Screws Inner Flap Mounting Bracket

[InJuRo]

During my last flight with my M20E I realized during the visual check that my right landing flap did not "lower". The left one was fully deployed the right one was in some kind of nearly "full up" position. After Landing, while taxiing off the runway the flap was fully deployed. - Just to mention, flightwise it was no issue. I thought about putting the flaps back up but then (due to ice in the runway) took what I could get and it flew really well even with the flaps deployed differently.

So far, so "good". After landing I checked the right flap and it turned out, that the inner flap mount, the "triangle shaped" bracked below the "step area" of the wing, was "loose". It could be moved a few centimeters/inches and as a result, the flap, even when deployed had so much "play", that the pressure pushed it back to the "nearly full up" position.

I took the lower belly cover off and the little cover on the rear right side which is installed under this flap mount bracket.

It seems like the bracket is mounted with three screws which are marked with red paint. These screws could be turned. They were not "loose" in a way, that the nut was loose (color markings were still good) but the did not really tighten the construction.

I wonder if it may be a result of really low temperatures, age and the fact that alloy and steel expand and compress different.

I would not like to tighten the screws/nuts. The problem is, that I can only access one side (the side with the nut) but not the backside. Did anybody ever habe this problem? I managed to "tighten" one nut with a mixture of a clamp and a wrench. And now the flaps has no play anymore. So this seems to be the issue. But of course I want to tighten (or if necessary exchange) all screws properly.

Does anybody have an idea how to reach the "backside" of these screws? It does not work through the "handhole" which is close to it. This one only goes not to the complete back of the wing.

Thank you for your help and tips

Ingo

 

 

[RLCarter]

So let me get this right, during the preflight you noticed A-symmetrical flaps but after you flew and deployed the flaps for landing they were fine…. Is that correct?

[InJuRo]

17 minutes ago, RLCarter said:

So let me get this right, during the preflight you noticed A-symmetrical flaps but after you flew and deployed the flaps for landing they were fine…. Is that correct?

No, not really.

1. Did not see/feel any damage during preflight

2. While approaching, I deployed them and also checked visually through the window. Left one fine, right one "up".

3. While taxiing after landing (lower speed) it was "all down"

4. Back in the hangar I realized with a "wiggle test", that the inner mount is loose

5. Took of the lower belly cover and the small cover on the side and three screws, holding the flap mount (triangle) Shape to the spar, seems to be "loose" while still the paint marking on the nut is correct

6. I cannot access the head of the screw, so I have no clue actually, how to "tighten" them. Managed to tighten one and now flap is "good" again (wiggle test on the ground), but of course they all need to be tightened.

Best regards and sorry for being a little unclear. Hard to describe. 

Ingo

 

[PT20J]

Something isn’t making sense. Those are locknuts, so they shouldn’t loosen in service. Also, they have torqueseal applied to them to indicate if the nuts have turned and apparently they have not. Yet the flap has become so loose that it doesn’t fully deploy. I would want to further investigate this if it were mine.

[skykrawler]

I'd be looking for something with cracks.  Sometimes the flap is stepped on in this area.

Probably unrelated but there is a bulletin for cracks in the sub spar for the flap: M20-217.