Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
Piper went to those non-rebuild able actuators back in the late 90s. Dumbest thing ever unless you want to sell spare parts. O`rings are cheap.
Building a Javron Cub
- Thread starter Bill Rusk
- Start date
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Folks
Here is a lesson........ I sorta re-learned, and would like to remind you of, so you can avoid the pain.
There are 4 AN3-6A bolts per side, that hold the main gear tracks in place. When I saw this I thought.....hmmmmmm......lots of thread showing there. Perhaps the bolt is too long. But......
You can see the bolt/nut on the left looks good. Just about one thread, maybe two showing. There are a total of 8 of these bolts that hold the track plates in. 4 per plate, two plates per float. They all had exactly the same washer configuration. A thin washer under the bolt head and a regular washer next to the nut. I think that is factory std. I do not think these plates have ever been removed. And it agrees with the parts manual. If you look at the above photo a little closer you can see that the left bolt goes through an extra layer of aluminum, the bulkhead is reinforced there, so the bolt fits perfect. The right bolt has less material to penetrate so it is a little long. I did not really like this but that is factory so Mark and I put it back together per the book. In this case......bad idea. Sure enough the nut bottomed out on the shank and stripped. Twice.... and bad enough that we had to use a Dremel to cut it out/off. Big pain. All I needed to do was use another washer under the nut and it would have been fine. Ultimately that is what I did. But.....the lesson learned here........is trust your gut. I knew that was a lot of threads showing and I did not like it, but I was determined to put it back to factory specs.
You do have to be careful making changes. Sometimes the wrong size bolt or screw can impact something else. In this case it had no affect, except to make it better, to add a washer.
Hope this helps
Bill
Here is a lesson........ I sorta re-learned, and would like to remind you of, so you can avoid the pain.
There are 4 AN3-6A bolts per side, that hold the main gear tracks in place. When I saw this I thought.....hmmmmmm......lots of thread showing there. Perhaps the bolt is too long. But......
You can see the bolt/nut on the left looks good. Just about one thread, maybe two showing. There are a total of 8 of these bolts that hold the track plates in. 4 per plate, two plates per float. They all had exactly the same washer configuration. A thin washer under the bolt head and a regular washer next to the nut. I think that is factory std. I do not think these plates have ever been removed. And it agrees with the parts manual. If you look at the above photo a little closer you can see that the left bolt goes through an extra layer of aluminum, the bulkhead is reinforced there, so the bolt fits perfect. The right bolt has less material to penetrate so it is a little long. I did not really like this but that is factory so Mark and I put it back together per the book. In this case......bad idea. Sure enough the nut bottomed out on the shank and stripped. Twice.... and bad enough that we had to use a Dremel to cut it out/off. Big pain. All I needed to do was use another washer under the nut and it would have been fine. Ultimately that is what I did. But.....the lesson learned here........is trust your gut. I knew that was a lot of threads showing and I did not like it, but I was determined to put it back to factory specs.
You do have to be careful making changes. Sometimes the wrong size bolt or screw can impact something else. In this case it had no affect, except to make it better, to add a washer.
Hope this helps
Bill
RaisedByWolves
FRIEND
Tx
FABRIC HEADLINER
Folks
As you may remember I did a fabric headliner on my last build and I was happy with it, so I am doing it again. Based on the weight added on the tailfeathers with the covering I am guessing the weight of the headliner is about 1.5 ounces.
First the back panel goes in, then the sides, and last the top. Here are a few photos......I still have to put in the tapes and re-inforcements.
Jay welded in a flat piece across the top for me to attach the fabric to...
And left room around the sides to wrap the fabric...
I put in a little angle brace to attach the fabric to....gets rid of an awkward corner...
I like to use half a wood clothespin to tuck the fabric in the window channel. You need to clean the glue off it pretty regularly, otherwise it will stick to the fabric.
Side going in
You can see where the side comes off the top "C" channel and transitions to my added angle brace
I am not advocating you do this or not. In my case I do not feel like I will be carrying a lot of sharp objects in this area so it is about the lightest way to finish it out. It saves about 4 pounds over a metal headliner, is quieter, and (in my opinion) looks a little better than no headliner at all. The metal headliners are also a little lower so you may lose some headroom for the back-seater.
