National Aeronca Association Bulletin Board

Hi everybody, the Chief is coming along nicely, she is all painted with some exceptions! Before final assembly my IA wanted to go through the landing gear oleo system so we did exactly that using John Baker's exceptional webpage for some reference (along with the manual) seen here:
http://www.hangar9aeroworks.com/Aeronca ... strut.html.
First off, the book and site describe removing the oleo as moderately easy with some tips!. . . Needless to say it took all hands AND plus the cook and this could not be accomplished with a suspended airframe, so we removed the landing gear and anchored it to my SUV!
NOW. . . My question: Is the bronze bushing (I-2565) supposed to come out with the oleo assembly or not? I ask because mine did exactly that with one gear. The other gear, the bronze bushing is still in the gear frame along with the broken phenolic strut spring retainer (mine are not aluminum) I guess that will change now!
Also upon basic visual inspection, I found BOTH main gear frames heavily pitted and the rear brace rusted clear through (see photo) and this was before sandblasting so it seems as if a whole new landing gear system will be installed.
I have stated the previous workmanship was disturbing and also the fact the Aeronca manual states clearly many times to keep up on maintenance. Its a shame "some" I.A. A&P care less about quality and more about money? I always fall back to use your own common sense inspection with anything.

Many more questions will come following this so please bare with me,

Thank you all so much, were almost airboure!

Michael

P.S. NO PHOTO CAN BE ADDED IT KEEPS TELLING ME "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached."

Michael,
The bronze bushing should remain in the housing and is usually crimped on the bottom if I remember correctly. Amazing you still have the old style retainers. I thought most of them would have been changed by now but apparently not yours . On the Champ I just sold the struts were rebuilt with all new parts but I left the snare cables on anyway....ugly but comforting . I haven't pulled them apart on my 'new' Chief yet.

Mike

Wow!

The bushing is a press in, friction fit, and like Mike said, should stay in the case frame. Have you considered repairing the gear or is it too far gone?

Upload the photo's to a web provider... Flicker, picasa, photobucket then copy the [img] tag and link it in your post. The NAA site has limited bandwidth to host pics, and we've max'd it out.

nkh

Nathan K. Hammond wrote:Wow!

The bushing is a press in, friction fit, and like Mike said, should stay in the case frame. Have you considered repairing the gear or is it too far gone?

Upload the photo's to a web provider... Flicker, picasa, photobucket then copy the [img] tag and link it in your post. The NAA site has limited bandwidth to host pics, and we've max'd it out.

nkh

WOW! I am surprised NOW! I did state I used my SUV to attach one end of the landing gear so we could pull the oleo system out, and it took a good jolt but EVERYTHING came out, the bronze bushing included, its rather scary! Makes me wonder now but judging by the poor workmanship on the plane thus-far, I am not surprised.

The landing gear frame itself is just too far gone, the areas of pitting where the oleo strut goes into that are clear through! The rear support brace has some rusted holes 1/2" across
I do most of my flying off field to duster strips and lots of mountain flying / camping so with that type of non-pavement environment, I just feel better knowing I have a new landing gear!
Yes I will be putting photos on a hosting site, I already have a Flickr account so they will come from there. Expect that sometime Tomorrow? Thanks for the advice.

with the Bronze Bushing pressed into place. . . My next question is:
does that mean that the (soon to be) Aluminum retainer will fit inside the Bronze Bushing while sliding the oleo into the Bronze Bushing while into the frame?
Probably a stupid question, but I must ask!!!

AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH,

Michael

Michael,
If you're doing a bunch of off field get a new case. Ream the bushing before you install it. There's no problem using either retainer, you can still but the aluminum piece. It's not to unusual to have the oleo stick. It sounds like this stuff sat around for a long time in a wet area.
Paul

AV8ERZ wrote:My next question is:
does that mean that the (soon to be) Aluminum retainer will fit inside the Bronze Bushing while sliding the oleo into the Bronze Bushing while into the frame?

