Bad Parts From Stock

[newgreasy]

We just went through 4 APU generators and 4 APU's on a TW757 being removed from AA service at MCI. We even had a Boeing engineer at MCI with some specialized test equipment. We finally swapped generators with another A/C and the problem went with the generator. After all that the APU dumped oil into the bleed system. 3 APU's later, we received one that didn't have an oil pressure shut-down. I worked the line at MCI for years and never had to change a battery charger on an MD80. The last few weeks I was there, I changed 6 on two A/C. It took that many to get a good one from stock. Have these problems been system wide? If so, is this normal or an abberation?

 

[goingboeing]

Non-Serviceable parts from stock has been a problem for several years now.One of the MD80 Heavy C Docks that I worked at we kept a LOG of the failure rate of parts from stock.Welcome to the world of outsourcing where all AA standards are lost to outside vendors.

 

[Wretched Wrench]

It is not unusual. I have seen a number of aircraft where the same part was changed several times before the problem went away.

 

[A/C FIXER]

The really bad thing about this whole situation is we end up fixing the part on the dock and not sending back to the vendor, and in the case of F100 APU'S and i'm not sure about MD80 APU's we have the almighty power by the hour, where if we find the APU isn't putting out the correct amount of air or power its sent back to Allied signal and all they do is put it on a test stand MAYBE slap some RTV on the ducts and PRESTO we have a good APU, Yeah right and if you believe that I've got some ocean front property I'll be willing to sell you in NEVADA. But then again what do I know I only work where all this chocolate pudding/nice way of saying someting that comes out of ones rectum/ hits the rotory oscillator/fan/, not some bean counter who dosen't even know what an airplane is, or what dock its parked on.

 

[MCI transplant]

😉 Well people! It seems we had one of the best A.P.U. Shops in the country right here at MCI! But in a.a.'s almighty wisdom, they seen fit to close it down, and strip out all tooling!!! Maybe someone was thinking we were a threat to their own personal empire? But it sure wasn't in the companies best interests! When will they figure out that we're all on the same team! :down: Signed:" Just another redheaded stepchild!"

 

[AAmech]

We've gotten a bunch of brand new batt chargers for the Md80 that don't work! This is a whole new batt charging system that even requires new batts and I really don't know what the benifit of it is I just know that when we install the new chargers around 20% are crap right out of the box! At least its a warranty item.

 

[Skyyggoddess]

The last few weeks I was there, I changed 6 on two A/C. It took that many to get a good one from stock. Have these problems been system wide? If so, is this normal or an abberation?

This is truly frightning. I am a flight attendant and not a mechanic so I don't know the answer to this...but are these parts made in the USA or are they made overseas?
Terry

 

[MCI transplant]

<_< Sky---- Quit a few of the parts discussed here are "outsourced"! Which means they can come from almost anywhere! But they're all supposed to be "Airworthy!". With documentation back to the person who overhauled it, or manufactured it! Problem is, the Company hasn't figured out that "Cheapest isn't always best!"And whenever you "outsource" anything, you never know what you'll get back, or when!!!! And can cost you much more in lost time in the long run!

 

[Wretched Wrench]

There seems to ba a "race to the bottom" in aircraft maintenance. Third party maintenance facilities are bidding against each other, hiring ever cheaper labor, and doing ever lower quality work. The FAA seems to be turning a blind eye.

 

[newgreasy]

Well thanks for the feedback. I assume from your comments that this is a sustem wide problem and not specific to any one area. Someone told me that the MD80 Battery Charger problem was related to switching vendors of batteries and not chargers. I don't know if this is correct or not, but I thought I'd pass it on. It was also my understanding that the 757 APU generators were from Tulsa, but again, I 'm not sure. Thanks for the help none the less.

 

[MCI transplant]

😉 Outsourced parts are one thing! But bad parts out of a.a.'s own shops is an other matter! If Tulsa can't do the job, give us the tooling here at MCI, and I'll garantee we'll get it done! The right way, the first time! But, politics being what they are, I don't see that happening! :down:

 

[AAmech]

The Batt chargers are BRAND NEW!!! Not a repaired item!!

 

[goingboeing]

😉 Outsourced parts are one thing! But bad parts out of a.a.'s own shops is an other matter! If Tulsa can't do the job, give us the tooling here at MCI, and I'll garantee we'll get it done! The right way, the first time! But, politics being what they are, I don't see that happening! :down:

We can do the job here in Tulsa and have the track record to prove it.Fed Ex hired us to fix their 8130 parts from their vendors![So they payed twice to get the parts overhauled] MCI is already taking work away from TUL in the Misc. Valve Shop and it is not because TUL can't do the job.

 

[MCI transplant]

aaMech.------ Chargers are new! APU's, & APU generators are not! Going boeing---I beleive there's enough work here for everyone! But what's the name of this thread? "Bad Parts out of Stock!" And we've seen quit a bet of it here! :angry:

 

[newgreasy]

The battery chargers that I changed were the type that used to be on the TWA equipment and they were from an outsourced shop which happens to be in Tulsa. They weren't AA, but they were overhauled/repaired parts. Not new by any means.
New Greasy