Toe brake question

[johncuyle]

I got my plane back from service (not on the brakes) and I noticed something odd. My left rudder pedal felt like it was tipped forward as if the brakes were fully compressed. It seemed that I could get some braking force out when I did my usual brake check but it required a bit of a reach.

 

I crawled under the panel to take a look at it and sure enough it seemed to be tipped forward. I reached under and grabbed the top of the pedal to gently pull it towards me to check the range of motion and it came up to the usual position and I heard a click, and now everything is back to normal.

 

Is there a quick disconnect for service to help move them out of the way when someone is working under the panel and the mechanic just didn't get it popped back into position, or is there something odd going on here?

 

 

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[Andy95W]

Odd but not truly unusual. No quick disconnect, the brake just didn’t release like it was supposed to. 

Might be a worn connection linkage that bound up, or the mechanic leaned on it sideways and it jammed up. 

Keep an eye on it just in case but it probably won’t happen again in normal use. Definitely mention it at your next annual inspection so they check it closely. Of course, if anything goes hinky with that brake stop and get it fixed. 

[PT20J]

This is not normal. Master cylinders have a coil spring coaxial with the shaft that returns the pedals to the upright position when the brakes are released. Sounds like either the spring is broken or something is interfering with the mechanism causing it to hang. Maybe Clarence  @mooneydoc has seen this before.

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[johncuyle]

Hmm. I've only put about 10 hours on it since annual, and half a dozen landings. I don't think it was dragging either, although it could have been very slightly. Maybe the spring isn't broken but was binding for some reason. May also have been related to parking brake use. Time to break out the maintenance manual and call my shop, I guess.


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[BDPetersen]

Unrelated, probably, but close. On my recent annual we discovered the pivot pin on the left pedal almost completely disengaged, the retaining cotter pin sheared off and it had slid far to the left. Contact with the sidewall is all that kept it from completely coming out. Everything was still functioning. A head scratcher.

[Guest]

For the time it takes to open the left exhaust fairing, I would pull it off and take a look around at the pedal linkage and master cylinders. Also peak behind the rudder/brake pedals to look for foreign debris.

Clarence

[Yetti]

also check brake fluid level.  You can have a leaky master cylinder and still have the brakes work.   Check the center of the panel behind nosewheel for thick fluid.