Yes it will all slide together. The retainer is smaller than the inside diameter of the bronze bushing. (The top of the case frame is reduced so the retainer fits and doesn't bang around.)

If you can, find a reamer that is the correct size to open up the bushing. I used a cylinder hone (3 stones on a spring) to enlarge the bushing on mine, but didn't realize the I.D. was oval instead of round. So by the time I had it all fitted together, the oleo was touching on a couple sides and loose everywhere else. If I had used a reamer, the fit would have been better.

nkh

Thanks everyone, this information has been very helpful.
I decided to go with photobucket for my photo host as to not interrupt my family Flickr account so have a look through the photos. I posted what was on my tablet, many more to come when I get more time!

For now here is the main link? http://s1345.photobucket.com/user/AV8ER ... t=3&page=1

and for the rusted through landing gear: http://s1345.photobucket.com/user/AV8ER ... sort=3&o=2

Let me know what you all think?

Thanks again,

Michael

Michael,
looked at your pictures and noticed yours is 4441E and sn 222. Mine, which my dad bought in 950 is sn 221 N4440E. Good to see an 11CC getting ready to fly again.

Brian

Brian wrote:Michael,
looked at your pictures and noticed yours is 4441E and sn 222. Mine, which my dad bought in 950 is sn 221 N4440E. Good to see an 11CC getting ready to fly again.

Brian

Hello Brian,
That is great news! I was curious "IF" there was another Chief with above or below numbers corresponding close to mine?! Thanks for the news, really made my night!
I have many more photos to post but two of my kids just graduated, one from 8th grade and one from 12th grade and going to college so I have been very busy but I will post more as soon as I get the time to go through them. What you see posted I hope someone on the forum can use? As posted many times, this Chief was abused and not assembled or covered correctly by the previous mechanic or owner. I am not entirely sure if its to "stock" configuration but for me, its really just an affordable commuter to get me to and from the jobs until my Pazmany PL-2 gets airbourne again! I am looking forward to getting this Chief back in the air and you will all see it soon!
Please keep in touch

Michael

One thing, there is a gent named David Rude on this forum and he is an expert at overhauling these struts. If you are the least bit concerned with this you might entertain sending the bits to him for overhaul. I have seen and used his work in the past and its as good if not better than factory new.

That said, its not that hard, just depends on how good you are with things. BTW, if you are looking for landing gear parts, the 11CC and all the other Aeronca post-war two seaters use the same landing gear, so parts from any 7AC or 11AC/BC will be the same. The main fuselage change on the CC were the balanced tail-feathers.

Joe A

For reaming, check out a local machine shop. I installed the bushing in the frame then took the frame and oleo to the machine shop. They did it quickly an inexpensively.

As far as pulling the bushings, a took a disk the same size as the bushing OD. Ground down two opposing sides where the modified disk will slide inside the bushing. Drill an oblong center hole. Then use a rod long enough to make a sliding hammer.

Dennis

If your case frame needs a bushing due to wear on the i.d. or some other reason the average cost of installing one at my shop is $130-$150 that includes, removal, installation, reaming and the bushing itself.

I charge $55 to ream the oleo bushing but I am fussy and will not ream certain brands of bushings because of a history of them wearing out reamers too fast.

If your rear tube needs a repair the average cost is $90-$125.

If your front tube is too badly pitted it may require a repair OR it may not be useable.

I never charge more than $300 to repair a case frame regardless of the damage. So far I have only found a few that I could not fix for a customer or that I could not afford to fix.

If your bushing came out on it's own then something is wrong that should never happen.

I have never seen a bushing come out with a slide hammer. I don't doubt that it did but I wonder what percentage of them will. I use hydraulic puller to remove and it takes out 100% of them. Occasionally some bushings are loose enough that they comes out easy, they may be the ones that will come out with a slide hammer.

All the oleo parts fit nicely thru a properly reamed bushing

I have been doing oleos, case frames and axles since around 1999 and incorporated in 2001.

Dave Rude