Coupers:
A few weeks ago I probably misinformed another inquirer
regarding filling the nose strut. The Alon Maintenance
Manual says nothing about a gauge, only to "fill to its
working limit" 'it will take approximately 1 1/2 pints.'
{My filler plug showed no signs of a gauge.)
What I did (and advised the other gentleman do do) was to
raise the wheel off the ground and use a closed system to
suck the hydraulic fluid out of a container by pumping the
gear up and down until there was no more air in the system,
then insert the plug with the gear extended. It seemed to
work OK and no matter what, I couldn't get 1 1/2 pints into
it. No one in the forum wrote in to object to my technique.
After reading your e-mail advice I went back to the hangar
and read every piece of service advice I had. The only
reference I could find was in "Fornaire S/B 113" which also
said to 'fill to its working limit' plus in a note said '7
to 11 inches below the top surface of the filler plug
hole.' I assume that this is with the strut extended.
Having seen the inside of the strut, I now understand that
this would assure that at its lowest level, fluid would
cover the piston valving. I guess I'll include the level
check at my next annual by inserting a small diameter dowel
down there to check fluid level.
Just shows you - I thought with an Alon Maintenance Manual,
a set of Alon Service Bulletins, Alon Parts Manual,
Continental Engine Manual, and assorted Ercoupe manuals, I
had everything official in print applicable to the Alon.
Again, my apologies - the wide latitude of the 7" - 11"
dimension (below the plug) for filling just means you won't
be pressurizing the upper part of the cylinder with fluid,
but there will always be enough fluid to submerge the piston
through its 3 1/2" stroke so the shock-absorbing valving
works right.
(humble) David
Alon A-2 N6359V
Also, refer to Syd Cohen's posting below:
=========================================================
Subject: Re: Nose Gear Trouble
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 21:52:41 -0600
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: DoyleLawson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Doyle--
Ercoupe Service Memorandum no. 41 is an 8 page
document which is very thorough in the steps of disassembly,
inspection, reworking, and
reassembly of the nose gear, including all of the specs and
diagrams.
It is available in the Ercoupe Memoranda and Service
Bulletins book
available from Univair. If you do not have that book, you
should really
get one. I would go the re-build route rather than buying a
used nose
gear if I were you. You never know what condition a used
one may be in.
Syd Cohen
NC94196
====================================================================
David Abrams wrote:
>
> In the middle of the top of the front fork is a square filler plug. If
> you unscrew the plug it comes out with an 11 inch section of flexible
> metal line attached. When new, this line had a red and green mark to
> indicate where the full fluid mark was for the compressed and extended
> states of the front fork. Unfortunately I have found that these marks
> quickly wear off when covered with fluid. I bought a new gauge from
> Univair (PN 415-34089, $11.12 in 1996) and marked the red and green
> points on an outline of the gauge on the back of the invoice.
>
> I am looking at it now.
>
> The actual square plug is about 9/16 inch long (the first 50% of this is
> the square wrench portion and the last 50% of this is the threaded
> portion)
>
> Welded to the bottom of the plug (the threaded end) is 11 inches of
> flexible metal cable
>
> There is a green mark beginning at 5.75 inches and ending at 6.00 inches
> from the bottom of the threaded portion of the plug.
>
> There is a red mark beginning at 10.75 inches and ending at 11.00 inches
> from the bottom of the threaded portion of the plug (basically at the
> end of the gauge).
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> David Abrams
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://ercoupe.com
>
> ----------
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Monday, November 23, 1998 11:06 PM
> To: David Abrams
> Subject: ercoupe
>
> I am looking for information on filling a front strut (nose
> gear). Are there
> any chats or information boards for ercoupe. My mechanic just
> stares at me
> saying this airplane is nothing he is familiar with. The book
> calls for
> filling with red brake fluid (1.5 pints 5606) until it is filled
> to the red on
> guage or green on guage under load. Our question is WHERE IS
> THIS ELUSIVE
> GREEN AND RED GUAGE? I drained it for about 20 minutes upside
> down and was
> unable to force 1.5 pints into it (it was full after 12 oz). Any
> suggestions
> on a page or a board would be greatly appreciated.
>
> alex
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