Retractable Step

[teethdoc]

I posted a pic of me taking off and the step is still down.  When does it normally retract?  Is it at a certain air speed?

[rbridges]

mine is vacuum driven, not sure about yours.  Usually when I get the rpms up, it retracts.  Definitely is up before it gets in the air.  I hear it drop when I shut the engine off.

[Matt Michael]

I've been wondering about steps too.  Been shopping hard and noticed some planes either have the step fixed in the retracted position or entirely removed.  Is that allowed with some paperwork?

 

MM

[1964-M20E]

I posted a pic of me taking off and the step is still down.  When does it normally retract?  Is it at a certain air speed?

According to your info you are flying a M20J. I believe all J models have a fixed step. The C, D, E&F models prior to the early to mid-70's had retractable steps. Beginning in 65 the steps were vacuum activated before 1965 the steps were retracted manually with a crank by the pilots left knee.

[1964-M20E]

Oh the A & B models were manual as well

[teethdoc]

According to your info you are flying a M20J. I believe all J models have a fixed step. The C, D, E&F models prior to the early to mid-70's had retractable steps. Beginning in 65 the steps were vacuum activated before 1965 the steps were retracted manually with a crank by the pilots left knee.

Well there you have it.  Thanks for the info.

[Bob - S50]

Our '78 J has no step.

[Hank]

Steps may be removed, I've seen several that way.

Don't know when they went fixed, but my 70 model has never moved.

[rbridges]

Auburn graduates.       lol

[DS1980]

Model year 1968 was when the step became fixed.

[N33GG]

Yep, 68 is when they started trying to reduce costs, and the step became fixed.  My 68 is early in the run, and still has flush rivets and inspection panels, but the step is fixed.  Wish my step was vacuum retractable, I think they are cool.  I suffer from step envy...

[Rhumbline]

Model year 1968 was when the step became fixed.

 

Yep, 68 is when they started trying to reduce costs, and the step became fixed.  My 68 is early in the run, and still has flush rivets and inspection panels, but the step is fixed.  Wish my step was vacuum retractable, I think they are cool.  I suffer from step envy...

 

 

That was my understanding also which is why I was surprised when I first saw my plane and its retracting step.  Don't know if it may still have been an option in '68 or if they were using up surplus inventory but it's definitely a '68, pretty far into the production run and it's definitely OEM.  Things that make you go huh, huh? 

[DrBill]

My step retracts usually during runup and drops with engine shutdown most of the time.  There is a tight fit with the rubber seal  in the opening and sometimes the first one out has to "remind" the step to go down.

 BILL

[rbridges]

My step retracts usually during runup and drops with engine shutdown most of the time.  There is a tight fit with the rubber seal  in the opening and sometimes the first one out has to "remind" the step to go down.

 BILL

 

try using some teflon spray.  I was using lithium grease, and it was accumulating debris and causing the step to stick.  Clean it really well with soap and try the spray recommended in the maintenance manual.  Mine works fine now.

[stevesm20b]

I like the manual step, flaps and gear in my "B" model. Simple and always work.

[Hank]

Auburn graduates.       lol

Always nice to be recognized and appreciated! No applause, just throw money. I'm serious, annual started yesterday . . .

[rbridges]

Always nice to be recognized and appreciated! No applause, just throw money. I'm serious, annual started yesterday . . .

 

 

did you get those O-rings?

[N601RX]

I think we have quit a few Auburn Grads on here. Seems most are Engineers also.

[Hank]

did you get those O-rings?

Yes, thank you. With impeccable timing, the much-maligned USPS brought them yesterday. Now my tanks will be safe for another year or two. (I put a dab of Tri-Flow down the center whenever I spray flap and aileron hinges.)

[Schinderhannes]

Looking at a friends highly modified 201 last weekend I noted a fairing covering the tube connecting the step to the fuselage.  Is this standard on all 201s or a mod?  Does anybody make a fairing for the much longer Ranger step? In 10 years of Long EZ ownership prior to the M20C, a gear leg fairing was the most effective speed mod I did and I imagine a proper designed fairing around the step could add some performance. At a minimum it would look faster than the standard tube.     

[1964-M20E]

I like the manual step, flaps and gear in my "B" model. Simple and always work.

Ditto my former 64E had the manual step retraction and it worked great except when the primary aircraft control computer failed to retract it then I would notice about a 5k decrease in speed and would spend 10 minutes trying to figure it out worried that something was really wrong.

 

Of course you B has the truly manual flaps no hydraulic pump.  

[robert7467]

I cleaned mine with wd40 and now it works like a charm.

[flyboy]

I like the manual step, flaps and gear in my "B" model. Simple and always work.

 

 

Ditto my former 64E had the manual step retraction and it worked great except when the primary aircraft control computer failed to retract it then I would notice about a 5k decrease in speed and would spend 10 minutes trying to figure it out worried that something was really wrong.

 

 

 

Of course you B has the truly manual flaps no hydraulic pump.  

 

I enjoy the simplicity of my B, manual flaps and gear. However I also have intermittent difficulties with the primary aircraft control computer. The step seems to take lower priority than anything else. Perhaps its a problem with the step retract and extension circuit, as the computer sometimes fails to extend the step as well. The landing gear extend and retract circuits seem to work fairly well. 

 

Dare I say it,... perhaps the computers are showing age?

[DrBill]

QUOTE:

Dare I say it,... perhaps the computers are showing age

perhaps it is time for a RE BOOT ????

BILL

[phecksel]

I cleaned mine with wd40 and now it works like a charm.

Pick something else   WD40 leaves a waxy film which will be worse than what you didn't have before.

 

One of the reported uses of WD40 is on fishing bait.  I'm an awful fisherman, can never catch anything... until I spray the lures or bait with wd40