Carb Airbox Repair....

[ezflyr]

Hi All,

I'm slowly picking away at some issues discovered with my newly acquired J-3 Cub. I decided to pull the carb. and send it to Uni-Tech for rebuild as it seemed to be leaking fuel on the hangar floor not related to the primer. Anyway, after removing the airbox, I found that the shaft is very sloppy due to wear. I see that Wag Aero has a rebuild kit that adds riveted end plates holding bearing and a new shaft. What I don't get is that the butterfly in my existing box is brazed to the shaft and cannot be (easily) removed. How are you supposed to attach a butterfly to the shaft included in the rebuild kit? Any other ideas for fixing my current airbox?

Thanks!

John M.

[55-PA18A]

Not familiar with a J-3 air box and how it might be different from an 18's air box, but isn't the butterfly just a piece of metal? Make a new one. Or, send to Atlee Dodge in Anchorage. They used to rebuild air boxes. Maybe they still do.

Jim

[tempdoug]

show us a picture.

[SchulerJL]

Give Randy a call, outstanding work on Carb Air boxes

RANDY RUBBERT AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRReynolds, North Dakota

(701) 847-3008
1850 2nd Ave NeReynolds, ND 58275-9477

[mvivion]

Give Randy a call, outstanding work on Carb Air boxes

RANDY RUBBERT AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRReynolds, North Dakota

(701) 847-3008
1850 2nd Ave NeReynolds, ND 58275-9477

Randy does fantastic repairs on air boxes. Would be my first, second and third choice.

MTV

[hotrod180]

A buddy of mine sent his C180 airbox to FA Dodge years ago,
came back looking *better than new*.
But $$$$$$$$$.

[aktango58]

Air box and tailwheel...

What does Bill Duncan say about tailwheels: they get ignored until they are gone.

The importance of it, and the limited care they get for an often flimsy pice of metal, not hard to have them come back 'better than new'.

[Marty57]

Give Lycon in Visalia Ca a call and see if they have what you need. When they showed me around last year, they had a pallet box full of air boxes they received when they bought out Greek AF inventory. They told be they would sell the air boxes if some one needed the parts and to give them a call.
Marty

[hotrod180]

I think Wag or Spruce or Univair sells complete airbox assemblies.
Dunno if PMA'd or not.
I kinda recall they were similar if not identical to my old C170 airbox.

[algonquin]

If the box for the C-180 was for a 53 or 54 they are very special and have a SS plate. I understand only one company makes the part and a new airbox is around $10,000.00 or so I've been told. This is second hand infro. So take it for what it is.

[WhiskeyMike]

There are very specific requirements about the rivets and placement in air boxes. If it falls apart, the engine can easily quit. Use a good, reputable rebuilder.

[Sepp P.]

Agreed.

[RaisedByWolves]

Broke right where the reinforcing plate stoped. Got an almost new one the next day from the Hampton fly mart. Perfect timing


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[flyrite]

Hi All,

I'm slowly picking away at some issues discovered with my newly acquired J-3 Cub. I decided to pull the carb. and send it to Uni-Tech for rebuild as it seemed to be leaking fuel on the hangar floor not related to the primer. Anyway, after removing the airbox, I found that the shaft is very sloppy due to wear. I see that Wag Aero has a rebuild kit that adds riveted end plates holding bearing and a new shaft. What I don't get is that the butterfly in my existing box is brazed to the shaft and cannot be (easily) removed. How are you supposed to attach a butterfly to the shaft included in the rebuild kit? Any other ideas for fixing my current airbox?

Thanks!

John M.

John, just did the rebuild with the kit that you referenced. Not a hard job at all ,you will need to grind the brazing from the butterfly that attaches it to the bolt . As well as grind off the ends on the outside of the box that the bolt goes through , you won't need those anymore.

[Eferr]

Hoping to revive this. I seem to have lost a bearing on my carb airbox. I know there are repair kits for continentals, curious if I could just buy a kit and jimmy-rig the bearing onto the shaft of mine





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[Cub Special Ed]

Just had mine worked on by ted miller at black hills areo in spearfish sd.

