Rob: I just rebuilt the strut on my Alon due to leakage. Here's some answers:
++ Shouldn't leak at all. Unlike some other aircraft, the
strut is not pressurized, so it's just like the shock
absorbers on your car. It is important to keep the inner
strut clean so grit doesn't score the plating.
++ One "O" ring seals the inner and outer strut at the
bottom. This ring hardens with age and should be replaced.
There is no practical way to do this without removing the
whole strut from the plane. Disassembly is straight forward
and conceptually simple, but may not turn out to be a
weekend job.
++ Refilling is done by raising the nose off the ground so
that the gear hangs free, removing the filler plug on top,
and siphoning/pumping fluid out of a filled can (you have to
plumb tubing to the can so it's a sealed system). You work
the gear up and down to its limits until no more air appears
in the tubing. Leaving the gear in the extended position,
replace the filler plug.
The above is the "right way." You can probably get away
with hanging the gear free and just filling the strut to the
top. Do a few landings and fill again. Keep repeating the
filling for a few months until it won't fill anymore.
++ If you intend to do any work, please purchase manuals,
bulletins, and parts lists. You can't do a good job without
them.
HERE'S AN OCTOBER '98 E-MAIL WHICH ALSO APPLIES:
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Doyle--
Ercoupe Service Memorandum no. 41 is an 8 page
document which is very thorough in the steps of disassembly,
inspection, reworking, and reassemble 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
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[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> Hi all...
> QUESTION about nose gear.
> I have a dual fork nose gear on my 415-D that appears to be leaking oil
down
> the inner part of the oleo strut.... not much but a little. Is this
normal?
> How do you test for oil capacity and how do you fill the strut? Any
advise
> would be appreciated.
> Thanks in advance, Rob 3040H
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