When Rudy moved to Chester, CT at the end of the summer in 05, we met Marty who flies a Voyager.  He suggested using Joe to do our annuals.  Joe came out on Memorial Day weekend (May, 06) and found some major engine problems.  We needed to send the engine over to John at Pine Mountain Aviation in Danbury, CT for a rebuild.  Luckily, a few hangers down, the pilots were reinstalling their rebuilt engine, so we borrowed their hoist and put the engine into our 4-Runner, and Karen dropped it off to John.  4 months later, John placed our now shiny and gold-painted engine back into the car.  But there was no longer an engine hoist available...

Soooo...  Todd took our our BIG ladder, some yellow towing straps and Granddads come-along to our hanger.  He placed the ladder up against the wall, climbed up and threw one of the yellow straps over one of the trusses.  He attached that to ANOTHER yellow strap, and the come-along at the bottom.

We drove the car under the come-along, attached the shackle, and winched the engine out of the car - NO TROUBLE at all!  Here is the engine, hanging in mid-air...

Then, we pulled Rudy next to the engine...

(Todd looks so pleased with his system!)

...cranked the come-along to the proper height...

...and slid the engine onto the 4 mounting bolts, complete with new rubber mounts!

Rudy back in his hanger place, new engine attached!  Joe came out to torque the bolts, and then supervised Todd as he started to reassemble...  September, 06

Now starts the LONG process of installing all the parts back onto the engine.  Here, Todd is working on the air baffles.

Then, Todd attached the new exhaust stacks and gaskets.

Here, a piece of ducting is being fitted.

Now Joe,  where does that ducting attach?

Working first on one side, then the other, each piece was fitted and torqued down.

The hardest part is knowing what jobs to do first, so you don't end taking 2 steps backwards for every step forwards!  Thanks, Joe!

One of the last steps is to safety-wire the bolts.  Joe did most of the work, instructing Todd on proper technique.

OK!  Now it's beginning to look like an engine!  We all laughed that it won't look much like this show piece once we start landing in the mud!

Joe and Todd working on opposite sides.

Joe supervises Todd's work on the Oil Drain.

Last check before the prop is hung! 

Hanging the prop, and applying proper torque!  It took all of Joe's weight to finish the prop bolts, while Todd keeps the prop from turning.

Last, the safties...  Last, and certainly not least is getting all the cowling to fit again!  That took alot of fiddling, but in the end, everything was set!

This is IT!  Note the plastic protection still on the prop - but it's finally DONE!

Well, next you put in the special mineral oil used for break-in, and try to start the engine.  2 shots of primer, and he started on the first flip!  Way to go - Todd and Joe!!!

Todd doing the first 3 minute run at 1400 rpm.  There were no leaks, and NO problems.  Another 3 minute run and cool down, and then a taxi and cool-down - all PERFECT!

So - Todd took off, and did the 2 hour break in flight!  Wow!  The Champ wants to climb and fly SO much better!  And, Todd got to learn all about the engine, and with luck, we should now enjoy many years of problem-free flying FUN!  October 7,06