Electric gear - need help

[DaV8or]

I'm almost positive the guy LASAR sent me to is just that - a machine shop! Which is even better cause I'm sure the labor rate is a lot less than an aviation shop!!

I'm curious as to what LASAR did for you on this part, because I may need one someday too. It sounds like they guided you to obtain a new part under the owner produced provision, is that true? If so, did they provide you with a drawing, or CAD file to give to the machine shop?

For a part like this, where there is no interest in factory support, the owner produced option from free, shared CAD files, or drawings makes the most sense for everybody. IMO, there needs to be more sharing of technical files and data to keep our aging fleet in the air.

[Alan Fox]

Actually Lasar has Pma certification.... Meaning they are certified by the feds to make ceartin parts, as far as the repair goes , they are certified to return it to service , making it a "legal" part .... As far as free sharing , Lasar has every right NOT to share this data and tech info , as they did the leg work and are entitled to profit whatever the market will bear.......Without Lasar , we would be screwed on a lot of parts that are no longer available used , I have done a lot of buisness with them , and I am glad they are in buisness....

[DaV8or]

Actually Lasar has Pma certification.... Meaning they are certified by the feds to make ceartin parts, as far as the repair goes , they are certified to return it to service , making it a "legal" part .... As far as free sharing , Lasar has every right NOT to share this data and tech info , as they did the leg work and are entitled to profit whatever the market will bear.......Without Lasar , we would be screwed on a lot of parts that are no longer available used , I have done a lot of buisness with them , and I am glad they are in buisness....

My point of the free sharing of CAD files and drawings was not intended to bypass LASAR, or any other shop on parts to save a buck. My point is for when there is a part that neither the Mooney "factory", or any other establishment like LASAR, chooses not to make the part because it's not enough in demand spend the money to start up a production run. This situation is going to be more and more in our future and if we want the fleet to survive as long as possible, we will have to be doing owner manufactured parts.

The last I had heard and until this thread, this was the situation on the actuator spline we have been talking about. No factory support and everyone scrounging the countryside for good used ones. Apparently, there is now a solution, however I'm still unclear on whether it is a reconditioning of your existing part ( I imagine welding up the end and re machining it, or machining a new end and then welding it on to the old part at the shaft), or manufacturing a whole new part? Does this part get returned to you with a yellow tag?

[KSMooniac]

Bumping an old topic... yesterday we discovered my spline coupler was trashed.  Fortunately it was found on jack stands during the annual and not when I needed it in the air!  (I already needed it once in 2008 and fortunately it worked!)  I just bought LASAR's last unit for very reasonable money, but they're getting another batch in soon.  We're lucky to have them making parts like this!  I had nightmares of replacing my entire actuator and putting in the different emergency deployment system...

[N201MKTurbo]

Is that one compleatly stripped out, or is just the ends of the splines messed up. If just the end of the splines, I'll buy it from you.

[Marauder]

Bumping an old topic... yesterday we discovered my spline coupler was trashed.  Fortunately it was found on jack stands during the annual and not when I needed it in the air!  (I already needed it once in 2008 and fortunately it worked!)  I just bought LASAR's last unit for very reasonable money, but they're getting another batch in soon.  We're lucky to have them making parts like this!  I had nightmares of replacing my entire actuator and putting in the different emergency deployment system...

Scott -- you have the emergency crank on the wall system, right?

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[KSMooniac]

Yes, my '77 J has the Dukes actuator with the hand crank and engagement lever on the cockpit wall.

I'm going to keep my spline, but think it is beyond repair.  I'll compare to the new one, but mine looks like the splines were also ground/machined a bit depth-wise in addition to fouling the splines enough to prevent engagement.  

[N201MKTurbo]

That's too bad. I have had success cleaning up the end with Swiss files when they just get mushed over. Once it tears out the splines it is toast!

I'm glad to hear Laser is making new ones. How much was it?

[KSMooniac]

$235 for spline, and I think the entire assembly is available as well for $6xx.  All things considered, I'm *very* happy to pay that for the spline and to have found it on jacks.  Now I just need to make darn sure we get it rigged properly so it doesn't happen again.  I have no idea why it failed...

[MB65E]

Good find! This silly crank is my only fear on the entire airplane. I'd prefer not to even look at it. I have some break-away wire on mine so it stays in the stowed position. That way it's not likely to fall in a partial engaged condition. 

-Matt

[Marauder]

$235 for spline, and I think the entire assembly is available as well for $6xx.  All things considered, I'm *very* happy to pay that for the spline and to have found it on jacks.  Now I just need to make darn sure we get it rigged properly so it doesn't happen again.  I have no idea why it failed...

I'm just happy to hear they are making parts!

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[KSMooniac]

Good find! This silly crank is my only fear on the entire airplane. I'd prefer not to even look at it. I have some break-away wire on mine so it stays in the stowed position. That way it's not likely to fall in a partial engaged condition. 

-Matt

Nice thought, but incorrect! The lever is connected to a cable that can lose tension and allow partial engagement...I think that is what happened to me. Too bad it can do that. I wish it would fully engage if anything slipped and spin the handle so at least you would know.

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[MB65E]

I see, the cable slipped, bummer. Makes sense now. With springs on both side of the little lever that actuates, it's seams hard to rig. 

Are there any instructions, or back shop manual from dukes available on the actuator? The maintenance manual and a few SB's still leave a lot to be desired.  

-Matt

 

[KSMooniac]

The J service manual has a little detail about rigging the mechanism, but I haven't been able to find a manual for the actuator itself or the spline housing/mechanism.  After taking it apart, it is pretty simple. When I get the new part I'll take some pics and measurements and see how much engagement there is.

[Guitarmaster]

 

Very true! Your gear will be locked up if this is the case... we should check the function/rigging of this spline every year at least, and be careful that it doesn't accidentally get engaged. It is too bad there isn't a positive lock-out for teh knob.

I got to check this out for real last February when the gear didn't come down on the way to work.  Heated hanger for the night solved the problem temporarily, but I will be replacing the limit switches at annual.  According to Don Maxwell, they are very cheap ($40 each).

Glad I checked the emergency extension at annual!!

Edited October 5, 2015 by Guitarmaster