Flaps release lever

[Mooney-Shiner]

I lately noticed that my flaps lever is getting tough to engage. So I opened the belly to see whats going on.

Is there anything that looks strange with this switch?

What the 

[Joshua Blackh4t]

When my flap lever started not releasing, I sprayed the whole cable with a penetrating  lube and all problems went away.

I can't remember what mine looked like, but I remember it being very 'agricultural'

[Mooney-Shiner]

On 1/13/2025 at 10:51 PM, Joshua Blackh4t said:

When my flap lever started not releasing, I sprayed the whole cable with a penetrating  lube and all problems went away.

I can't remember what mine looked like, but I remember it being very 'agricultural'

Thank you. I will try to inject the lube from the top (at the panel) to try to spread it by the gravity.

The bottom assembly just looks were flimsy to me. 

[N201MKTurbo]

3 minutes ago, Mooney-Shiner said:

Thank you. I will try to inject the lube from the top (at the panel) to try to spread it by the gravity.

The bottom assembly just looks were flimsy to me. 

That will not work, you need to lube the entire length of the cable. If you put oil on the outside of the cable housing it will work its way into the coils and lube the wire.

The places that are the hardest to get to are the most likely places that it is stuck.

[Mooney-Shiner]

1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said:

That will not work, you need to lube the entire length of the cable. If you put oil on the outside of the cable housing it will work its way into the coils and lube the wire.

The places that are the hardest to get to are the most likely places that it is stuck.

Thank you. Regular PB blaster will do?

[Jsno]

I would use Pulley lube oil sold by McFarlane.  A lot of penetrating oils have wax in them that will build up and become a gummy mess.

[N201MKTurbo]

1 hour ago, Mooney-Shiner said:

Thank you. Regular PB blaster will do?

I’ve never heard of that stuff. I looked it up. It should be fine.

[Bolter]

2 hours ago, Mooney-Shiner said:

Thank you. Regular PB blaster will do?

There are cable lube tools.  I used one like this on my motorcycle cables.  It can fit over the cable without disconnecting the end.  Not sure there is enough room in your photo, but maybe.  When it makes a good seal, it will shoot stuff out the other end with great vigor.  Have a rag in place to catch it all.

https://www.amazon.com/HAOWUJIN-Motorcycle-Bicycle-Scooter-Off-white/dp/B0CX93HGKR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1NGTXVXDPU0IY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-qEdP13eKy3IwIKrtRdmzv_8AkayO4l_w9kVXMVBVHBu--dwE2yuLiNpM3phN6cItfQhiYuUHM_bbrL3WmMPc847MbE7IB1nTIEpUA0rCh9SEauqoHcR7ujQPZkJPrO62KJaq4UHNBnKPlubeJlhedICfif5j235QdPDMOwJmTvdfSwzBpo-NFVS398PD7I4lLjsT7iiGA8hR5qm3VOYY0_1Xnelnn4uCt38SsexquWgozhGh5Q0lhSoS6cMr2a-jMYgz6ZbLOI4-pVkaUD52CEmOsRM_NfI0fAOcmaCr0w.8ohdR_cooty35MuX0HTSAAFSMrxTX-6C7nUn5GQb3mQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=motorcycle+cable+lube+tool&qid=1736967885&sprefix=cable+lube%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

[Joshua Blackh4t]

4 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

That will not work, you need to lube the entire length of the cable. If you put oil on the outside of the cable housing it will work its way into the coils and lube the wire.

The places that are the hardest to get to are the most likely places that it is stuck.

^^^^^ This

Although its most likely dry/sticking where it goes though the wheel well. It gets exposed to dirt and water there. And thats an easy place to spray it.

[Brian2034]

My go to lube/ penetrating/ anti rust product is ACF50 I put that $@#& on everything!

It seeps into all the cracks and crevices  better than any other product I’ve tried.

It’s certified as an anti corrosion treatment for aircraft and it has the additional benefit of a great lubricant.

 

[Mooney-Shiner]

24 minutes ago, Brian2034 said:

My go to lube/ penetrating/ anti rust product is ACF50 I put that $@#& on everything!

It seeps into all the cracks and crevices  better than any other product I’ve tried.

It’s certified as an anti corrosion treatment for aircraft and it has the additional benefit of a great lubricant.

 

Yes, I love me some ACF50! I atomize it to fume everything that is not in the direct view.  I also use the direct nozzle to spray straight on material. I know its good as a preservative, but I'm not sure how is it as penetrant.  

[Brian2034]

Just now, Mooney-Shiner said:

Yes, I love me some ACF50! I atomize it to fume everything that is not in the direct view.  I also use the direct nozzle to spray straight on material. I know its good as a preservative, but I'm not sure how is it as penetrant.  

