Pre-Buy Inspection Suggestions


14 posts in this topic

Posted

Hello

I am considering buying a Magnum and I was wondering if any of you would care to share a suggested pre-buy checklist .  I have hired an A&P to take a look at the plane for me, but I am sure there are Avid Magnum specific issues that should be looked at. 

 

Thanks in advance for your help

Jim

 

 

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Posted (edited)

Jim,  Your A&P will know about checking the ADs on prop and engine, if it has a Rotax, Lycoming or Continental in it.  Other than that, just a check in the logs for damage history, and a good visual of the airframe for welds, repairs, rust, and a close look at the rib tails where the flaperon hangers are bolted, checking controls and all linkages for play or binding and bolts for wear and nuts properly secured.   If the owner has a builder's log and photographs, they are always good to look at.

Where are you located?  Hope you get a good Magnum to enjoy, and Welcome to the forum.  Give us some info in "Indroductions" posts.  Also, "We LOVE PHOTOS!  ;<)  EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

Looking under the panel at the wiring can tell you a lot in a hurry about the attention to detail that was put forth during the build. The airframe on these is pretty straightforward it is the details like wiring, fuel line routing, attention to detail that will make one stand out pretty quickly over another. If it's a Lycoming engine it's condition will play a major factor on the cost as well as the prop. Does it have 1980's avionics in it? How many hours total? How often flown? While a low time plane looks good on paper a plane that has sat for many years with very little use will almost always need work make it happy. Hope this helps.

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Posted

Let us know which one you are looking at too...there have been a couple of shady ones out there lately.  By shady I mean registration issues...Phase one not flown off, tail numbers and ID tags removed.  And like Joey mentioned, electrical nightmares!

Make sure the A&P you hired is one you trust. I once had the A&P that had always done the maintenance on the plane I was buying do the pre buy/annual...mistake!!!

As I was flying off in my new plane and trying to figure it out, I found that the vacuum pump and alternator were bad...then on the first landing I found that the internal tailwheel parts were broken as I was taken on a wild ride :o.  I blame myself for being so trusting of a stranger...So hire someone you know and trust, even if you have to buy them a roundtrip ticket, it is worth it!

Good luck, let us know...

Ron

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Posted

Thanks for the input gentlemen.  I am looking to buy Jeff Levine's 2004 Magnum N45559 in Two Harbors MN.   Its been on straight floats and wheels and Its going in for a pre-buy later this week. The engine is a Lycoming O36O.  Thanks for the suggestions about  the rib tails, controls, linkages and wiring.  I'll post here again as questions arise.  Thanks again for the help.

v/r

Jim

 

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Posted

Thanks for the input gentlemen.  I am looking to buy Jeff Levine's 2004 Magnum N45559 in Two Harbors MN.   Its been on straight floats and wheels and Its going in for a pre-buy later this week. The engine is a Lycoming O36O.  Thanks for the suggestions about  the rib tails, controls, linkages and wiring.  I'll post here again as questions arise.  Thanks again for the help.

v/r

Jim

 

Jim,  We Love Photos!   EDMO

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Posted

Heres a couple of pics.  Looks good.  The inspection will tell the tale.

Magnum Folded.jpg

Magnumb Outside.jpg

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Posted

That looks like a quality build, from photos you posted and others on the internet!

plenty o' power!  Should be a great aircraft!  I hope it all works out...

 

Ron

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Posted

Hi guys. I am going to look at Jeff Levine's Avid Magnum in two weeks. Jim, did you get the pre buy done? Why didn't you buy it? Please let me know what you found. I am going there with cash in hand and I do not have a lot of time. I live in Sacramento and to get out to Duluth,MN is becoming a logistic nightmare. 

F anybody can shed some light on this plane, please let me know. 

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Posted

Is that the 65k one?

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Posted

That looks like a quality build, from photos you posted and others on the internet!

plenty o' power!  Should be a great aircraft!  I hope it all works out...

 

Ron

No! Jeff wants $50k for it. It has a half time IO360, grove landing gear, Aqua floats and a trailer for when it is on floats. It looks pretty good but I am worried about rust on the cam (450 hrs in 13 years) and who knows what the engine went through when it was in Europe for the first 450 hrs. I think the price is on the high side but if you want a Magnum!!!!!!!

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Posted

Oddiedog,

Sounds like a good thought about the engine...The $50K had me intrigued because it seems to be the going price for just about every Magnum listed and this one had floats too.

You probably saw my post about a Magnum kit in Sacramento.  You could buy it build it and still spend $50K and lose 4-5 years of your life before you get to fly it :lmao:

 

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Posted

Hi Ron,

Do you by chance have a parts list for the Magnum kit? I did go look at the kit in Sacramento. I could not find an engine mount or the interior. If you have a parts list, would you be able to text it to me at 916-320-5665? I would much appreciate it.

As for the Magnum with floats, I really don't want the floats. There is a trailer along with it. The Magnum fits on the trailer with the wings folded, on the floats. I worry about the engine only having 450 hours over a 13 year period (The first 500 hours were flown in a Cessna 177 RG in the Ukraine. No engine logs except for the last sheet!!!. CAM rust is something to worry about when in a high humidity area and very few hours on the engine. Also, about 300 of those ours were in Florida.

What are your thoughts on the CAM rust issue? Also, do you think the floats and trailer are worth around $10K? That is what I would probably try to sell them for. Anybody out there needing floats and a trailer?

Call me if you want to and we can talk about my Avid Magnum options and the trials and tribulations you have gone through.

 

 

   

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Posted

Odiedog,

I live in Colorado, so I haven't had the luxury of inspecting that kit in Sacramento.  I had asked him about an engine mount because I didn't see it in the pics, but I'm glad you spotted that.  As far as the interior goes, I'm guessing the seat cushions and covers are missing?  I saw the seat frames and it looked like maybe there was some carpet in one of the pics.  With the advances in seat foam, it might be better foaming and covering your own seats.

I don't have a parts list for that kit, but I have the parts list from my kit that I could send you if you wanted to do an inventory of your own on that kit?  It is about 13-15 pages long so email would work best, you could just private message me your email, I'll send you mine too.  I could text pics of them if you wanted.

I might not be able to call you until this weekend, but would enjoy talking Magnums with you.

Your rust concerns are valid for low time and humid conditions...I have heard that getting that in conditions where condensation is developed from a hot engine cooling in humidity and then sitting for long periods is what causes the problems...it is actually an AD on the Lycoming IO-360 that requires periodic visual inspection of the crank through  the plug in the front of the crank.

The cam could be corroded too, but I think the crank is the problem child most of the time.  I'm no engine expert though.

The scariest thing you said was Ukraine!  Other countries just don't keep records or do quality maintenance like the US does.  The fact that there are no logs should make the value drop drastically.  That is true on any aircraft!

I think you are spot on with the float and trailer  values.  I think the floats would be an easy sell, seems like guys are always looking for those...

Talk to you soon,

Ron

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