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New Year's Day Flight, Brake Problem

KentuckyMike

Well Known Member
If this is not RV related enough, one of the moderators can delete it.

January 1st, 2009

I have always heard that what you do on New Year?s Day you will do all year long so I decided I wanted to go flying in my RV6. What else would I want to do all year long? I also have always been a believer that things happen for a reason.

I needed fuel so I decided to fly to Lebanon Springfield (6I2) which is only 15 minutes from Vine Grove KY (70KY). It is also the closest Phillips 66 FBO around which I support due to their $2.00 discount per gallon for Young Eagles flights. Even though it ended on 12/31/2009 you can still get $1.00 discount per gallon for flying Young Eagles.

It was a crystal clear CAVU day. The temperature was 18 degrees and the wind chill was 5 degrees. The RV preformed like a rocket (not an F1). I climbed up above a broken layer and cruised > 175 knots with a bit of a tailwind. After refueling and attempting to depart I quickly found out my right brake was not working. After a several left turns on the Tarmac I started using throttle and rudder for right turns I finally made it out to the runway for departure. The right brake seemed to come and go intermittently. I departed and made an uneventful landing and taxi at home on the grass strip. I put the RV away, tied it down and went home. The more I thought about my brake not working the more it bothered me. Just the fact that I could not just run to the airport and go flying disturbed me.

The next day (Saturday morning) I decided to go back to the airport to attempt repairing the brakes. To my surprise when I announced to the family that I was going to the airport my 13 year old son who had lost all interest in airplanes or being with Dad since he discovered the opposite sex asked if he could go and help. I even offered to stop somewhere for breakfast (which I did) if he would help. We arrived at the airport around 11 AM. The temperature was 11 degrees and the wind chill was below zero. It was very cold and the RV is in sort of an open ?T? hanger which made things worse (old picture below). Luckily the sun was shining on us and the wind was being blocked by the back of the hanger. My son assisted me in removing the top cowl and the wheel pants. We could find no real leak around the wheel cylinders or inside around the pedals but the brake fluid reservoir was empty. I pumped fluid in from the right failed brake up into the reservoir and all was well again. Even though we were both freezing, my son helped me reinstall the wheel pants and the upper cowl. He stripped the first screw head by using the battery powered screw driver until I set the clutch to slip. The cowl pins were the worst to get reinstalled but we finally managed to after cleaning and lubing them with LPS-1. We finally got the RV all buttoned up and carried all of the tools to the car.

On the way home my son said ?Dad, that was really fun, let me know when you are going to work on the RV again because I want to help?. He also said it was like we were buddies again which sort of put a lump in my throat. Any of you with teen age kids will know what I mean. Now if I can just get him to fly to Sun-N-Fun or Oshkosh with me.

I hope I didn?t bore you to death with my New Year?s Day story. Things really do happen for a reason as it was a good day spending quality time with my teen age son that I have been missing for a while!

The real RV question is ?where does the brake fluid go? It was too cold to evaporate.

n249m.jpg
 
Great story Mike. I rembember spending many days with my Dad and working on his Long EZ at the airport - and grabbing an ice cream or a pizza on the way home. I just had an "RV Day" with my son, who is 6. It scares me to death that very soon he will be 13 and then 20. :eek:

Airplanes do have a way of keeping people connected - young and old. Makes 'em worth every penny, right there!
 
The real RV question is “where does the brake fluid go? It was too cold to evaporate. [IMG said:
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/3513/n249m.jpg[/IMG]

As the brake pads wear down, the piston moves closer to the disc and needs more fluid to take the place of the piston as it pushes out.

Check the brake pads............I would bet that they are down to the rivets......:eek:
 
O-rings

I replaced the O rings in the cylinders a year or so ago. Bought plenty of extra o-rings. Refilling the brake lines was a pathetic maintenance effort on my part.
 
O-Rings

I guess I should replace the o-rings. There was a small wet area on the top of the right pedal cylinders. Did you get the o-rings from Vans or Matco?
 
Brake cylinder O-rings

I got mine from Ace Seal in Santa Clara CA (408-727-0608)

If you verify your master cylinder model, google it and find the o-ring sizes. I may be able to send you a set (four cylinders?) assuming I have enough which I probably do.

I replaced the O-rings in all four. It was relatively easy.

Seems like there were 2-3 different O-rings.

I have 2-006, 2-110 and 2-113.

I also have 2-218 which I think goes in the piston area at the wheel.
 
Good story, Mike. Hang onto that memory ... it might be awhile before he asks to help again. Girls who look like they're 21 are right around the corner for the poor kid. :)

My son used to love to go flying with me (even though he tended to turn green if we weren't flying straight and level). During his teenage years, he stopped going to Oshkosh with me and flying was no longer interesting.

I bought him some lessons before he headed for Afghanistan and he flew enough hours to rekindle the flame somewhat. Having just completed his first combat tour, he's rethinking Marine aviation. The thought of unleashing "hate and discontent" from above instead of from the sand has some appeal now.

Encourage his interest while it's there. Build some buddy time. Someday, when he's grown a bit and has his life in order the two of you will revisit those memories ...
 
Girls Already

Don,

Thanks for the nice words. I tease him already that girls didn't look like they do now when I was his age and he just grins!

Best wishes to your son!



Good story, Mike. Hang onto that memory ... it might be awhile before he asks to help again. Girls who look like they're 21 are right around the corner for the poor kid. :)d of from the sand has some appeal now. ...
 
Leak at the fire wall

Mike,
I couldn't find where my brake fluid went either but eventually found a small leak at the fire wall fittings which ran back down the fire wall and under the floor carpet on the pilot side.
When it got wet enough it showed up about where your heel rests.
 
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