in the other.
The pin is inserted, and the piston is pushed completely into the cylinder leaving the ring tool to be unclipped.
After fumbling for too long, I get the tool unclipped, and the restorer can install the cylinder onto the studs.
I take a deep breath and look at the cylinder boxes remaining.
Five more to go.
The restorer took his time as we worked our way through installing the remainder of the cylinders.
Never thought I would be knee-deep in an engine or be this happy!
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