Longer Battery Life

                                    In aircraft that sit for more than one week at a time, the battery will tend to self-discharge due to inactivity .
                                   Just like the muscles in your body – if you do not use them, you lose them. Concorde highly recommends that the battery be maintained with a charger that is voltage regulated with temperature compensation, like the BatteryMINDER. Or, if the aircraft is parked outside, with a solar charger. For maximum life and performance, these maintainers should be on 24/7, keeping the battery in a ready state of charge.
                                  Sometimes, but not every time, modern avionics are hot wired directly to the battery, bypassing the Battery Master Switch. This may cause a very small parasitic load. In time, though, this condition takes a toll on small aircraft batteries causing them to discharge faster than they would by simply self-discharging due to temperature. Lead Acid Batteries self-discharge at a much higher rate at warm temperatures than in freezing temperatures.
                                               Terminal Corrosion
              Battery cables and their ring terminals are copper, and all Concorde Batteries have copper terminals that do not corrode. Copper alloy terminals and hardware come with the battery and provide low resistance connections.
                                            FAA Approved Installation
           FAA Aircraft Circular AC 23-27 allows to install a Concorde Battery into unpressurized Cessna aircraft with just a logbook entry. Concorde Battery Corporation has obtained FAA Parts Manufacturing Approval for every Cessna battery part number.
                                           RG® VRLA-AGM Batteries
              Recombinant Gas (RG®) Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) Batteries or Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Batteries have almost replaced the flooded, or vented, dry charged batteries that need to be activated, charged and tested before being placed in service.
              RG® Batteries have plates wrapped in electrolyte-absorbed AGM and packed closely together, with less space between the plates. The reduced electrolyte weight has been replaced with more lead plates per cell, which means more active material and lower internal resistance for greater cranking power, along with more power for essential or emergency requirements.
              Erroneously, some pilots believe that higher capacity batteries may be detrimental to the aircraft systems. The opposite is true. With a higher capacity battery the starter, starter contacts, and all associated electrical equipment and avionics are taxed less because the systems voltage remains higher and the amperage draw is lower. Therefore, the highest capacity battery available for your aircraft is the safest and provides the longest life.
                            

Cylinder Dehydrator Plug

At 15-day maximum intervals, a periodic check should be made of the cylinder dehydrator plugs and desic-cant. When the color of the desiccant has turned from blue to pink the preservation procedure must be repeated.

Lycomong SL180 Engine Preservation for Active and Stored Aircraft
             If the aircraft is stored in a region of high humidity, or near a sea coast, it is better to use dehydrator plugs instead of merely replacing the spark plugs as directed. Cylinder dehydrator plugs, MS-27215-2 or equivalent may be used.
   Preferably before the engine has cooled, install small bags of desiccant in exhaust and intake ports and seal with moisture impervious material and pressure sensitive tape. Any other opening from the engine to the atmosphere, such as the breather, and any pad from which an accessory is removed, should likewise be sealed.
Desiccant may be obtained through a Textron Lycoming distributor using the following part numbers:
Part No. 40249 = 1/2 lb. Desiccant
Part No. 40249-1 = 1 lb. Desiccant
Part No. 40249-2 = 1/8 lb. Desiccant
Part No. 40249-3 = 1/4 lb. Desiccant


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Single Engine Recip Flap Track Wear

