Gear retraction issues

[Ragsf15e]

On 8/10/2025 at 2:02 PM, Mark Staggs said:

Replying to this old thread because I think I'm having this exact problem after getting a pitot/static system cert done.  I have a 1965 M20C that had the electric gear added months after being built in the spring of '65. 

Does anyone know where that Dukes 3203-00 switch can be bought or overhauled now-a-days?

They can however be removed and bench tested. Some have multiple switches and you can use another (still working) contact point.  Salvage is another option.  Definitely make sure it’s that switch before going too crazy.  The limit switches and relays on the electric gear are also failure points.

[Mark Staggs]

Yeah, I'm going to do another flight and to pay closer attention to exactly what airspeed the gear does actually retract. I figure once that's done it'll be a phone call to my A&P to see if he can take a look or possibly may have a lead on sourcing these since it's a MSC.

[Hank]

4 minutes ago, Mark Staggs said:

Yeah, I'm going to do another flight and to pay closer attention to exactly what airspeed the gear does actually retract.

I generally retract the electric gear in my C by treetop level, speed is usually ~85mph.

Had trouble a decade or so ago with them not going up the last little bit, and really slowing me down while squealing in my headset. Every flight they hung down and buzzed longer. Replacing the gear pucks fixed it!

The date of manufacture is molded into the side of the pucks, but mine were upside down; I thought it read "09/96" but after removal they actually said "06/69"! The problem is they compress over time, and don't expand back, which eventually led to retraction problems for me. The new stack was >1/2" taller than the old ones.

Just one more thing to check before going after electrical goblins. But confirming the switch would be nice, too.

[dkkim73]

2 hours ago, redrider54 said:

Haven't found anyone to overhaul them

If anyone does know of or finds a shop willing to overhaul them, please share. We swapped mine for a pulled known-good one and I still have the original. Not the exact one above, I think, but similar*. Tried a few places and no luck. Not sure if it's a liability thing or a numbers thing or what. Seems like it would be straightforward to do. 

* two switches, one for gear and one for pitot/stall heat level and I think the airtime indication to the G1000 and thus the Hobbs (last part is a guess). 

[PT20J]

Here's all the info I have on the switch

Airspeed safety switch.pdf

654-switch-veproducts-aerospace-low-pressure-switches-specs-sheet.pdf

[Mark Staggs]

4 hours ago, Hank said:

I generally retract the electric gear in my C by treetop level, speed is usually ~85mph.

Had trouble a decade or so ago with them not going up the last little bit, and really slowing me down while squealing in my headset. Every flight they hung down and buzzed longer. Replacing the gear pucks fixed it!

The date of manufacture is molded into the side of the pucks, but mine were upside down; I thought it read "09/96" but after removal they actually said "06/69"! The problem is they compress over time, and don't expand back, which eventually led to retraction problems for me. The new stack was >1/2" taller than the old ones.

Just one more thing to check before going after electrical goblins. But confirming the switch would be nice, too.

Yeah, good call.  I had the nose gear pucks replaced last year, and I think the main gear was replaced about 5 years ago.  So hopefully that's all good.

I'm assuming that since this started right after my pitot/static check that the ASSS is the issue here. Everything had been working find up until then.