Difficulty removing noseleg - HELP!!!!!

[justinmg]

This is not specifically a nosegear issue, more of a general engineering problem.

We are trying to remove the old nose leg of the our 9a. The bolt holding it at the top is stuck. The nut at the bottom is now loose and free.

If you are familiar with the mount, you will know that work space is very limited in that area. There is what seems to be the cabin heat airbox just above the nut head making getting a ratchet on impossible. So the only way seems to be getting a 9/16 spanner at the side. The bolt turns about 1/4 turn max, so we know it has not totally seized.

We have tried tapping the whole bolt backward and upward (it is tapered so this should help a lot), but there is a tight frame and difficult angle underneath, so this has not got us far. Prying the head up is also not helping.

How to get this very tight, but partially freed bolt out of the mounting frame / noseleg is turning out to be suprisingly challenging.

I purchased the aircraft -built, so have not had the engineering challenges that you builders have. So any ideas? How about cooling the bolt to shrink it?
I cant believe that taking the hoses and / or engine off is required to do this!

Justin

[plehrke]

Originally Posted by justinmg

...... a 9/16 spanner .....

What is a spanner?

[pierre smith]

Hi Philip,
Spanner= open end/box-end wrench.

Pierre

[N520TX]

... for an open end wrench.

[Steve]

There should be a hole in the firewall (covered with a metal snap-in plug) just aft of the bolt head. The position of the hole will vary from plane to plane. However, you may end up removing the engine and/or the mount from the fuselage to gain better access to the bolt.
Steve

[RV7Guy]

You didn't say if you have the weight off of the gear. I'm guessing you do. If not this could be putting pressure on the bolt.

Hit the area with some light oil and keep trying. At a quarter turn at a time it will take some time.

Good luck and let us know your results.

[frankh]

If the hole in the firewall is not there you may have to take a hole cutter to the inside of the firewall (think Dumpster diving...Or if your in England.."Dustbin diving"..)

Typically the plans have you cut a hole for a 3/4" electrical conduit blanking plug to fit into ...I cut mine for a 1" to give me a bit more room.

Once you have the hole you should have access to tap it out.

Frank..American to English translations a speciality...

[WSBuilder]

Originally Posted by justinmg

The bolt turns about 1/4 turn max, so we know it has not totally seized.

The bolt turns 1/4 turn and then freezes, or you only have room to get a 1/4 turn because of the wrench? I'm not familiar with the set up, but are you familiar with "crow's feet" wrenches and would that not help?

[justinmg]

Thanks,
The nosewheel is off the ground. Perhaps light traction on the noseleg might help.

There is no hole in the firewall, just a lot of scuff marks where they clearly had problems, when the leg was replaced in the past.

Are there plans in the builders manual for such a hole?

We will try a jubilee clip wrapped around the bottom of the bolt and then tightened to force it upwards, tomorrow.

[Mark Burns]

http://www.kanolabs.com/

Spray this stuff on the bolt. Catch bolt when it jumps out.

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ight=aerokroil

Mark