Hope this helps
Bill
Are the flap cables routed inside the cabin? could you post some pics of that? i think I'm going to copy your headliner on mine. metal is too heavy, nothing is awful drafty. Yours looks great. Thanks
Tom
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Hey Tom
Happy to help I can. I think it works well. It is pretty durable unless you are loading antlers and really odd, sharp edged stuff, back there. It does not drum, rattle, or shake. It is light and more attractive (to me anyway) than no interior. Increases headroom.
Hope this helps
Bill
Happy to help I can. I think it works well. It is pretty durable unless you are loading antlers and really odd, sharp edged stuff, back there. It does not drum, rattle, or shake. It is light and more attractive (to me anyway) than no interior. Increases headroom.
Hope this helps
Bill
RaisedByWolves
FRIEND
Tx
Thanks for the pics bill. I had an atlee metal headliner, and this past annual when I was shedding weight ditched the headliner. It weighs 5 pounds. I have nothing now and like what you did
Thanks.
Thanks.
Jasperfield
Registered User
NC
Thanks, Bill. I needed to see those photo's also.
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Folks
Don't know if you are aware of it but there are a couple of websites you might enjoy.
http://www.seaplaneforum.com - this is not the Seaplane Pilots Assoc site. That forum is dead and apparently they don't care. I have sent no less than four request to different email addresses asking for password help and gotten ZERO response. Like sending an email to an uninhabited planet. I still like the SPA, still support it, but .......this is a better forum.
Another site that is new and might be good......http://seaplanemagazine.com - an online magazine (I made the cover...pretty cool hugh?) They have a Facebook site too if you are into Facebook.
Just passing on a little info
As always......"Hope it helps"
Bill
Don't know if you are aware of it but there are a couple of websites you might enjoy.
http://www.seaplaneforum.com - this is not the Seaplane Pilots Assoc site. That forum is dead and apparently they don't care. I have sent no less than four request to different email addresses asking for password help and gotten ZERO response. Like sending an email to an uninhabited planet. I still like the SPA, still support it, but .......this is a better forum.
Another site that is new and might be good......http://seaplanemagazine.com - an online magazine (I made the cover...pretty cool hugh?) They have a Facebook site too if you are into Facebook.
Just passing on a little info
As always......"Hope it helps"
Bill
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Cubus Maximus
Registered User
Cool Bill! 
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
THANK YOU BRAD, for that awesome photo!!
Folks
Gotta share something new to me. Picked up a bearing packing tool today. Spent my life packing bearings by hand. Works fine, maybe, but this tool is AWESOME. Does way better than doing it by hand. Not an issue of speed, or messiness, or anything like that. I just think it does a WAY better job of packing grease in the bearing. Cost about 30 bucks. You can probably get better units and maybe cheaper, (this was kinda an impulse buy) but I gotta say I recommend a bearing packing tool. Quality........its all about Quality. (Read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)
Time to pack some wheel bearings........
So this is what it looks like. I know, lots of you guys are thinking.....this guy built an airplane and he has never owned a packing tool? Whew........
Well you are right.....I never said I had a clue ...OK?
Ya put some grease (I got lots) in the tool, put the bearing in.........
Put the little beveled top in.... and press really hard.....I stood on it......
And whaalaa....look at the grease squirting up through the race. It really does a much better job than the old manual method. I like it!!!!
And another tidbit, float specific, but REALLY important if you have Wip 2100 Amphibs. This is the clevis connected to the retract arm. Note the gap under the arm in the clevis. About 1/4 inch. Good, all is well.
This is the clevis, about an inch deep. BUT there is more............
This is the other side of the same clevis. The notch is about 1 1/4" deep. If you get the clevis turned with the short side facing the lever arm, it will hit in the notch of the clevis. This would almost certainly result in a fatigue fracture at some point. Most clevis are symmetrical so this is an easy gotcha. I recommended to Wip that they put a NOTE in their service manual regarding this.
