Linda, I also think they may have put too much paint in the hinge and spring area. When I painted mine I pulled out the hinge pin and carefully greased it so the paint wouldn't stick there. You should be able to free the hinge and slide a new wire in. Good luck--John N2138H
--- On Fri, 12/18/09, JThomas Terry <[email protected]> wrote: From: JThomas Terry <[email protected]> Subject: RE: [ercoupe-tech] trim cable wire To: "Linda Abrams" <[email protected]>, [email protected] Date: Friday, December 18, 2009, 8:57 AM Somebody correct me if this is not right, but I am under the impression that the trim wire is stainless. IF that is correct, your wire did not rust. I have a suspicion that your trim cable was “abused” during the removal of the elevator and or horizontal stabilizer and that either the wire or the sheathing was crimped or possibly both. Let’s look at the facts: It worked when you took it in. It didn’t work when you picked it up. The only “reasoning” offered was that the plane set outside for a couple of days and a stainless steel wire “rusted” in that two or three day period. They also said that it was “stiff” when they put it back together after painting: did it also “rust” inside the paint shop? It just doesn’t quite add up. What does add up is that the wire or sheath or both were damaged in that shop (it’s not that hard to do). Bottom line is that the paint shop should foot the bill regardless if the time to replace is an hour or a week. As for the time required; with no problems a wire can be replaced in less than an hour. If the transition between the coiled sheath and guide tube give problems, it could be a half day. I did one in about 45 minutes. You will want to have your guy do it for a couple of reasons: 1. The people at that shop seem to be clueless 2. If, by chance, the back of the plane has to be opened up and something else that needs to be done is noticed, you will be in the right place, with the right person to have it taken care of. While you’re looking around the trim area, make sure the hinges and springs on the trim tab haven’t been painted over and glued in place. Good Luck Tommy From: ercoupe-tech@ yahoogroups. com [mailto:ercoupe- t...@yahoogroups .com] On Behalf Of Linda Abrams Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 8:18 PM To: ercoupe-tech@ yahoogroups. com Subject: [ercoupe-tech] trim cable wire When I took my plane to the painters (day before Thanksgiving) the trim was working fine. When I picked my plane up from the painters on Monday, the trim wasn't working. It felt stuck: the control handle bounced back when I tried to move it into position to (e.g.) trim nose down, instead of its normal movement. I took it back to him today. He said that when they'd put the control surfaces back on, he found the cable was stiff (rusty?) so they lubed it and then it worked, but after they finished the painting it rained for several days and (since I couldn't some get it in the rain), they put the plane outside the hangar (the next customer's plane had to go into the hangar for stripping). They figured it had rusted up again and was binding. So in front of me, the painter & his AI sprayed some lubricant on the tail end of the wire, where it comes out of its sheathing, took off the covering of the trim control handle at the other end, so the handle mechanism was exposed, then kept trying to force it to work. Long story short, they broke the trim wire right up near where it attaches to the trim control handle. (I'd guess it broke from metal fatigue of him repeatedly trying to force it loose using the control handle.) So of course they're saying, "The wire was old and rusty and you're better off replacing it with a new one." Well, now I don't have any choice but to do so! I ordered the wire itself from Skyport; it is not expensive, but the labor looks to be. The painter's AI said only "less than one day" to install it, and that "if it's less than 3 hours, [he] wouldn't believe it." The young mechanic who usually helps me at my home field isn't available (away for the holidays), and I haven't yet been able to reach the AI who usually does my annual so I don't know if he's in town. IF I'm stuck with the painter's AI doing this (a) how long should the labor take, and (b) is there anywhere in our online resources that shows how? I've looked in the Service Manual and can't find anything. (Hartmut: is there anything on this in your photo collection?) Linda N3437H (Sky Sprite) L.A.