It’s a excellent penetrant.

Its designed to creep between riveted panels

I can give you a non-aviation example.

Three  years ago we had a sealed permanent magnet motor fan in the shop and the bearings dried out and began to squeal would had to junk the fan.

We sprayed the shaft behind the blades with ACF50 and it’s been perfect since.

Our shop has spray bottles of ACF sitting on everyone’s bench as the go to lube.

I would spray the length of the cable with ACF,  it definitely won’t hurt anything and you might be surprised.

[M20F-1968]

The exposed section of your solid wire cable is not perfectly straight.  Not sure if that part is entering the cable housing, but I would try to straighten it as it will bind if that part is involved.  Also, ACF50 is a great penetrant and lubricant.  I have never used it for that cable however.  I have used Triflow at the cable entrance in the cabin, and have also sprayed the outside of the cable along its length at each annual and let it work it's way into the hable housing through the spiral wire wrapping.

John Breda

[Brian2034]

11 minutes ago, M20F-1968 said:

The exposed section of your solid wire cable is not perfectly straight.  Not sure if that part is entering the cable housing, but I would try to straighten it as it will bind if that part is involved.  Also, ACF50 is a great penetrant and lubricant.  I have never used it for that cable however.  I have used Triflow at the cable entrance in the cabin, and have also sprayed the outside of the cable along its length at each annual and let it work it's way into the hable housing through the spiral wire wrapping.

John Breda

I noticed the same kink in the wire but was thinking the flap release handle doesn’t move far enough for the kink to hit the outer shield.

[47U]

On 1/13/2025 at 6:44 PM, Mooney-Shiner said:

I lately noticed that my flaps lever is getting tough to engage.

When I rebuilt my flap pump (Sept, 2010), the wire broke off and now it was too short.  It was also very stiff to actuate.  So much so, that someone (NOT me) put a ‘helper’ spring between the lever and the clamp holding the sheath so the flaps could be extended.

I pulled the whole flap cable out of the airplane and sent the knob to LASAR who silver soldered (?) a new wire onto the knob.  I put the sheath in a pan of mineral spirits to soak.  When LASAR sent the knob back with the longer wire, before I installed it, I lubed it up good (I forget with what… probably Triflow) and then encased the whole cable in heat shrink.  

The cable is a little stiff now when I retract the flaps, so I could probably benefit from the cable lube apparatus.

 

 

[MB65E]

Gosh, while PB blaster is amazing stuff. You won’t be able to get rid of the smell. 
My old 944 still stinks up the garage from years ago because of the PB blaster.

ACF50 Is great.

Try this stuff! It smells good too! 

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pnpages/09-03022.php?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo9yM0Yj5igMV_JjuAR2ZywZNEAAYAiAAEgJkKvD_BwE

-Matt

[cliffy]

Many times a push/pull cable will impart wear areas on the inner piano wire that match the outer wound sheath

These wear areas are smaller in diameter making the piano wire look like a wavy surface. These wavy areas restrict

the movement of the piano wire and the only fix is a new center wire.

This happen especially in areas of turns and bends where the inner wire lays on the inside of the housing all the time.

Vibration does the wear. 

[47U]

2 hours ago, cliffy said:

Many times a push/pull cable will impart wear areas on the inner piano wire that match the outer wound sheath

These wear areas are smaller in diameter making the piano wire look like a wavy surface. These wavy areas restrict

the movement of the piano wire and the only fix is a new center wire.

This happen especially in areas of turns and bends where the inner wire lays on the inside of the housing all the time.

Vibration does the wear. 

What cliffy said…. this was my carb heat cable.  It was worn almost all the way through where the wire exited the sheath.  LASAR put a new wire on it for me in 2010.

[65MooneyPilot]

I changed my flap cable wire two years ago because mine broke at the end of the runway attempting to set TO flaps. Dan from LASAR sold me new inner wire and I installed it without removing the outer sleeve. I sprayed lube into the sleeve then. Works nice and smooth now.

 

[M20F-1968]

14 hours ago, Brian2034 said:

I noticed the same kink in the wire but was thinking the flap release handle doesn’t move far enough for the kink to hit the outer shield.

That solid cable is quite stiff and the bend is likely longer and more subtle to still create binding.  Stuff like that takes a lot of patience and time to resolve.  I would not rule it out so quickly.  Look carefully as to the position of the bend and the potential for binding.

[Mooney-Shiner]

Thank you for all of the great responses, guys!

I will start by spraying the outside of the outer spiral trying to soak the piano wire.

I will also check the sharp bends.