Hope this helps
Bill
Folks
Gotta share something new to me. Picked up a bearing packing tool today. Spent my life packing bearings by hand. Works fine, maybe, but this tool is AWESOME. Does way better than doing it by hand. Not an issue of speed, or messiness, or anything like that. I just think it does a WAY better job of packing grease in the bearing. Cost about 30 bucks. You can probably get better units and maybe cheaper, (this was kinda an impulse buy) but I gotta say I recommend a bearing packing tool. Quality........its all about Quality. (Read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)
Time to pack some wheel bearings........
So this is what it looks like. I know, lots of you guys are thinking.....this guy built an airplane and he has never owned a packing tool? Whew........
Well you are right.....I never said I had a clue ...OK?
Ya put some grease (I got lots) in the tool, put the bearing in.........
Put the little beveled top in.... and press really hard.....I stood on it......
And whaalaa....look at the grease squirting up through the race. It really does a much better job than the old manual method. I like it!!!!
And another tidbit, float specific, but REALLY important if you have Wip 2100 Amphibs. This is the clevis connected to the retract arm. Note the gap under the arm in the clevis. About 1/4 inch. Good, all is well.
This is the clevis, about an inch deep. BUT there is more............
This is the other side of the same clevis. The notch is about 1 1/4" deep. If you get the clevis turned with the short side facing the lever arm, it will hit in the notch of the clevis. This would almost certainly result in a fatigue fracture at some point. Most clevis are symmetrical so this is an easy gotcha. I recommended to Wip that they put a NOTE in their service manual regarding this.
Hope this helps
Bill
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Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Spent a chunk of the day today working on the nose gear mechanism. First we took the gear legs off, cleaned, checked, lubricated, etc.
Took the nose bumpers off - VERY CAREFULLY. The new ones are 420 bucks each. And they would not match (the style changed from fiberglass to rubber) so you would have to buy two of em. With Tax and shipping, probably close to 900 bucks. VERY CAREFULLY.
Behind the bumper. The nose gear box.
Mark, cleaning, checking, lubricating, etc. Thanks for your help Mark. It was a good day.
Another little "gotcha" The little black things along the right side fit on the shafts at the corners and slide in the rails, as the gear retracts and extends. I'm not sure exactly of the type polymer (delrin? or what it is) BUT.....these little things will deform with a bad landing, or if you operate on a really rough strip where a lot of stress is placed on the nose gear. They spread out, get fatter.....and then bind up in the rails. The hydraulic actuator puts out lots of force so the gear will work just fine BUT......... it is binding and that will cause damage somewhere down the line. Mine were binding so bad it took a hammer too get them out, when they should have just slid out onto the floor, but you could not tell. My gear retracted and extended just fine. I don't think they have ever been replaced in 17 years.
So, if you have a set of Wip amphibs, be sure to have these checked at annual. A number of folks asked me - "Why are you overhauling the floats?....they work fine"
This is why. You just don't know unless you get in there and go through things.
Hope this helps
Bill
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Back in the paint booth. Uggghhh. I repainted all the struts. It is tough in the winter getting the heat up,.........well its not really tough, you just turn the thermostat up. The tough part is paying the heat bill. Making progress.
Alaska in 2016 or bust!!
Bill
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Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
The only problem with that bearing packer is getting the grease in it. I found one that you insert a tube of grease in and it works on the same principal.
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Steve
I agree. It might not be the best one. It has a grease zirc to fill it and that is pretty slow. What make and model ((and where to get, (I picked mine up at NAPA))do you have and recommend. I'm hooked now and would consider investing in a better unit.
Bill
I agree. It might not be the best one. It has a grease zirc to fill it and that is pretty slow. What make and model ((and where to get, (I picked mine up at NAPA))do you have and recommend. I'm hooked now and would consider investing in a better unit.
Bill
Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
I have one and really like it but grease guns and I don't get along, even my pneumatic one gives me fits. I will post a picture of mine. It is not made as well as yours but is easier to load.
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
I use the old gob of grease in the palm of my hand method. Messy, Yes but quick and does a complete job. Why is it that greasing tools are always a pain in the neck?
