1972 Maule 4-220c rebuild

johnmo61 · Post by **johnmo61** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 6:33 am

Hi everyone,

I'm new to my Maule 4-220c rebuild. But, not new to rebuilding aircraft. I'm an IA.

Prop hub model 2A34C22 S84SF-6
Engine Franklin 6A-350-C1

What mods should I be considering with this aircraft?
It is stock and only has 600 tt.
I purchased it as a project.
The left wing has the top skin removed to clean out mud daubers. The right wing will probably have the same situation.

Thanks in advance.
If you would like to share any 337's, pictures etc,, here is my email
ja.morelli@comcast.net

I live in Grapevine Tx.

Thanks in advance.

Mog · Post by **Mog** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 8:44 am

Well, depends on your mission. Iâ€™m based out of Airpark just north of Addison airport if you need anything. We have two M4â€™s with the 220 at Airpark.

JLB · Post by **JLB** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:37 am

I have an M5 220c, reccomend VG's, elevator gap seals, double puck brakes, flap ratchet and handle mods, and of course big tires, good luck and enjoy the process.

Mog · Post by **Mog** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:16 pm

Gap seals are not approved on the old M4 for some stupid reason. Not to say people donâ€™t have them.

Curtis · Post by **Curtis** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 4:28 pm

Big tires, 201 or 203 82â€ prop. I put VGâ€™s on my M4. Took them back off. (For sale if anyone wants them) I could absolutely tell no difference except longer take off roll and a tad slower.
JPI 830 or 930 engine monitor. Update with new oleo springs and install new nas bolts. It wouldnâ€™t hurt to buy extra Franklin parts when you find them.
Good luck!

TxAgfisher · Post by **TxAgfisher** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 8:10 pm

Yep, no original M4 should ever have gap seals...

Mog · Post by **Mog** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 8:37 pm

Curtis wrote:Big tires, 201 or 203 82â€ prop. I put VGâ€™s on my M4. Took them back off. (For sale if anyone wants them) I could absolutely tell no difference except longer take off roll and a tad slower.
JPI 830 or 930 engine monitor. Update with new oleo springs and install new nas bolts. It wouldnâ€™t hurt to buy extra Franklin parts when you find them.
Good luck!

Seriously on the VGâ€™s!?! Made a huge difference on my M4.

pilot · Post by **pilot** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 5:50 am

There are a lot of upgrades you can do that are on the type cert, like skylight, observer window, patroller doors, boot cowl window, steel stringers, shoulder harnesses - not sure how much of that applies to the M4, but you can ask Maule if they have a drawing CD for it like the M5 one. The angled flap handle is nice too.

1:1 Scale · Post by **1:1 Scale** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 12:51 pm

Curtis wrote:Big tires, 201 or 203 82â€ prop.

From what I've learned, a 203 SHOULD be a slam dunk on the Franklin, but would likely be an uphill battle getting an approval from the FAA without a vibration analysis. McCauley had a vibration analysis done for the C201 on the O-470 and 220 Franklin, but only did the O-470 on the C203. Basically the same prop as the C201 from a harmonics standpoint, and uses the same crankshaft damper configuration on the O-470. Since the Franklin uses a viscous damper that has a wider damping range, there should be no issue putting a C203 on it, other than the feds likely wanting a vibration analysis.

I just got my 82" C201 yesterday...

My plans are the 82" C201, M5 wings with VG's, +4" HD gear, replacing the 45 year old Razorback with Oratex, aluminum stringers instead of the wood, and just trying to shave weight where I can during the recover process.

johnmo61 · Post by **johnmo61** » Thu Aug 23, 2018 5:42 am

Thanks for all the suggestions. Please keep them coming if there are anymore.

BTW, what is your experience with the original green tint windshield? Should I replace it with a clear one? I'm not familiar with flying with green tint. The window is in real nice shape and would polish out nicely.

Has anyone removed and reinstalled the skins on these M4 wings? I am going to start on one wing that had 75% of the skins removed to clean out the mud daubers. Any suggestions with past experience on this project?

Thanks in advance.
John

Mog · Post by **Mog** » Thu Aug 23, 2018 7:12 am

You will want to keep the tint or replace with a fresh new tinted. Windscreen is not very expensive in the grand scheme of things.

crbnunit · Post by **crbnunit** » Fri Aug 24, 2018 11:59 am

I've had the skins off. Time consuming but pretty straight forward. You will need help driving rivets as it goes back together. There are a bunch of them! The wings are flat on the bottom so you don't really need a special jig, just a nice, flat surface.

If it doesn't have the long range tanks in the wings and you want them, NOW is the time to add them. Might pull another wire or two out to the wing tip to support anything you might add later like that second set of landing lights, strobes or lighted curb feelers.

It would be a great time to add some nice, light carbon fiber wing tips! Not cheap but I think Kurt saved quite a bit of weight way out on the wingtips doing this.

Might also take a good look at your fuel level sending units and tanks while you have easier access to them. Definitely check for wasp mud there!

I didn't hear anything about adding lifetime struts. The older struts have a recurring AD if I remember correctly.

Weld lift handles on the tail while the fabric is off.

Move the battery from the back to under the pilot's seat and switch to an Odyssey SBS J-16 to save 16+ lbs. No one would ever recommend an Earthx ETX680 at 3.9lbs or gap seals. That would be wrong.

Too bad the M-4 doesn't qualify for the up-gross kit.

Other mods as already listed.

1972 Maule 4-220c rebuild

1972 Maule 4-220c rebuild

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