62C, very hard to retract

[Mcstealth]

So the message I have is the mechanic is working on the final 6" or less of travel. On normal climb out, the pilot says the doors are very hard to close. The mechanic has the plane on jacks, and reports the motion and gear doors act normal. In the air, the mechanic reports the gear are hard to close. Mechanic and a

Safety passenger, passenger also has a hard time retracting the gear for the final push to lock the bar down. Mechanic says he has adjusted the spring to a lower setting, but no improvement in the air. Mechanic says the are new and old style linkages, and this plane has the newer ones. Coincidentally, mechanic owns his own C model.

Any thoughts I can forward?

David

[mike_elliott]

Is the Mechanic working for Dugosh? If not You might have them take a look at it, since you are in Kerrville. They are intimately familiar with the gear system, and can probably sort it out in a very short amount of time.

[N201MKTurbo]

Make sure the main gear doors are not rigged too tight. They should just be flush with the gear up. Also make sure they are coming up evenly, The mains should be at the same position in the wheel wells while retracted. There is a rubber pad in the wheel wells. The gear leg should be just kissing the pad when it is up. If it is pushed hard against the pad you are bending the airplane to put the gear up. A little gap between the pad and the leg is OK if needed to get the preload correct while down, but they should be even side to side.

[N601RX]

It the front gear is not adjusted correct, the wheel will scrub the front doors at about the point you described.

[jrwilson]

Is the carpet or something bunched up under the bar?

[Mcstealth]

                    

Make sure the main gear doors are not rigged too tight. They should just be flush with the gear up. Also make sure they are coming up evenly, The mains should be at the same position in the wheel wells while retracted. There is a rubber pad in the wheel wells. The gear leg should be just kissing the pad when it is up. If it is pushed hard against the pad you are bending the airplane to put the gear up. A little gap between the pad and the leg is OK if needed to get the preload correct while down, but they should be even side to side.

 

Are there Mooney only rigging tools for the gear doors? Forgot to ask that question. I will ask mechanic how the gear are situated on the pad and the alignment.

 

It the front gear is not adjusted correct, the wheel will scrub the front doors at about the point you described.

 

I did not know the front gear was adjustable. How is manipulated I wonder? Just don't want to sound stupid when I call the AP.

 

Is the carpet or something bunched up under the bar?

 

I Remember that being an issue with others on the board. I will pass that along.

 

 

Plane is way up in N. Texas, not here in Kerrville.

 

Thanks for the thoughts.

 

David

[nels]

Is the isolation fabric lever boot bunching up at the floor when the bar is pressed to the floor? I'm having a similar problem and I suspect the boot could be the culprit.

[carusoam]

David,

If the rug is new, it doesn't take much for it to make it difficult to lock in the up position.

If the rug has been there a while, it will show a mark from being compressed.

It has been a dozen years since I had that experience, but it was memorable .

Could be goofy advice, but it's worth sharing.....

Good luck,

-a-

[carusoam]

Nels,

There isn't much clearance between the floor and the J-bar. Trimming out some extra rug could be helpful in that area.

Does anyone know how much clearance is allowed in that area?

Best regards,

-a-

[N601RX]

 

It the front gear is not adjusted correct, the wheel will scrub the front doors at about the point you described.

 

I did not know the front gear was adjustable. How is manipulated I wonder? Just don't want to sound stupid when I call the AP.

 

The old ones use a cam and adjustable bolt,  Sometime in the middle 60's they started using ecentric bushing.  You can also check and see if you need the castor shim and if so this will also move the wheel up in the wheel well further.

[Shadrach]

                    

Make sure the main gear doors are not rigged too tight. They should just be flush with the gear up. Also make sure they are coming up evenly, The mains should be at the same position in the wheel wells while retracted. There is a rubber pad in the wheel wells. The gear leg should be just kissing the pad when it is up. If it is pushed hard against the pad you are bending the airplane to put the gear up. A little gap between the pad and the leg is OK if needed to get the preload correct while down, but they should be even side to side.

 

Are there Mooney only rigging tools for the gear doors? Forgot to ask that question. I will ask mechanic how the gear are situated on the pad and the alignment.

 

It the front gear is not adjusted correct, the wheel will scrub the front doors at about the point you described.

 

I did not know the front gear was adjustable. How is manipulated I wonder? Just don't want to sound stupid when I call the AP.

 

Is the carpet or something bunched up under the bar?

 

I Remember that being an issue with others on the board. I will pass that along.

 

 

Plane is way up in N. Texas, not here in Kerrville.

 

Thanks for the thoughts.

 

David

 

The following excerpt is from a Don Maxwell publication:

 

Gear Doors

After you and your favorite mechanic get your Mooney to track right, be sure and check to see that your gear doors close properly. Complying with the service bulletin will not affect gear rigging or preload, but it can affect the travel of the nose gear up into the nose well. If you add the spacer, then your nose wheel will travel a little farther up into the gear well. 

I see a lot of nose gear doors that do not close properly. The adjustment is a little intimidating if you or your mechanic have never adjusted one, and it will affect the preload on the nose gear. There are 4 eccentrics on the gear operating rods that rotate to adjust the height of the gear in the nose well. Most of the problems are with the wheel not going up high enough, and allowing the gear door to rub the wheel. Not knowing how to adjust the travel, most owners or mechanics run lower nose tire pressure, or in some instances, actually grind the bottom edge of the gear door for clearance. The correct adjustment will allow your nose wheel doors to close completely and, who knows, you might gain a few knots. It’s all in the service manual.

 

 

[AmigOne]

Years ago when my partner and I went for a test flight in a 62 C we were ready to buy he could not raise the gear, when it was my turn to fly I could raise it but with some difficulty. Never having flown a C with manual gear before I thought that this stiffness was normal but my partner was adamant about walking out of the deal. The airplane was being sold through a dealer at a Michigan airport whose office was next to the maintenance shop. The salesman asked the shop to adjust the gear, they jacked up the plane, adjusted the linkages in the nose gear and voila, from then on smooth as silk. Don't know what was done, I do know that the work was done in the nose gear.

[Mcstealth]

I will pass all this on in the morning. Thanks for everything so far. Is/are there rigging tools for gear doors?

 

DF

[Shadrach]

I will pass all this on in the morning. Thanks for everything so far. Is/are there rigging tools for gear doors?

 

DF

Not for the doors specifically. The procedure would be to adjust the nose wheel position so that it fully recesses in the gear well, then adjust gear doors so they close tightly. Finally, adjust gear preload within specs using gear rigging tools.

[Mcstealth]

I have forwarded the mechanic all these replies. Thanks for everyone's time.David