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Pete
I'm with you. I've always done it by hand, and I've done a bunch over the years, but after using this tool my confidence level has gone way up. Before, I was always just a little unsure I had really gotten that grease into every little recess. After using the tool and seeing that grease squirt up through the race I just have a lot more confidence that that bearing is truly well, and completely, saturated.
Bill
I'm with you. I've always done it by hand, and I've done a bunch over the years, but after using this tool my confidence level has gone way up. Before, I was always just a little unsure I had really gotten that grease into every little recess. After using the tool and seeing that grease squirt up through the race I just have a lot more confidence that that bearing is truly well, and completely, saturated.
Bill
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Folks
I got the little black trolly slider blocks from Wip. Very expensive but once again I have to give Wip credit. They have had every part I needed in stock and shipped the same day. Expensive but good. The new blocks are about 10 thousandths of an inch smaller. Mark (MMR), the mechanical engineer, says they may have swollen from water absorption rather than hard landings or rough strips. I guess certain polymers are rated by the expected amount of moisture they will absorb. Either way the new ones work as they should. At this point the floats have been completely mechanically overhauled. I still have a couple of other things to do including a leak check and seal session and they are ready to go back on. But here is another gotcha.........
This is the front gear. At the top of the white gear leg is the trolley. Note that it has four bolts that secure it to the gear leg. These bolts are not all the same size and this is NOT in the parts manual. For some reason the bolts are not delineated. I'm sure it was just a oversight. It is also not noted in the Service Manual. But they have to go in the right place or there will be trouble in paradise.
This is the backside of those bolts. Note that the ones at the top have little to no thread showing and the ones on the bottom have the normal 1 to 3 threads showing.
This is where the trolly makes the turn from vertical to horizontal. Note the tear dropped shaped skid(wear) mark(s) next to the end of my screwdriver. If you put the long bolts on top they will hit as the trolly makes the turn. Once past the turn there is plenty of clearance. The hydraulic ram provides enough force that you will never know you are seriously dragging the bolts across the structure.
The clearance is close enough that the small wear marks you see were done with the bolts in correctly the whole time. Perhaps the were made when retracting/extending the gear in turbulence, or air loads, or just 17 years of use caused these. They are not bad at all but it would be very ugly if you get these bolts in the wrong place.
It might be hard to see, my camera would not focus, but this is from the inside, and if you look carefully you can see the top nuts coming around the corner. The steel tube is the actuator arm.
What the gear looks like as it is retracting.
As it comes in the lip goes over the long bolt and that locks it in the "Up" position.
Gear fully retracted.
Just fun stuff....perhaps it will help someone.
Bill
I got the little black trolly slider blocks from Wip. Very expensive but once again I have to give Wip credit. They have had every part I needed in stock and shipped the same day. Expensive but good. The new blocks are about 10 thousandths of an inch smaller. Mark (MMR), the mechanical engineer, says they may have swollen from water absorption rather than hard landings or rough strips. I guess certain polymers are rated by the expected amount of moisture they will absorb. Either way the new ones work as they should. At this point the floats have been completely mechanically overhauled. I still have a couple of other things to do including a leak check and seal session and they are ready to go back on. But here is another gotcha.........
This is the front gear. At the top of the white gear leg is the trolley. Note that it has four bolts that secure it to the gear leg. These bolts are not all the same size and this is NOT in the parts manual. For some reason the bolts are not delineated. I'm sure it was just a oversight. It is also not noted in the Service Manual. But they have to go in the right place or there will be trouble in paradise.
This is the backside of those bolts. Note that the ones at the top have little to no thread showing and the ones on the bottom have the normal 1 to 3 threads showing.
This is where the trolly makes the turn from vertical to horizontal. Note the tear dropped shaped skid(wear) mark(s) next to the end of my screwdriver. If you put the long bolts on top they will hit as the trolly makes the turn. Once past the turn there is plenty of clearance. The hydraulic ram provides enough force that you will never know you are seriously dragging the bolts across the structure.
The clearance is close enough that the small wear marks you see were done with the bolts in correctly the whole time. Perhaps the were made when retracting/extending the gear in turbulence, or air loads, or just 17 years of use caused these. They are not bad at all but it would be very ugly if you get these bolts in the wrong place.