Insect

Inactivity

            Both manufacturers agree that inactivity in excess of 30 days strongly suggests the need for some special preservation methods and chemicals, especially if the aircraft is located near salt water or similar humid environment.
Lycoming's procedure is as follows:
Install a preservative by one of the following methods:
        Drain the lubricating oil from the sump or system and replace with a preservative oil mixture. This preservation mixture consists of one part by volume MIL-C-6529C Type I concentrated preservative compound added to three parts by volume of MIL-L-6082C (SAE J1966), Grade 1100, mineral aircraft engine oil or oil conforming to MIL-C-6529C Type II. Follow carefully the manufacturer's instructions before use.
       An alternative method is the use of Cortec VC1-326 preservative concentrate added to the original oil at a ratio of 1 part VC1-326 to 10 parts of oil.
      Operate the engine until normal temperatures are obtained. Do not stop engine until oil temperature has reached 180°F. If weather conditions are below freezing, oil temperature should reach at least 165°F before shut down.
      Remove sufficient cowling to gain access to the top spark plugs and remove them.
Through the spark plug hole, spray the interior of each cylinder with approximately two ounces of the pre-servative oil mixture using an airless spray gun (Spraying Systems Co., Gunjet Model 24A-8395 or equivalent). In the event an airless spray gun is not available, a moisture trap may be installed in the air line of a conventional spray gun.
        Reinstall spark plugs and do not turn crankshaft after cylinders have been sprayed. Note: Oils of the type mentioned are to be used in Lycoming aircraft engines for preservation only and not for lubrication. See the latest revision of Textron Lycoming Service Instruction No. 1014 for recommended lubricating oil choices.
       If the aircraft is stored in a region of high humidity, or near a seacoast, it is better to use dehydrator plugs instead of merely replacing the spark plugs as directed in the preceding step. Cylinder dehydrator plugs, MS-27215-2 or equivalent may be used.
       Preferably before the engine has cooled, install small bags of desiccant in exhaust and intake ports and seal with moisture impervious material and pressure sensitive tape. Any other opening from the engine to the atmosphere, such as the breather, and any pad from which an accessory is removed, should likewise be sealed. (Desiccant may be obtained through a             Textron Lycoming distributor, or aviation catalog or Internet in different quantities.)
       Firmly attach red cloth streamers to any desiccant bags installed in the intake and exhaust passages to insure material is removed when the engine is made ready for flight. Streamers should be visible from outside the aircraft. The propeller should be tagged, "Engine preserved—do not turn the propeller."
         At 15-day maximum intervals, a periodic check should be made of the cylinder dehydrator plugs and desic-cant. When the color of the desiccant has turned from blue to pink the preservation procedure must be repeated.
       To return the aircraft to service, remove seals, tape, and desiccant bags. Use a solvent to remove tape residue. Remove spark plugs or dehydrator plugs.
         With the magnetos off rotate the propeller by hand through sufficient rotation to remove excess preservative oil from the cylinders. Drain the remaining preservative from the engine through the sump.

Source for preservative oil:

De-Preservation

                          It is important to remember that long-term preservation of engines can result in trapping large amounts of oil in the combustion chambers of one or more cylinders. For this reason, engines should not be rotated until all of the preservative oil is drained away. Failure to do so can result in damage to the piston, connecting rod, and crankshaft of the flooded cylinder.
                     To return the aircraft to service, remove seals, tape, and desiccant bags. Use a solvent to remove tape residue. Remove spark plugs or dehydrator plugs.
            With the magnetos off, rotate the propeller by hand through sufficient rotations to remove excess preservative oil from the cylinders. Drain the remaining preservative through the sump.
Most engines are equipped with a quick-drain oil fitting on one side of the oil sump and a standard AN plug on the other. Remove both in order to drain as much of the preservative oil from the sump as possible. Uninstalled engines should be hoisted level, then tilted as required to aid in draining of the oil.
             If the spark plugs were installed in the flooded cylinders, all traces of oil should be removed from the firing end and the external barrel with clean solvent or MEK prior to reinstallation. Remove all dehydrator bags, tape, plugs, and barrier paper from the induction system, exhaust ports, breather lines, and so on. Drain and flush the carburetor or other fuel components with fuel, and re-safety all drain and vent plugs as necessary. Check all fuel and oil hoses and intake ducts for security and leaks.
             After servicing the oil sump with the proper grade of oil, wash and pre-flight the engine and engine compart-ment, perform a ground run to operating temperature, and check for leaks. If all is satisfactory, install the cowling and make a logbook entry noting the reversal of the preservation process.
            Keep the first flight local to be sure there were no items missed or loose items. Double check for any pest dam-age or roosting, as well as hand operate all control surfaces to feel for any signs of binding or corrosion in hinges.
              That includes a visual check and light thumping on the tail and control surfaces, as well as the gear wells and en-gine compartment to assure there are no stubborn tenants or nest residues. If there is any signs of varmints or in-sect activity, more serious investigation is called for such as panel removal and the use of a borescope. If you plan on not doing all these things for storage, at least consider doing some of them such as the dehydrator plugs and desiccants as well as the use of vapor corrosion inhibitors) VCI technology for the cabin and avionics.

Engine Mount