Junglepilot

Junglepilot

Well Known Member
I just got the tailwheel spring assembly to start my conversion over to the -8.

Yeah!

Question: I was trying to remove the spring tube/bar from the weldment and it is on there tight as Dick's hatband. Is that an interference fit (heated then driven on) or just normally really tight?

Don't wanna start driving it out until I know for sure.
 
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Sandy,

I don't know about the -8's weldment, they may all be the same for all I know, but the weldment for my -9 was tight but not excessively so. Try putting some cutting oil in there and then put a bolt in the stinger end and try twisting it out.

Just a thought.
 
Thanks

My only other TW experience was rebuilding a Cub and two Cessna 185's. The 185's weldment is very similar for the stinger (as Cessna calls it) and is very tight but not interference fit. Had to use a drift to drive those off.

I'll put it in the vice and give it a couple of gentle whacks with a plastic hammer and brass drift.

Thanks
 
Yep, it's tight

I had the same issue last year. Liquid wrench, bronze bar and hammer, finally called Vans. They said to try harder. I clamped the weldment to a table, put a bar through a hole and was right at the limit of what could be done when it twisted a little. I kept working on it a little at a time. I really did not get easy until it came out about an inch. There was no corrosion, it was just tight. Vans did not understand how tight this was. I worked on the spring quite a bit until it was very snug going back together.
 
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Got it

Yeah, it actually had some kind of liquid on it, looked like light oil.

Clamped it in the vice, and gave it not so tender whacks with bigger hammer and drift till it finally worked loose.

Thanks for the info!
 
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