L

Loman

Well Known Member
"Installation could scarcely be easier" says the manual. That put a hex on the job from the beginning.

I am trying to install the main gear legs into the engine mount. I have cleaned out all the powder coat overspray from inside the mounting tubes and the excess powder coat from the contact areas on the gear legs. I am using a little grease on all contact surfaces.

i can get both legs up to a point where the holes are half overlapped but the last 5/32 is a no-go. I am just twisting and pushing with all the grunt I can muster. I really don't want to start beating on this stuff if it can be avoided and in any case, where would you hit it.

What's the trick?
 
I had to remove slightly more powder coat below the lines they have marked. It's definatly not easy but it will go in
 
I buffed the machined mating area on the gear legs just a bit on my Scotchbrite wheel. That made the difference. Also required a bit of lube.
 
I had the same issue. I did the polish, lube efforts.
The problem I believe is the lack of leverage, pushing the leg up into the socket. I solved it with a "3/16 alignment punch". It is about 8" long with a gradual taper. Once you can see the hole in the leg, in the hole in the socket, insert the alignment punch in and lever the leg up into position. In my case, it was easy, then the alignment punch centers both holes and the bolt slides in. I had to use only minimal force.
 
A little logic may help.

1) Both bearing surfaces on the landing gear legs are (supposedly) ground to the same diameter.

2) The top bearing diameter on the gear leg is passing through the bottom bore on the gear trunion. That bore can be assumed to be "good" as can the top diameter of the gear leg.

3) The gear leg is wedging 5/32" from being fully home.

4) Look at the last 5/32 of the top bore in the gear trunion. Can be checked by inserting the gear leg from the top. If it won't go, you know where to focus your attention. If it goes in but tightens up, see #6. Look for "polish marks" where the tight spot resides.

5) Look at the last 5/32 of the bottom diameter on the gear leg. Doubtful any machining problem here, just paint.

6) Look very hard at the area around the drilled hole in the trunion weldment. Mine had a raised ring on the ID from the drilling operation. Had to file it to get a good leg fit.

Good Luck
 
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I got mine really stuck the first time I tried to fit the legs in the weldments. I had to take quite a bit of powder coating off the legs and then hit it with some really fine wet sand paper. Take a fat sharpie and mark the legs all the way around and put it back in. What ever ink gets scratched needs some fine sanding and polishing.

Are the weldments off the fuselage?
 
Make sure you remove the powder coating/slag on the top of the gear weldment. Sometimes it cakes up on the edges.

Also, you can stick a 4-5 feet steel rod into the gear stem and use an upward rotating motion to set the gear. Taking my gear leg off after a 6 years, I needed a 6 foot rod to unseat it for removal.
 
Fits beautifully now

Turns out I needed to remove more powder coat below the bottom bearing surface on the legs. When this was done, they both slipped in smoothly and with very little effort.

When I looked closely, the lower contact area is slightly raised above the metal above and below it by 1/32" or less. I took the powder coat down below the level of this 'ridge'.

Bruce, the engine mount is still off the firewall. This was just a trial fit, which I did to ensure that the legs would go in without any problems when I put them on for good. I don't want to have to do a lot of pushing and shoving while the fuse is perched up on a temporary high stand. The other reason was to establish the overall width of the gear (almost exactly 7ft - I fitted bigger tires) so that I can be sure I have enough room in my tiny shop to fit the wheel spats and leg fairings (I do).

Thanks to all who replied. The first reply came within 10 minutes. When I finish my evening work session, you guys are just beginning your lunch so I can time my questions to be at the top of "Today's Posts" just when you are logging on
 
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