[jrussl]

Check with Randy Rubbert.

He or his son Logan did mine and it came back looking like new.

RANDY RUBBERT AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
(701) 847-3008
1850 2nd Ave Ne
Reynolds, ND 58275-9477

As others have said, don't skimp on the airbox. Ingesting a piece of it into the engine might ruin your day.

Jeff

[flyrite]

when you order a rebuild kit, it will come with two new bearings. The only part that is a little bit tough, is grinding the brazening loose from the rotating arm And then re-tac’n it backup inside the box itself everything else is very easy.

[12Geezer2]

Check with Randy Rubbert.

He or his son Logan did mine and it came back looking like new.

RANDY RUBBERT AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
(701) 847-3008
1850 2nd Ave Ne
Reynolds, ND 58275-9477

As others have said, don't skimp on the airbox. Ingesting a piece of it into the engine might ruin your day.

Jeff

Yes indeed---The Rubberts have YEARS of experience and really do an excellent job.---geezer Dan

[Eferr]

Soooo, I ended up sticking a rubber grommet in there. It fits like an f-ing glove and I’m gonna go ahead and call it a win at $0.15 fix. Figure I’ll have to be proactive and change it out in a couple years. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?


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[mvivion]

Soooo, I ended up sticking a rubber grommet in there. It fits like an f-ing glove and I’m gonna go ahead and call it a win at $0.15 fix. Figure I’ll have to be proactive and change it out in a couple years. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?


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The engine could eat that O-Ring....or maybe something more important.

MTV

[windy]

You can get brass bushings from McMaster Carr Aero that would be better than a rubber grommet that could get sucked into the engine


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[tempdoug]

Soooo, I ended up sticking a rubber grommet in there. It fits like an f-ing glove and I’m gonna go ahead and call it a win at $0.15 fix. Figure I’ll have to be proactive and change it out in a couple years. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?

rivet one of these bearings on before a oring.
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https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catal...clickkey=44327

[skywagon8a]

Soooo, I ended up sticking a rubber grommet in there. It fits like an f-ing glove and I’m gonna go ahead and call it a win at $0.15 fix. Figure I’ll have to be proactive and change it out in a couple years. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?

The air box is subject to all of the vibrations an engine can generate which is why they wear out. You do not want to risk doing anything with something which could work it's way loose. If something as small as a screw or nut gets sucked into the engine, you will be extremely lucky if it just blows through and out the exhaust. It could get stuck under a valve or bounce around between the piston and cylinder head. If it jams an intake valve open, the engine could stop RIGHT NOW ! Just one intake valve being open can stop an engine. Been there, done that, in a Comanche.

Your rubber grommet could get stuck under a valve.

[Steve Pierce]

The Continental box repair kit fits the Lycoming. I would be concerned about sucking that grommet into the engine. Should be able to braze a bushing in there.

[Eferr]

The Continental box repair kit fits the Lycoming. I would be concerned about sucking that grommet into the engine. Should be able to braze a bushing in there.

Ordered the o-300 repair solution. Here’s what The grommet looks like. It is a perfect fit, but the point is well taken.




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[soyAnarchisto]

My '55 C180 airbox has sh*t the bed. Are the Rubberts still rebuilding boxes? Any reason not to send it off to the airbox doc guy down in Arizona? I've not called Atlee Dodge, but will the result be substantially better?

It lasted almost 70 years. I'd like to do the repair right - but I'd also like to get back in the air before New Holstein..

[BC12D-4-85]

Did it suck in any metal?

Gary

[soyAnarchisto]

I don't know yet - it looks like it's been giving up for quite some time. Those rivet holes are quite large and oval.

[BC12D-4-85]

A piece of ingested metal can reportedly travel to more than one cylinder via the headers. Internal pressure waves can cause that. If suspected I'd borescope them all for any potential scoring or valve/seat damage.

