A-65 Magneto Flange Gasket Leak

H. Paul Shuch is a Light Sport Repairman with Maintenance ratings for airplanes, gliders, weight shift control, and powered parachutes, as well as an independent Rotax Maintenance Technician at the Heavy Maintenance level. He holds a PhD in Air Transportation Engineering from the University of California, and serves as Director of Maintenance for AvSport of Lock Haven.

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azsportpilot
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A-65 Magneto Flange Gasket Leak

Post by azsportpilot »

The last time my A&P had the cowl off for an oil change he noticed a tiny bit of oil where the left mag meets the case on the backside of my A-65

he said it looked very slight and seemed unconcerned but said that the Magneto Flange Gasket would need to be replaced at some point...... "If it gets really leaky oil could infiltrate the mag and cause other problems" he said

It looks like an easy job and a $7.00 gasket, Is it harder than it looks?

Questions:
1) should I worry about it or are tiny leaks like this common and harmless?
2) how many A&P labor hours is normal for replacement of this gasket?
3) do the points and/or E-Points need to be reset after changing this gasket?
4) should I have both sides done since both gaskets are likely the same age?

thanks for any advice you might have
John Sarra CFI-S
1946 Aeronca Chief

-Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we never left one up there!
3Dreaming
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Re: A-65 Magneto Flange Gasket Leak

Post by 3Dreaming »

A leaky mag base gasket won't normally allow oil to get into the mag. It can cause a big mess, and other possible problems depending on the airplane. Some exhaust systems pass under or behind the mags.

Replacing the gasket is not a hard job, maybe a half hour depending on how hard it is to remove the old gasket. It also requires a timing device for the mag, and the knowledge of how to install and time the mag. Some mags are harder to install that others.
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