Landing gear removal

[Lufthans]

Hi guys,

I'm rebuilding my RV-3B and fitting a turbocharged Subaru engine.

I currently have the engine mount and landing gear off as one unit, have modified the mount to accept the Subaru and would now like to coat it. And even though I could in theory leave the gear legs in place and work around them, I would rather take them out, media blast the modified engine mount and then either spray paint or powder coat it.

How hard is it to remove and later re-install those gear legs? Is it a matter of removing that one retaining bolt and tapping them out, or would it be more involved?

Thanks!

Hans

 

[fixnflyguy]

Yes, there is only one bolt in the gear leg. Carefully knock it out, save it and the gear leg SHOULD slide out. May need some penetrating oil and a tap from the upper end. Hopefully, it was installed with some grease or coating and not frozen. You will see it's a "coke bottle" shape (inside the socket) and not solid diameter. This is on purpose so the gear can actually flex inside the socket.

 

[Lufthans]

Thanks Bill.

Sometimes it's a matter of "Just do it", I guess.

The Insides were lubricated and they slid right out.

Ok, off to the powder coater it is then!

Thanks again,

Hans

 

[Ironflight]

Hey Hans - glad you got the legs out! Before you head off to the powder coater, consider that there is a lrge school of thought that powder coating can hide cracks if/as they form later on, while paint doesn’t. Yes, powder coated steel tube parts look really nice and the finish can last longer - but painted parts can look just as nice, and if you have paint come off and the steel underneath shows signs of rust, the congratulations - you have an engine that doesn’t leak a drop of oil! (I have found that the little oil that comes out of most engines tends to keep motor points naturally corrosion-resistant….. whether you want it or not….)

 

[larrynew]

Ok, off to the powder coater it is then!

Hans, you might consider Cerakote. Specifically the C-Series Air Cure. I used it on wheel pant brackets and a few other places and it has held up extremely well. Very easy to apply even for an amateur like me. Below is from their website. No connection, just a satisfied customer.

• Formulated to withstand temperatures up to 1800°F (See individual product descriptions for specific temperature rating)
• Single component, ready to spray
• Direct to substrate - no primer required
• Over 50 colors available
• Excellent UV Stability
• Great option for large or small parts that cannot be oven cured
• Extremely high chemical resistance
• Uses: Automotive, wheels, exhaust systems, firearms, architectural, lighting, hardware, optics and much more

 

[Lufthans]

Valid points. And yet... I always powder coat my engine mounts white for this very reason. And guess what after 20 years my Jodel showed me last year:

Two conclusions:

1 - the cracking is not something academic that just doesn't happen in real life. In fact, it does

2 - the powder coating doesn't necessarily hide cracks.

Still, N=1. So still valid points....

 

[Lufthans]

Hans, you might consider Cerakote. Specifically the C-Series Air Cure. I used it on wheel pant brackets and a few other places and it has held up extremely well. Very easy to apply even for an amateur like me. Below is from their website. No connection, just a satisfied customer.

• Formulated to withstand temperatures up to 1800°F (See individual product descriptions for specific temperature rating)
• Single component, ready to spray
• Direct to substrate - no primer required
• Over 50 colors available
• Excellent UV Stability
• Great option for large or small parts that cannot be oven cured
• Extremely high chemical resistance
• Uses: Automotive, wheels, exhaust systems, firearms, architectural, lighting, hardware, optics and much more

Interesting stuff. Thanks!