It might be hard to see, my camera would not focus, but this is from the inside, and if you look carefully you can see the top nuts coming around the corner. The steel tube is the actuator arm.
What the gear looks like as it is retracting.
As it comes in the lip goes over the long bolt and that locks it in the "Up" position.
Gear fully retracted.
Just fun stuff....perhaps it will help someone.
Bill
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Folks
In the continuing saga.......Wip issued a Service Bulletin for the pump out tubes and so I am replacing all my pump out tubes in order to bring things up to par.
The original tubes had a flat bottom and I guess it was possible (pretty unlikely but possible) for the tube to suction seal itself to the bottom of the float so that it would not let the water in.
So Wip recommended shaping the bottom of the tube like this, so that it would not suction seal itself up.
The tubing they use (for the 2100's at least) is available from McMaster-Carr. It is part #5181K27 Crack resistant Polyethylene tubing 1/2" ID and 5/8"OD white.
But, as you might be able to see, it needs to be flared to fit the pump out fitting.
I used a piece of dowel rod. I heated the end of the tubing with a heat gun and then while it was soft forced to onto the dowel which expanded it enough to later fit on the pump out shaft. It actually worked out pretty well.
So......another SB complied with.....and the floats are coming together. Next up = putting a floor in the float lockers.
Hope this entertains or helps
Bill
In the continuing saga.......Wip issued a Service Bulletin for the pump out tubes and so I am replacing all my pump out tubes in order to bring things up to par.
The original tubes had a flat bottom and I guess it was possible (pretty unlikely but possible) for the tube to suction seal itself to the bottom of the float so that it would not let the water in.
So Wip recommended shaping the bottom of the tube like this, so that it would not suction seal itself up.
The tubing they use (for the 2100's at least) is available from McMaster-Carr. It is part #5181K27 Crack resistant Polyethylene tubing 1/2" ID and 5/8"OD white.
But, as you might be able to see, it needs to be flared to fit the pump out fitting.
I used a piece of dowel rod. I heated the end of the tubing with a heat gun and then while it was soft forced to onto the dowel which expanded it enough to later fit on the pump out shaft. It actually worked out pretty well.
So......another SB complied with.....and the floats are coming together. Next up = putting a floor in the float lockers.
Hope this entertains or helps
Bill
Attachments
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Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Float Locker Floor Boards
Wip has nice large float lockers but as you can see the bottom is not flat, nor smooth. That can be problematic for cargo. For one, everything is funneled into the middle and there is usually a little water in there so things get wet.
The lockers are large enough to hold 3 five gallon fuel cans per float (not saying you "should" just that it "could" be done). But....again....with the bottom as is, it would not work very well.
So.......I took a little left over composite sheet and created a floor at the widest part of the locker. Looks good. It will need a little support but I was pretty impressed with myself. Don't worry....my little ego trip did not last long (as usual).
RUT...ROHH..... floor is too high and now the fuel can won't fit. Gonna have to make another floor, a little smaller, and a little lower.
So....I just dropped a smaller piece of composite material in the center and lower and it seemed like it was going to work. Now I needed to come up with a way to support this. I was also warned that I needed to find a way to attach the floor board as having a piece of plywood flopping around in the locker unsecured was not a good idea.
So I took some angle stock, drilled a couple of attach holes and.......
Made this quick drill jig so all the holes were in exactly the same place....
Another photo of quickie drill jig set up.....
And it goes in like this. All I needed to do to the floats was drill a few small holes in the formers. If I need to it can all be easily removed and the floats returned to factory condition. The three angle braces, with nuts and bolts weighs 7.55 ounces per float. This also gives a way to attach the floorboards.......
Yep....you guessed it.....more nut plates. Have I told you today how much I like nut plates?
I will use a finish washer and flush mount it so cargo does not catch on it.
So the floor boards go in and look like this. You can't get the full size floor through the door so it has to be in two pieces. I elected for structural reasons to have the center line offset to one side. A couple of screws per board will hold them in place and yet make removal pretty simple. Unfortunately, the total weight is close to 5 pounds per float. So.....I don't think I will have them in place unless I am going on a trip or something where I will actually need the locker space.
