With credit to Jeff Ryndak: When I let go of the controls my plane makes a pretty hard right turn. Are there any adjustments on the ailerons? My whole dash shakes real bad on shut down; is this common to this plane?

With credit to Jeff Ryndak:
When I let go of the controls my plane makes a pretty hard right turn. Are there any adjustments on the ailerons?

My whole dash shakes real bad on shut down; is this common to this plane?

With credit to Bob Steward:

Usually there are trim tab(s) on the ailerons. Some differential adjustment of the flaps (see the shop manual) may help correct it. The problem could even be caused by the aileron centering cable on the passenger side yoke shaft, it if it is installed wrong or is otherwise out-of-sorts.

The O-360-A4J/K/M series has no dynamic dampers on the crankshaft (cheaper to build!), and they are quite well known for the start up and shutdown vibrations as the engine goes through the resonant frequencies of the prop and crank and engine assembly, on the mounts. If you ever have occasion to see one shutdown with the cowl off, you will be amazed at the excursions the engine makes on the mounts.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

If the cable tension is off on one side of the system, it can cause this, too. Be very suspicious if you find this. Make sure that all the intervening pulleys and bellcranks have good bearings and are undamaged, and carefully inspect the cables themselves. If the rudder seems to require pretty heavy application (left or right) to center the ball, and that is what is triggering the roll, check the nosewheel centering spring. If left un-safetied, the eyes on the ends of the cables have been known to pop off of the spring while the nose wheel is fully turned in either direction.

One of many good reasons to make darn sure that anything on or attached to the engine never gets tie-wrapped to anything stationary (like the engine mount tubing), unless there is plenty of slack in the connection. When I bought my Sierra, some idiot had actually tie-wrapped the suction-side Airborne nipple on the vacuum pump, to the engine mount tube just above it. You should have seen what THAT did. Minor miracle that the pump itself didn’t come apart before I caught it.

If you REALLY want to see some engine shake at start-up and shut-down, watch the “high-compression” IO360-A1B6 in a Super or Sierra. On these engines, it is really critical that the Lord mounts be kept in good shape, that they are installed in the correct orientation (see the shop manual), and that the cushion spacers with the silicone gel-filled jacket are intact, and installed in the proper two places. Most of the ones I find have leaked out most of their gel. It’s a crummy design, as the gel spacers won’t last the life of the cushions, yet you cannot buy them separately. Sometimes if you complain to Lord they will send a couple of free replacements.

Note that the higher vibration level of the O360 and IO360 can have an adverse effect on vertical card compasses, especially if they are panel mounted (in a fixed panel). It is important to follow any instructions that describe ways of providing a soft compass mount, that will absorb vibration before it makes it into the compass card itself.