Gary

[dryfarmer]

On my 56 182 somewhere I bought two brace arms that come down off the carb and out towards the front of the air box takes all the stress off the thin aluminium

[hotrod180]

Airbox Doc generally has a good rep, but I did correspond with one guy who had a very unsatisfactory experience with him.
I think I'd go with Atlee Dodge.


FWIW heres a shot of the supports on my 53 C180 airbox.
It had the one on the RH side, I added this green one on the LH side.
Bolts via an angle clip to the oil pan up top, and to a nutplate in the airbox on the bottom.
Adding the second brace really firmed things up,
I can't imagine how flimsy it would be without any braces at all.

[soyAnarchisto]

Airbox doc guy is still surly 82 year old. He did offer to help me right away, but would not give me a quote - just said he wasn't trying to hurt nobody and quoted off a long list of his expenses like his hangar. I'm about to drop mine in the mail to him. After pulling all the parts, and a thorough cleaning there are no less than 17 rivets that have given up completely, and two of them have departed completely - maybe gone up the pipe. But it probably wasn't recently. I'm going to do another bore scope inspection and compression check before putting it back into service to see if there's anything recent.

Atlee Dodge said they cannot even look at it for another 2 months. Those two supports on the side are factory - at least they are on mine and I see them on the IPC.

I called Cessna/Textron to get the top skin part number that I need and to see if they still make the skin. I got the part number, and asked if they had or would make them. Parts guy says they sold the last one in 2018 and would not make any more. They have destroyed the dies.

We are on our own now boys and girls. Thank goodness it's just sheet metal. Get the dimensions right and it's 5 fairly simple bends

[cubscout]

I called Cessna/Textron to get the top skin part number that I need and to see if they still make the skin. I got the part number, and asked if they had or would make them. Parts guy says they sold the last one in 2018 and would not make any more. They have destroyed the dies.


Yo Soy, you've probably done so, but for others following these strings in future, you might try Beegles Parts Sales: https://baspartsales.com/ They've got lots of oddball parts for 'legacy' aeroplanes, including inventory from some of Bill Duff's knacker yard. They've helped me out a few times.

Thanks. cubscout

[soyAnarchisto]

Thanks, cubscout. No joy this time around from BAS or Acorn. BAS ran it up their parts locator network flagpole and nobody saluted.

If someone is sitting on one of these things, they're now worth sixty-eleventy doge coin. Should be enough to put junior through Harvard dental school.

Cheers to these old airsheens!

I called Cessna/Textron to get the top skin part number that I need and to see if they still make the skin. I got the part number, and asked if they had or would make them. Parts guy says they sold the last one in 2018 and would not make any more. They have destroyed the dies.


Yo Soy, you've probably done so, but for others following these strings in future, you might try Beegles Parts Sales: https://baspartsales.com/ They've got lots of oddball parts for 'legacy' aeroplanes, including inventory from some of Bill Duff's knacker yard. They've helped me out a few times.

Thanks. cubscout

[BC12D-4-85]

Try here they might know or have a lead> https://alaskaslist.com/1/posts/10_T...amp_Parts.html

Gary

[skywagon8a]

My '55 C180 airbox has sh*t the bed. Are the Rubberts still rebuilding boxes? Any reason not to send it off to the airbox doc guy down in Arizona? I've not called Atlee Dodge, but will the result be substantially better?

It lasted almost 70 years. I'd like to do the repair right - but I'd also like to get back in the air before New Holstein..

Soy,
Do you have a local person who is good at welding thin aluminum? Clean it up thoroughly, weld it back together, add some reinforcement, fix the rivets. Make certain to install those support tubes. When you have an old airplane you have to think outside the box to keep them going.

[MartyC]

Skywagon8a and Soy,

Not sure welding would work without knowing the alloy. If it's 2024, welding will not work very well at all.

I did find the formed flange (do not recall the part number) which fastens to the carburetor at Airplains in Wellinton, KS a couple of years ago when my 1955 C180 airbox was rebuilt. Something like $425.00

Air Plains - Home

The remaining sheet metal work was cut, shaped and riveted by Blackhurst Aviation in Embarrass, MN. Result was almost brand new.

Good Luck.

MartyC