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Recommended lube for cowling pins?

edo2000

I'm New Here
Hello everyone. I've been lurking for months and have learned a lot from this site. I recently purchased a 9A -- very happy with it! I am truly in awe of you guys and gals that have built.

I have a (probably dumb) question about the cowling pins: what do you suggest for prep and lubrication of these as you replace the cowling after maintenance? Thanks for any advice.

Scott
 
LPS 3

I clean the pins with a paper towel wet with WD-30. Get a bunch of "black gunk" off them every time. Then I spray some LPS 3 in a clean paper towel and draw the pin through it. LPS 3 sets up waxy, and won't attract as much dirt as a wet lube.

Cheers, David
RV-6A A&P
 
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This may sound simplistic but I just clean them with a little avgas and then rub them on an old candle. Good coat of wax. Makes them easy to take out and put in.
 
This may sound simplistic but I just clean them with a little avgas and then rub them on an old candle. Good coat of wax. Makes them easy to take out and put in.

Oooo, that is a good tip. I do wax on zippers, never thought about cowl pins. :)
 
Be sure also to look at eyelet alignment. When riveting the hinge strips on, it is easy to get some eyelets out of alignment. Put the pin through each side by itself, and carefully examine for any eyelets which may be not in line. Carefully re-align where needed and practical.
 
I can say that beeswax is not a great idea. Works great in summer, but way too much drag when the weather gets cold. I wipe mine down with solvent and follow it up with a wipe of LPS.
 
We've got a can of a graphite spray lube that coats the pins and then dries on them.Not a dry graphite - it leaves and actual black(ish) coating that seems to last, and actually does a really good job of lubricating them to get them in and out. Can't tell you where I got it, and don't have it handy to tell you the name - but its description is similar to this from ACS:

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/drygraphite5200.php?clickkey=36173

Just one of those bottles of magical elixers you collect over time.....

Paul
 
Tried LPS early on .... found it gets sticky. Ugh. Tried lite oil; that seemed to be messy. Settled on the stick version of Boelube; works perfectly. Now on each removal I wipe them off with a rag, and reapply Boelube at insertion. Works great. :D
 
Every few times off I polish the pins with some green scotchbrite then some LPS. I had to buy some graphite spray for another plane so I'll try using that on the pins next time. Probably would hold better.
 
Please don't get offended by your lubrication suggestions but I want to understand this :confused: Learned from the beginning of construction how your not supposed to use pencils to mark aluminum because graphite is corrosive to it. Wouldn't any type of graphite lubrication eventually cause corrosion in the hinge tabs. Is Graphite not corrosive to aluminum?:confused:
 
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I've tried almost everything listed by all of the previous posts. The best product bar none is a toilet bowl wax ring. It's cheap, one ring will last for years, easy to clean-up and is also g?od for lubricating screw and nut threads.
 
I've tried almost everything listed by all of the previous posts. The best product bar none is a toilet bowl wax ring. It's cheap, one ring will last for years, easy to clean-up and is also g?od for lubricating screw and nut threads.

This is great! I've used the same wax ring for 20 years on screws which go into nutplates. I'll try it on the pins next de-cowling! Mine go in and out fairly easily, but will still try it.
 
Boeshield

BOESHIELD T-9 Aerosol - I use it on my bikes and tools and it works well and offers some anticorrusion properties.
 
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