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Grove gear no primer!

RidiculousM

Well Known Member
:eek: I spaced on this one, ouch. I installed my Grove gear without primer and on Groves website they recommend primer, anodize, alodine. So the question is are there others that have opted not to prime etc. And if so are you having any corrosion issues? I had my gear in my garage for a long time before I put mine on and don't see any yet. Short of taking the gear off to primer I'm thinking maybe Alodine in place? Any ideas would be super helpful.

Thanks in advance

Mike
 
Local 8 owner polished his airfoil gear.
I got a set of the airfoil gear and they showed up on a hot August day. I pulled one leg from the crate and looked it over then pu it back in the crate. A week later I opened the crate to show them to a friend and the one I removed with sweaty hands had perfect imprints of my fingerprints and palm prints. I took them home where I removed the corrosion with etch and a scotchbrite and then alodined them. No issues since.
Etch and alodine while installed would be less than ideal but possible. If you don't have any of the rest of the gear installed (axles, brakes etc) it would be easier and probably better.
Priming with a good primer would also be simpler with no other equipment hung from the legs.
Whatever you do, protect the brake fluid passage from whatever treatment you decide on. Probably not a good idea to get etch, water, alodine, primer whatever up in the there.
For etch/alodine on large and odd shaped parts I cannot dunk I use regular old spray bottles to etch and alodine. Normal health, safety and hazmat warnings apply.
I will take a scothbrite pad with soap and water and clean/scuff the part. Rinse. Using a spray bottle filled with etch I will spray the part and scotchbrite again. Let it stand for a minute or so but never let it dry out. Rinse, spray on alodine. Let it sit for a minute or so but never let it dry out either. Rinse. Done.
 
Take 'em back off and add corrosion protection. Can't do it in place. The highly stressed part of the leg, where it most needs protection, is the end bolted to the fuselage.
 
I would polish them up and call it good. My hangar mate got one of the first sets of Grove RV-8 airfoil gear and polished them. It was a 11 year build and has been flying for 7 years. They look awesome. I will post a picture when able.

Jim
 
I know what they look like polished ;)

Polishing won't help at the attach end, or the wheel end either.
 
Sam, Dan and others Thanks for the replies! I was really trying to convince myself of the Alodine thing, but Dan is right so off they come to get epoxy primed.

Mike
 
ACF-50 or equivalent?

Wouldn't ACF-50 or an equivalent be ok? I was worried that whatever paint I used would cause the gear attach hardware to come loose.
 
The primer will certainly wear away under the clamps, but the re-torque at the first annual covers it. A little light grease under the clamp protects the contact surfaces. I suggest an epoxy primer on all portions of the leg normally hidden from view to prevent surface pitting from environmental factors. They're crack starters. ACF 50 may be just as effective, if maintained, but epoxy primer is pretty much forever.
 
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