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Opening a can of worms, I have often wondered what
the significance of this saying actually was. I
think I have a better idea now.............
Eager to use the new "Battery Minder" battery
conditioner and de-sulfation system, the latest wiz-bang
device for maintaining an aircraft battery at 100%
charge at all times. I read all the documentation
that came with it (I could recite the operation manual
almost verbatim) and prepared to let it do its thing.
You already know where this is going, right?
With the upper cowls off, I was actually whistling to
myself. Off came the battery box cover, forward
shell half, and cables, by this time I was singing a
little song to myself. On my favorite rolling cart
I had all the cables, and accessories laid out; now I
had a shuffle in my step as I moved about.
Everything was arranged, there was a space reserved on
my cart to set the battery in place to
let-the-magic-begin!
I hefted the battery clear of the tray and settled it
into the awaiting space on my cart. Next was
supposed to be the part where I connected al the
cables, plugged it in and all things would be right with
the world.
I glanced back at the vacant tray and noticed
corrosion built up in the aft most portion of the
battery box tray. OK, the bells and whistles would
have to wait. Switching gears I gathered up tools
and equipment to deactivate and clean the corrosive
build up. And that's when I saw it!
In the aft, right corner, battery acid had eaten a
hole about the size of a dime through the bottom of the
tray. An annual inspection had been performed only
9 months earlier, makes one wonder. Peering down
through the hole I could not see much of anything.
The other side of this hole seemed to disappear
completely as I search for the drip line and acid
residue forward of the firewall. Using inspection
mirror, bendable lights, all manner of reaching tools,
and nothing.
I got high-tech and stuck a
screwdriver down through the hole, it slid away
into the darkness...........where did it go? Can
it be that a portion of the battery box is actually
inside the firewall, I thought to myself. My next
move was an advanced maneuver known only to a handful of
senior A&P's throughout the world.
Warning: Kids don't try this at home.
This maneuver is only to be use by licensed
professionals.
It's where with the seats installed you attempt to
make an under panel inspection. As you slither
into place with your back arched in an unnatural
position, neck and head bearing most of the weight of
your body and mashed up against the rudder pedals.
Your arms are all but useless pined against the sides of
your body in a space that was intended only for two
legs. Did I mention that you are upside down with
your legs protruding into space. Usually without
safety glasses or mask, so that pieces of fiberglass
insulation fall randomly into your eyes and mouth.
And there is was, my screwdriver.
Not only was about 2 inches of battery box inside the
firewall, the hole eroded by battery acid was also.
Following the drip line, I came next to a flange
attached to the structure of the aircraft where the
ground leads for all the avionics system converge,
called the ground plane, it was contaminated by battery
acid. To search any farther, all seats, and port
side interior panels must come out; about three hours,
as you go along disconnecting intercom and other cables,
and removing about 30 small screws. Carpet, floor
inspection panels also; all contamination must be
deactivated, flushed, and thoroughly cleaned. The
cleaning part was 5 hours.
The battery box repair was easy, nothing more than a
small patch of .030 aluminum, secured with rivets and
sealed with anti-corrosive, paint, and epoxy. Done in
less than 2 hours. After this all must be returned
to normal, in another 5 hours
or so.
Oh yes!, now back to my
wiz-bang battery charger.......
.......but that's another story.
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