Gear Door Alignment

[Txbyker]

My main gear door is not sitting flush under the wing.  On another thread I explained how my right main found a pot hole at my airport on the taxiway.  The pothole damaged the bottom of my gear doors.  The depth of the hole was such that it did not hit my brake rotor and it seem to only dent the non-riveted area of the lower part of the doors.  The impact was about like a hard landing and I do not think the gear is damage.  I straightened the doors while I wait for my new doors.  Attached is a pic before straightening on one after.

All of the adjustments on the linkage are set the same as before.  The right and left gear door linkage both appear set the same.  Now when I swing the gear shut the outer door is hanging down a bit.  I used a straight edge and double checked each side and from what I can tell the sheet metal is not bowed or much different from each side.  The gear is going all the way in as shown by the inner door sitting in the correct position.  I am beginning to think it never did shut completely.  This is my first view of the closed gear.

Any ideas where to look?  Does this affect anything until I get to the MSC for the new doors?

Russ

[Guitarmaster]

Looks to me like you damaged more than the door. I would guess the linkage is damaged in there somewhere.

That must have been quite the pothole!

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[Andy95W]

I'd start with tightening the forward linkage rod-end one full turn, and the aft linkage 1/2 turn, then re-check.

[jackn]

There is a spring that keeps the gear up and tight, is with mine. Maybe you just pulled the spring out of shape. It's easy to replace. Too bad you don't have any before pictures, maybe you mx would know. 

[Hank]

Look at the other main wheel to compare springs and linkages . . .

[Txbyker]

10 minutes ago, Hank said:

Look at the other main wheel to compare springs and linkages . . .

Thats whats puzzling.  Both sides seem identicle.  

[takair]

The amount that the gear goes up is actually controlled by the over center link (down lock) setting when the gear is down.  As the links wear, and you adjust the torque, the gear does not go as deep in the well.  When they wear unevenly, the gear doors will need to be adjusted and will not be symmetrical.  At some point, you will run out of adjustment on both, the door and the gear.  I recently had to rebush the links and this cured both.  In your case, I would check that your overcenter links are still set correctly (normally checked annually) and if so, adjust the doors as others suggested.  

[FoxMike]

I will take a wild guess that the gear door hinge got bent.  Try raising the gear a little at a time and examine the hinges on both sides.

[Hector]

The amount that the gear goes up is actually controlled by the over center link (down lock) setting when the gear is down.  As the links wear, and you adjust the torque, the gear does not go as deep in the well.  When they wear unevenly, the gear doors will need to be adjusted and will not be symmetrical.  At some point, you will run out of adjustment on both, the door and the gear.  I recently had to rebush the links and this cured both.  In your case, I would check that your overcenter links are still set correctly (normally checked annually) and if so, adjust the doors as others suggested.  

This. I recently helped another Mooney owner replace his landing gear donuts, and while we were at it replaced his right landing gear doors damaged just like the poster here. During the subsequent gear swings to check everything we noticed the right door would not come up all the way (identical to the pictures posted here). We adjusted the doors to their limits but still had a gap. We realized there must be wear in the links and since the airplane was going to annual in the next 30 days we decided to let Phil Jimenez fix that problem. We never checked the original door to see if it had a gap but did notice the door had been "worked" by the previous owner, or his mechanic, to reduce or close the gap.

[bradp]

It kind of looks like the rear is more flush than the front, but there isn't a side on picture. Is that so?


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[takair]

I described perhaps a worst case scenario before, but was just picturing the door link. I seem to recall that the fitting clamps to the gear.  Perhaps this fitting rotatated and simply needs to be rotated back.  

[N201MKTurbo]

What determines how far the wheels go up is the up limit switch.