Ovation gear creak/click

[marcusku]

On my last flight I noticed a noise I hadn't heard before while deploying the retracting the gear.  The mechanic on the field feels confident it's an issue with the gear motor/actuator.  My normal Mooney mechanic says he's heard it before and likely not the actuator - though he hasn't seen it in person.  Besides the noise, the gear appears to go up and down normally.  Anyone else heard this one before?  Videos below aren't great but I think you can get the picture from the sound.  One is up and the other is down.

 Mooney Landing Gear Creak1 (youtube.com)

Mooney Landing Gear Creak2 (youtube.com)

 

[GeeBee]

Likely springs. Did you Tri Flow them?

[PT20J]

I might get a stethoscope and listed to the actuator. You could also move around underneath and listen to various components while it’s moving. 

[marcusku]

I did poke around with the stethoscope.  The place I heard it most through the stethoscope was on the big brace that the actuator pushes on.  It was less obvious on the actuator itself-hard to tell if I was hearing it through the stethoscope or not.  The noise happens just before the gear is fully locked.

[N201MKTurbo]

I would look at the mounting bracket and where it attaches to the floor. A crack there could creek and pop

[Fritz1]

take the individual gear retraction rods off, run actuator by itself, move each gear leg by itself, since you are at it, might as well take the actuator out, take apart and lube gears, there is an SB to do this every 200h or so, does not sound like no back spring, still good idea to inspect for cracks at the tabs when actuator is apart

[marcusku]

Thought I would follow up on what was discovered.  It turned out to be the thrust block behind the actuator creaking.  We tightened/lubed the hardware in that area and the noise didn't quite go away but was noticeably reduced.   That thrust block does flex a bit when the gear fully extends, more than I would have guessed.  My mechanic says he's seen this quite a bit. 

[PT20J]

Someone hereabouts had one crack.