Finn Lassen wrote:

Today I went to the airport after about a week of inactivity.

I turned the prop by hand and noticed something really odd. At one spot
it was really hard to move. I continued to rotate it and the after
several revolution the resistance was about the same all the way around.

Any ideas?

Finn

Stuck apex seal? Foreign object in rotor housing? Metal particle in
gear box? Drain the oil Finn. Cut the filter open.  Check the compression.

Paul Lamar

Finn,

    When I let my 86 sit for 5 weeks in high humidity weather with the
intake manifold off, I later found all my apex seals had frozen in their
slots due to light rust.  I managed to get 5 of the six unstuck through the
exhaust port.  If yours perhaps suffered from the same sort of thing down in
moist Florida, you might have had one apex seal stuck extended and did not
want to slide down into its slot when you tried to rotate it until you
insisted.  Once you got it unstuck then the resistance would feel the same
all the way around.  As Paul mentioned foreign objects could to the same
thing.

   I would suggest that the easiest way to check for any significant damage
would be to take off you exhaust manifold and with a light and mirror check
the condition of your apex seals.  Also as Paul mentioned check the oil for
foreign particles.

  Even when I don't fly I now pull the prop through several times at least
once a week.  If letting it sit for an extend period (several weeks, I'd
take out the plugs and squirt a healthy amount (several table spoons) of
WD-40 or even light weight engine oil  and rotate that around.

Let us know what you find

Ed Anderson

 
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