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Trouble Retracting The Gear (Johnson Bar Manual Gear)


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Trouble Retracting The Gear (Johnson Bar Manual Gear)

I have been having trouble retracting the gear on my 1966 M20E it feels like it is getting harder to get the gear in the up and locked position. I have been looking at the gear doors and they seem to tight. I have disconnected the doors and the gear seems to retract easer, my thinking was to lengthen the gear door rods to make the doors a little looser, I am able to lengthen the right-hand door rod but the left door rod is to the point where the rod end is pass the witness hole so essentially there is no more adjustment for the left gear door, which is the tightest door.  Has anyone had a similar issue or have suggestions?

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Are you sure the j bar is not bent? The previous owner of mine had to have it straighten. 1966 C. Check the down lock block for wear (oval/egg shaped) and there are also bushing/bolts assembly that can cause the j bar to become an issue. Of course checking the gear swing tension too.

@Sabremech was the person who fixed the one I bought...

-Don

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6 minutes ago, PT20J said:

If something has changed, I would put it up on jacks and investigate before adjusting something that may or may not be the cause.

This is the key thing.  If you have had no issues and now you have issues, something has changed.  Is it hard to swing or is it hard to lock?

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So, you said you tried it without the gear doors hooked up. I assume that was on jacks.

if you just said it was hard to put up, I would assume someone mis-rigged it in the past. But you said it changed. Most wear and such would make it looser not tighter. Was there anything done to the plane when it got harder?

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   I am in  the process of changing the gear down block waiting for a new one from Lasar.  So it is a good time to check into this.   I am finding that the tighter the gear doors...the more it pulls the gear from the wheel well.  Kinda had a happy medium for a wile but its getting harder to retract the gear and rest it in the gear up position...With the doors unfastened it feels normal...Its almost like I need a longer control rod on the left gear about .5 in possibly...top rod is fine just.  The bracket on the gear leg seems fine and don't think I should mess with it.. Tensions are good and all else's normal.  Greased and lubded good.  Right gear is fine have good adjustment to play with.

Thanks  John 

 

 

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A MSC totally messed up my my gear. After an annual I could not get the gear up and especially down without using two hands and a lot of prayers. They messed up the pre load. Whatever that is. 
 

my A&P friend who never worked on a mooney before spent 10-15 min on the phone with LASAR. It worked like a new plane after that phone call and a few minor adjustments. 

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With the doors disconnected and the gear up, are both mains at the same up position? There is a rubber bumper strip in the wheel well, check the distance there. They should be close to the same. If not, you may need to adjust the length of the main retract rods. Adjust the rods so the spring is just shy of being completely compressed when the overcenter link is straight. The spring will be slightly relaxed from maximum compression when it goes overcenter. Be sure to check the preloads after this to make sure they are in range. Don’t adjust the rods to try to achieve a preload, adjust to the springs and then check the preload.

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     I will recheck all preloads after installing the new gear retract block...and hopefully they won't be too far off...this could possibly be the problem for the toughness of retraction and extension.  I would also like replace both Main gear springs but not available...both from Mooney and Lasar... will keep checking   But my additional  concern is the length of the lower left gear link Assy (part # 55008) being too short and pulling the gear door much too tight against the airframe and thus pulling the gear out from the wheel well...(the gear link assembly has no more room for adjustment)...right side has room for adjustment and is fine against airframe...all else looks normal.  The brace hook up on the left gear foot looks normal but tight, kinda has always been a slight problem, but at this juncture it's time to hopefully fix (If possible). I know all Mooneys are hand made but has anyone else seen this problem?... .  

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The retract block has nothing to do with the ease or lack thereof of the gear swinging.  It can make it difficult to secure/insecure the Johnson bar.  
 
Is the gear tough to swing or is the bar tough to secure?

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     I understand what the block purpose is, but the block replacement has give me the chance to address both the toughness to swing and the toughness to secure the Johnson Bar.  Now... I realize the toughness to secure the bar in the retracted position has a direct correlation to the gear doors.  The secondary problem with adjusting the gear door is what I am concerned about and wonder if anyone has had similar problems 

Thanks  John 

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