Hope this helps
Bill
Wip has nice large float lockers but as you can see the bottom is not flat, nor smooth. That can be problematic for cargo. For one, everything is funneled into the middle and there is usually a little water in there so things get wet.
The lockers are large enough to hold 3 five gallon fuel cans per float (not saying you "should" just that it "could" be done). But....again....with the bottom as is, it would not work very well.
So.......I took a little left over composite sheet and created a floor at the widest part of the locker. Looks good. It will need a little support but I was pretty impressed with myself. Don't worry....my little ego trip did not last long (as usual).
RUT...ROHH..... floor is too high and now the fuel can won't fit. Gonna have to make another floor, a little smaller, and a little lower.
So....I just dropped a smaller piece of composite material in the center and lower and it seemed like it was going to work. Now I needed to come up with a way to support this. I was also warned that I needed to find a way to attach the floor board as having a piece of plywood flopping around in the locker unsecured was not a good idea.
So I took some angle stock, drilled a couple of attach holes and.......
Made this quick drill jig so all the holes were in exactly the same place....
Another photo of quickie drill jig set up.....
And it goes in like this. All I needed to do to the floats was drill a few small holes in the formers. If I need to it can all be easily removed and the floats returned to factory condition. The three angle braces, with nuts and bolts weighs 7.55 ounces per float. This also gives a way to attach the floorboards.......
Yep....you guessed it.....more nut plates. Have I told you today how much I like nut plates?
I will use a finish washer and flush mount it so cargo does not catch on it.
So the floor boards go in and look like this. You can't get the full size floor through the door so it has to be in two pieces. I elected for structural reasons to have the center line offset to one side. A couple of screws per board will hold them in place and yet make removal pretty simple. Unfortunately, the total weight is close to 5 pounds per float. So.....I don't think I will have them in place unless I am going on a trip or something where I will actually need the locker space.
Hope this helps
Bill
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
Very nice Bill. You do realize that those nut plates can acquire surface rust due to the moisture in the floats. It may be wise to leave the S/S screws in the threads when the floor boards are not installed to prevent rust from accumulating on the threads, making screw insertion and removal difficult. A worst case scenario would require destroying the floorboards in order to remove them if the screws became shall we say stubborn? A dab of anti-seize on the threads might help.
Yep....you guessed it.....more nut plates. Have I told you today how much I like nut plates?
Hope this helps
Bill
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
Folks
In the continuing saga.......Wip issued a Service Bulletin for the pump out tubes and so I am replacing all my pump out tubes in order to bring things up to par.
The original tubes had a flat bottom and I guess it was possible (pretty unlikely but possible) for the tube to suction seal itself to the bottom of the float so that it would not let the water in.
So Wip recommended shaping the bottom of the tube like this, so that it would not suction seal itself up.
The tubing they use (for the 2100's at least) is available from McMaster-Carr. It is part #5181K27 Crack resistant Polyethylene tubing 1/2" ID and 5/8"OD white.
But, as you might be able to see, it needs to be flared to fit the pump out fitting.
I used a piece of dowel rod. I heated the end of the tubing with a heat gun and then while it was soft forced to onto the dowel which expanded it enough to later fit on the pump out shaft. It actually worked out pretty well.
So......another SB complied with.....and the floats are coming together. Next up = putting a floor in the float lockers.
Hope this entertains or helps
Bill
Bill,
i prefer soft tubing, attached with hose clamps. Unless these are a near perfect friction fit (and maybe even then) the tubes can slip off over time with temp changes, etc. Then, you will pump happily, thinking you have really dry floats, but in fact you're sucking air from the top of the float.
I've always kept a small diameter wood dowel handy to slip down the pump outs occasionally, just to verify dry floats.
The tubing you're using may be soft enough to use hose clamps......or, drill a small hole horizontally through the lower part of the pump out and the pickup tube, then put a cotter pin or?? through to prevent the tube from dropping off. It's a PITA to have to remove covers to check these things....a simple pin works great.
