RE: Excess brake travel.

["Schweitzer, Bill" <bill.schweitzer@TANDEM.com>]

Larry, I have just finished a brake line installation using 1/4" 5052 tubing
from the cylinder to the gear bulkhead.  Just behind the bulkhead I have a
2" piece of 1/4" tube before going to a AN919-2D reducer.  From there I used
60" of prebuilt Aeroquip 666-3/16 to loop onto the RG leg. 
I secured everything with a number of MS21919-DG4 clamps.  

It was tricky finding the 12' of 1/4 tubing, the right brakes needed almost
every inch of it.  I installed prior to placing most of the left duct, but
it would be possible to do it with just a small hole at the floor about 6"
in front of the gear bulkhead.  I think Al Gietzen did his that way.

Bill Schweitzer
std RGE
San Jose, Ca
> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Laurence W. Coen [SMTP:lwcoen@freewwweb.com]
> Sent:	Friday, May 15, 1998 12:42 PM
> To:	'Reflector'
> Subject:	Excess brake travel.
> 
> All,
> 
> I had a technical advisor look at my airplane recently and he had a
> suggestion regarding brakes.  He has built a Long EZ and had a problem
> with "spongy" brakes and excessive pedal travel.  He solved this problem
> by replacing the Nyflo tubing with aluminum.  He pointed out that the
> master cylinders supply high pressure but not much volume.  Nyflo tubing
> is just springy enough to expand a tiny amount in diameter and when spread
> over many feet of length it amounts to a significant increase in volume.
> He claims that the improvement in stopping and feel was unbelievable.  I
> have an RG so I intend to replace the Nyflo from the master cylinder back
> as far as the firewall.
> 
> Since I haven't made the change yet, I can't give this idea my full
> endorsement.  The fact that my brakes currently have a soft feel and what
> he said sounds logical, I intend to make the change.
> 
> SRGE
> 
> Larry