Van's Air Force
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Tail Spring Weldment
- Thread starter Jconard
- Start date
dan
Well Known Member
Relative rotation, PVC trick thing
The solution for most "can't get it apart" or "can't get that sucker in" is usually: BFH
If that doesn't work, get a bigger BFH.
Here's a trick I recently came up with to free up a stubborn tail spring inside the weldment. This assumes the weldment is inside your fuselage, or at least clamped solidly to something.
Take a piece of schedule 40 PVC, I forget what diameter, say around 3/4" OD. Remove the tailwheel fork from the spring, and slide the PVC up into the pivot hole where the fork used to go. Now you can take a long, heavy screwdriver and slide it inside the PVC and just wang on that puppy, rotating the spring relative to the weldment. It will free up.
The PVC protects the inside of the fork pivot cylinder and the soft brass bushings, etc.
Using penetrating lubricant (i.e. WD-40 or LPS-yadda or what not) and/or heat may also help.
The key, though, is getting some relative rotation. You probably have some light rust inside there or something.
)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D
http://www.rvproject.com
The solution for most "can't get it apart" or "can't get that sucker in" is usually: BFH
If that doesn't work, get a bigger BFH.
Here's a trick I recently came up with to free up a stubborn tail spring inside the weldment. This assumes the weldment is inside your fuselage, or at least clamped solidly to something.
Take a piece of schedule 40 PVC, I forget what diameter, say around 3/4" OD. Remove the tailwheel fork from the spring, and slide the PVC up into the pivot hole where the fork used to go. Now you can take a long, heavy screwdriver and slide it inside the PVC and just wang on that puppy, rotating the spring relative to the weldment. It will free up.
The PVC protects the inside of the fork pivot cylinder and the soft brass bushings, etc.
Using penetrating lubricant (i.e. WD-40 or LPS-yadda or what not) and/or heat may also help.
The key, though, is getting some relative rotation. You probably have some light rust inside there or something.
)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D
http://www.rvproject.com
fodrv7
Well Known Member
Penetrene
Before getting out the BFH get hold of some Penetrene. It's a mixture of oils that will penetrate where no others will go. In a yellow container.
Make a putty or plasticine dam around the end and fill it with penetrene and leave for a day or two. You will be surprised how it gets into the seized join and frees it up.
Pete Down Under.
Before getting out the BFH get hold of some Penetrene. It's a mixture of oils that will penetrate where no others will go. In a yellow container.
Make a putty or plasticine dam around the end and fill it with penetrene and leave for a day or two. You will be surprised how it gets into the seized join and frees it up.
Pete Down Under.
N941WR
Legacy Member
They call come that way
The weldment for my -9 was the same. When I called Van's they said it was because they stick out and some people want them to match their plain.
It cost me $40 have my powder coated white at AirBorn Coatings. I did not do the spring at the same time although it would have been included in the $40 because I wasn't sure about the color just yet.
BTW, AirBorn can also ceramic coat parts (headers, intakes, etc.) and does great work on that stuff as well.
The weldment for my -9 was the same. When I called Van's they said it was because they stick out and some people want them to match their plain.
It cost me $40 have my powder coated white at AirBorn Coatings. I did not do the spring at the same time although it would have been included in the $40 because I wasn't sure about the color just yet.
BTW, AirBorn can also ceramic coat parts (headers, intakes, etc.) and does great work on that stuff as well.
springcanyon
Member
Powdercoat tail spring
Hi Jconard,
I had all my tailspring parts and pieces powdercoated. I chose gloss black, hoping to make them less visible. Black is beautiful. I don't think my spring and weldment were mated when they arrived, but when I did put them together I used a lubricant and haven't had any trouble getting them apart.
Don Owens
Hi Jconard,
I had all my tailspring parts and pieces powdercoated. I chose gloss black, hoping to make them less visible. Black is beautiful. I don't think my spring and weldment were mated when they arrived, but when I did put them together I used a lubricant and haven't had any trouble getting them apart.
Don Owens