FWIW, I've seen this on several models of floats using this "hard" tubing for pump outs
MTV
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Pete - Thanks. Good point. I'll keep that in mind and dope them up good.
Thanks Mike. I definitely appreciate your inputs. I guess I'm not really ready to go out on my own. I'm just putting it back to factory specs, right down to their clamps. I will keep a dowel handy to make sure I'm not "sucking air".
Thanks gents
Bill
Thanks Mike. I definitely appreciate your inputs. I guess I'm not really ready to go out on my own. I'm just putting it back to factory specs, right down to their clamps. I will keep a dowel handy to make sure I'm not "sucking air".
Thanks gents
Bill
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
And speaking of clamps........
This is the clamp that Wip uses on their pump out tubes. It is a Snapper ....link here....http://www.hellermanntyton.com/site/products/clips-clamps-and-plugs/snp16/190-00271
Unfortunately I broke one while trying to figure out how too get it off so I needed a replacement. Could not find them ANYWHERE except in bulk (1000 units min order) but Wip has them for a buck a piece. Not bad. At first I did not like them but they have grown on me. Mine are 17 years old and show no signs of embrittlement, wear, fatigue etc. Once clipped on they are REALLY tight and secure.
The trick to getting these things undone, is to separate the ends vertically. Push down on the outside part with a flat blade screwdriver and it will pop off. Don't try to pry it apart. Won't work.
And finally, I am putting some varnish on the paddle and the floorboards and this is the best varnish I have ever found. I've used it many times over the years for a variety of things and it is REALLY tough and holds up well. Stits also makes a Urethane varnish but I feel the Epoxy varnish is better. This would be my varnish of choice if I had plywood floorboards in my Cub.
Hope this helps
Bill
This is the clamp that Wip uses on their pump out tubes. It is a Snapper ....link here....http://www.hellermanntyton.com/site/products/clips-clamps-and-plugs/snp16/190-00271
Unfortunately I broke one while trying to figure out how too get it off so I needed a replacement. Could not find them ANYWHERE except in bulk (1000 units min order) but Wip has them for a buck a piece. Not bad. At first I did not like them but they have grown on me. Mine are 17 years old and show no signs of embrittlement, wear, fatigue etc. Once clipped on they are REALLY tight and secure.
The trick to getting these things undone, is to separate the ends vertically. Push down on the outside part with a flat blade screwdriver and it will pop off. Don't try to pry it apart. Won't work.
And finally, I am putting some varnish on the paddle and the floorboards and this is the best varnish I have ever found. I've used it many times over the years for a variety of things and it is REALLY tough and holds up well. Stits also makes a Urethane varnish but I feel the Epoxy varnish is better. This would be my varnish of choice if I had plywood floorboards in my Cub.
Hope this helps
Bill
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Update
My friend Larry Vetterman tells me that Aircraft Spruce has these clamps under the name Herbie Clips. So now you have a good source, in addition to Wipaire.
Here is a link....https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/herbieclips.php?clickkey=72028
Thanks Larry
Bill
My friend Larry Vetterman tells me that Aircraft Spruce has these clamps under the name Herbie Clips. So now you have a good source, in addition to Wipaire.
Here is a link....https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/herbieclips.php?clickkey=72028
Thanks Larry
Bill
Bill Rusk
BENEFACTOR
Sandpoint, Idaho
Folks
Most all the work is done on the floats, things are starting to go back together.
All the old hardware (on the right) is being replaced.
It sure is nice to have it all purrrrdy. It won't last but it feels good for a while.
I needed to make new hydraulic lines (actually in this case just shorten the ones I had) and I was pretty intimidated by this. I went to a local hydraulic shop and they were very friendly until I said it was for an airplane. Then they promptly refused to make or even sell the materials. Sigh.....I could go on a long rant....but we all know it so why preach to the choir...
But it was not hard to make them and I'll show you how. You can get the fittings from Spruce, Earls, etc. The hose is #666 (don't like that), and there are several sources for that as well. Mine originally came from Wipline so it has a shrink wrap layer as well. Normally it is a teflon tube with a stainless mesh weave on the outside.
