Hey Don: I realize this may be a little late now, but before you put the Belleville spring stacks on the airplane did you make certain that there was no play or slack in the stack? There should be none, and I have seen the stacks wear to the point that they are over 1/2 inch short. Lynn In a message dated 5/26/2010 12:51:46 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
I give up. The main tires are at 20, the nose at 15, still get 72-73 inches on tail height. I really wonder how many people have actually measured or leveled theirs. Surely I am not alone in this. --- In [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) , "Donald" <dongen...@...> wrote: > > > > Very level concrete floor. Somewhere I read what the strut amount showing on the front gear was, and mine was correct. I cannot recall the measurements now. I am going out this morning with a tire pressure check, although the main tires look OK. > Maybe a set of "Tundra Tires" on the mains is in order. > > --- In [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) , Caliendo Dan <djcaliendo@> wrote: > > > > Is your front strut not going down as far as it should? That will lower the nose. > > Is the floor you plane is sitting on level? > > Dan C > > > > On May 25, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Donald wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I feel like that comic strip character with the black cloud raining on him and following him around. > > > I got the used belleville struts with spacers all serviced and installed today, let it down on its wheels again and could see the wingtips were higher, hurried around to the tail with a tape measure, now it is 72 inches tall, did not gain much. Window sill is not level either. I don't know what is next, add more spacers? Is there a limit to spacers? I am going to check main tire pressures tomorrow, maybe I can get some help there. > > > > > > --- In [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) , "Donald" <DonGeneda@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I would have to assume that the rusting happens on the upper exposed part of the piston over time and smooth landings. Then comes one of those teeth jarring landings, and the rusty piston is forced into the strut body with force - and it don't come back. Once stuck there with rust, it only gets worse with time. Just a guess, and I too was surprised with the number of people who have experienced this. Certainly an area to be checked often. > > > > For those who have not done it, taking the strut apart, leaving the piston on the wing, is a very quick and easy operation for anyone. Dressing the upper portion with some emery cloth if rusty could well keep you from being in the same shape I am in now. It is the old "stich in time saves nine" type thing. > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) , "Hartmut Beil" <hbeil@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Dave . He has a used one pair ready, but he can't get the old one out! > > > > > Now there are already three folks on the list that had rusted solid struts. > > > > > > > > > > I was under the impression that these struts could run low on fluid, but rusting solid, that's new to me. > > > > > > > > > > Hartmut > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: bigbrownpilot@ > > > > > Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 4:33 AM > > > > > To: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) > > > > > Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Re: MLG Problems, long post, Need Help! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Finally, someone has a problem that I don't have! > > > > > > > > > > Wonder if you can find a new/used pair of oleos? > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) , "Donald" <DonGeneda@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Fitting in with the MLG postings of late, I decidewd to jack mine up and put in the spacers to raise my tail today. As I was taking thinga apart, I was surprised to see there were already a set of spacers there. Strange, my tail is pretty low. > > > > > > I decided to measure my donut stack, three and 1/2 inches, although the rubbers look as good as new. I jacked it up to measure again no load - still three and a half! What the heck is going on here. I have a pair of bellville spring equipped struts, measured them, and the stack is about four and a quarter inches! > > > > > > I decide to take things apart to see what is going on, drop the bottom bolt, swing the strut back to pull it off - and it won't move! Now I understand why the rubbers are compressed - the strut is froze solid in a compressed state! Take the other side off, same thing. > > > > > > Easy, just pull the top bolt out - whoops, I think you must have to pull the wings to do that AND have some special wrenches, not what I wanted. I found I could put a drift down thru between the wing and center section, and pound on the top of the strut to try to beat the bottom part off. No luck, gave up for the day and came home to get a bigger hammer - a LOT BIGGER hammer. I may have to heat the outside of the strut to release it, probably burn up the rubbers, and I don't even know for sure WHERE the sticking is! > > > > > > Has anybody else had this problem? I could sure use an easy solution right now. > > > > > > No wonder I had such a devil of a time with smooth landings, darned thing had NO spring action whatever! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
