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Almost gear uped it today


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Dropped my gear in down wind. Base. Final. Do a short final landing check and tug on the J bar. It wasn't locked in! Looked at the dash and my green light wasnt on either.

 

Don't get complacent thinking you went thru the motions. Give it a tug every time. Glad I double checked it!

 

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I bought a Gear alert system because I had that happen.  I also give it a tug (down) on the collar without pressing the detent on final.  The gear alert is tied in with the J-Bar gear locked/unlocked switch (that you can feel with gear up).  Started yelling check gear!  Check gear!  Hopefully I would of tugged and caught it/looked/touched gear down light...but you never know.  Glad you caught it.  Nice job!

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32 minutes ago, NJMac said:

Dropped my gear in down wind. Base. Final. Do a short final landing check and tug on the J bar. It wasn't locked in! Looked at the dash and my green light wasnt on either.    Don't get complacent thinking you went thru the motions. Give it a tug every time. Glad I double checked it!

Great reminder - I've had this happen to me once too.  Even well-ingrained habits like checking, double checking, triple checking the J bar being locked are prone to lapse at some point from complacency.  I would add that the lit green in the J bar mooneys provides no assurance of the bar being locked in. 

You might also check wear on the hole of the block if it hasn't been replaced in the last couple decades.  

Keep tugging on your Johnsons everyone! (never gets old)

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I bought a Gear alert system because I had that happen.  I also give it a tug (down) on the collar without pressing the detent on final.  The gear alert is tied in with the J-Bar gear locked/unlocked switch (that you can feel with gear up).  Started yelling check gear!  Check gear!  Hopefully I would of tugged and caught it/looked/touched gear down light...but you never know.  Glad you caught it.  Nice job!
I had one of those installed just over a year ago too. Not sure why it didn't work today. Need to dig further. Appreciate the memory jog.

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NJM,

Things to look for...

1) sensor adjustment... it turns on the light and quiets the warning at the same time... being slightly off adjustment, douses the light before it is totally locked...

2) down lock block... wears in an oval pattern... take a pic the next time you are flying... use selfie mode...   :)

This is the usual culprit that allows the feel of being locked, but not quite locked...

3) Become familiar with the thumbnail test... A DMax write up on how the gear and lock can be measured for proper fit...

4) Swapping out the block is pretty easy, and not very expensive...

5) If all of that is proven to be in good shape... it only means one thing... you ARE human...   :):)

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

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17 hours ago, carusoam said:

 

2) down lock block... wears in an oval pattern... take a pic the next time you are flying... use selfie mode...   :)

what a great idea!    Another decade or so of ownership  and I might have come up with it independently:lol:

As an addendum, the original blocks were all bare silver metal I think - whereas the LASAR replacements are black.  If you have a silver one it’s definitely time for this trick....

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I spin the handle until I feel it click.  I think thats the light switch clicking or maybe the thumblock but I like to think Im feeling some notch attaching to the gear keeping it down.  The click is the only thing that holds the gear down ;)

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A tug on the Jbar is not enough. You can tug on the Jbar and it will feel locked yet the green down lock light will be off because the Jbar is not perfectly seated thereby closing the switch. Whenever I do the Jbar tug I always call out loud “green light” while verifying the light is indeed green.


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