So.....I have marked the length, clamped it gently in the vice and will now cut it with a Dremel with a cutoff wheel.
Try to get the end as square as possible.
This is REALLY important. REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT. Put the nut on and slide it down out of the way. If you mess around at all the braid will expand and you will not be able to get it on, and you will bleed profusely and curse like a sailor trying.
Now you insert the handy dandy tool you bought to push the braid away from the inner, teflon, tube.
Looks like this....
Looks like this when you are done.
Now push the little brass feral (some call it an olive) on to the tube. Be sure it seats well.
Now insert the rest of the fitting into the brass and teflon tube.
Looks like this
Bring the nut up......
Tighten the nut up and "BAM" you just made a hydraulic line.
NOTE - I have not tested mine yet so this may be a big mess. I'll let you know if it does not work.
Also, just for fun and because I'm weird, we weighed the airplane again. This time with the fuel pod and plumbing = 1087. I weighed the pod before install at 31, and this means the airplane gained about 4 pounds somewhere along the way ( the original W&B came in at 1052). The new hydraulic fittings might be worth a pound. I put on a spin on oil filter adapter and that might be worth 2 pounds. So we are within a pound of our calculated weight. Thats pretty cool.
Also weighed the floats with EVERYTHING. All fittings, hardware, nuts, bolts, hydraulic lines, etc. even including the paddle. = 409
My gear is worth 125 so my exchange weight is 285 pounds. So, in my case, it costs me 285 pounds to have amphib floats.
Hope this helps (or entertains)
Bill
Most all the work is done on the floats, things are starting to go back together.
All the old hardware (on the right) is being replaced.
It sure is nice to have it all purrrrdy. It won't last but it feels good for a while.
I needed to make new hydraulic lines (actually in this case just shorten the ones I had) and I was pretty intimidated by this. I went to a local hydraulic shop and they were very friendly until I said it was for an airplane. Then they promptly refused to make or even sell the materials. Sigh.....I could go on a long rant....but we all know it so why preach to the choir...
But it was not hard to make them and I'll show you how. You can get the fittings from Spruce, Earls, etc. The hose is #666 (don't like that), and there are several sources for that as well. Mine originally came from Wipline so it has a shrink wrap layer as well. Normally it is a teflon tube with a stainless mesh weave on the outside.
So.....I have marked the length, clamped it gently in the vice and will now cut it with a Dremel with a cutoff wheel.
Try to get the end as square as possible.
This is REALLY important. REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT. Put the nut on and slide it down out of the way. If you mess around at all the braid will expand and you will not be able to get it on, and you will bleed profusely and curse like a sailor trying.
Now you insert the handy dandy tool you bought to push the braid away from the inner, teflon, tube.
Looks like this....
Looks like this when you are done.
Now push the little brass feral (some call it an olive) on to the tube. Be sure it seats well.
Now insert the rest of the fitting into the brass and teflon tube.
Looks like this
Bring the nut up......
Tighten the nut up and "BAM" you just made a hydraulic line.
NOTE - I have not tested mine yet so this may be a big mess. I'll let you know if it does not work.
Also, just for fun and because I'm weird, we weighed the airplane again. This time with the fuel pod and plumbing = 1087. I weighed the pod before install at 31, and this means the airplane gained about 4 pounds somewhere along the way ( the original W&B came in at 1052). The new hydraulic fittings might be worth a pound. I put on a spin on oil filter adapter and that might be worth 2 pounds. So we are within a pound of our calculated weight. Thats pretty cool.
Also weighed the floats with EVERYTHING. All fittings, hardware, nuts, bolts, hydraulic lines, etc. even including the paddle. = 409
My gear is worth 125 so my exchange weight is 285 pounds. So, in my case, it costs me 285 pounds to have amphib floats.
Hope this helps (or entertains)
Bill
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
You did lather these bolts with a water proof grease prior to installation? I don't see evidence oozing out from under the washers. This helps prevent the bolts from rusting. Then after you are finished you will be painting the bolt heads and nuts with Par-al-keytone? http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/paralketone.php
It sure is nice to have it all purrrrdy. It won't last but it feels good for a while.
