REFLECTOR: nose gear retract.

Thu Nov 21 19:04:12 CST 2013

Thanks Michael, Rene, John & Tom.  I went up  to the hangar to see what I
could find as a cause for the gear problem, Thought I found an easy fix as
the jam nut was loose and it appeared the piston rod needed tightening.
gained about 1/4 inch shortening of the ram by tightening.  Did a retract
and that didn't seem to make any appreciable difference.  all the other
attach points did not seem to have any play in them.  when I put the gear
down it went over center but did not contact the microswitch to give me a
green front gear light. I lengthened the rod about 1/8 inch and the lights
went green again.  it appears that when retracted, the wheel is about 1
inch below where it needs to be for the doors to close completely. when
flying I think that vibration and air pressure  is causing the wheel to
raise another inch alowing the door to completely close but the wheel is
still resting on the door at that point.  at this point I am wondering if
the gear leg bent a bit when my old azuza nose wheel disintegrated when the
front tire blew last spring.  is stops rather quickly when skidding on the
front fork and would  have a lot of pressure to bend in the direction that
would give me that problem.  all the welds and attach points look solid and
no real visible wrinkles on the gear leg. Will call factory in the morning
to see if I can get the bend angles on the gear.  also to find if it is
normal to be able to easily raise gear 2 inches after retraction by
reaching in from the top.

Thanks for all your ideas.  only thing I didn't check was the pressure but
the cylinder seems to pull in in as far before, only other change I can see
would be to shorten the stop spacer, but that makes me wonder what else
changed to cause the problem.

Jim 173 RG

On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 8:02 AM, Michael Watson <mikewatsspg at gmail.com>wrote:

> Jim,
>
> After I had the same problem you are experiencing, I posted this in 2008.
>
>
>
> to Reflector
> To All Retractable Velocity owners. This week while doing my annual
> inspection,
> I noticed that my nose gear was not retracting fully into the wheel well.
> The doors
> also would not close.
>
> I had flown the plane two days earlier and had made two landings without
> any
> problems, so this was a big mystery. Why would it work on take off and
> landing
> but not on the jack stand.
>
> On the forth try cycling the gear, I noticed that the base of the
> Hydraulic Cylinder
> where it mounts between the brackets on the floor, was moving for and aft
> around
> a 1/4 inch. (on the velocity site under construction manual, SE-RG see
> Page7.2.1
> ANGLE BRACKET).
>
> Removing the brackets through the service hole in the keel, reveled that
> the
> bolt hole had elongated. This was enough to prevent the arm from hitting
> the sequence valve that activate the nose gear door cylinder.
>
> Fearing the same on the rear gear cylinder bracket, I decided to check,
> sure enough, the bolt was also showing signs of elongating. (Page 7.39)
>
> After duplicating both aluminum brackets out of 1/8 STEEL ANGLE IRON,
> and reinstalling both cylinders and a new gas spring, all systems now work
> perfectly.
>
> In retrospect, I believe that both cross bolts may not have been tightened
> snugly
> against the pivot ball. or the thin aluminum bracket compressed and play
> developed, which caused the elongation. or the brackets are just not up to
> the task. Anyway, I now feel safer with the steel brackets. At your next
> Annual
> please check yours.
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 19, 2013 at 2:42 PM, Jim & Sharon Beck <jsbeck618 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> I was working on an oil cooler clearence on my 173 RG and when retracting
>> the gear noticed that the door was notclosing completely,  about 1/4 to1/2
>> inch open on one side,  the gearwas not retracting far enough and holding
>> the door open,
>> reaching in from the top it is ver easy to pull the gear up a lille
>> farther and the door closes.  the gear pulls up another 2  to 3 inches.
>> This has never been a problem before on other retract tests and I have been
>> flying it almost 9 years.
>> I did not build it and have never had to work on the nose gear retract
>> before.
>> Does anyone have any ideas on what could cause this to happen? the gear
>> is solid and does not seem to have any looseness when I try to shake it.
>> Have never had any shimmy problems.  only 1 landing last spring I stalled
>> the canard a bit too high.
>>
>> Thank you for any Ideas you may have.
>>
>> Jim
>> N29RP 173E RG  IO360/electric MT  460 hrs
>>
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>
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