Fournier Forums | Thread - Lubricating your undercarriage / main landing gear

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Bob Grimstead
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
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Posts: 2040

Posted Tuesday, November 18, 2008 @ 10:04 PM

Hi Guys,

We got a bit off topic when Donald said this in Dismantling a Fournier, so I've started a new thread....

Quote:

"I'm going to speak about my RF3 but since I'm pretty sure the RF4 main gear is the same it should apply to that too.
If you have your main gear off the wing and disassembled, cleaned it and marvelled at the ingenuity of the thing be careful what you lubricate with what. The gear trunnion turns in nylon bushes and nylon should not be lubed with mineral oil or a grease containing mineral oil as nylon will expand and the bushes become tight. Get a lubricant suitable for nylon."

Now, that's really interesting.

I have lubricated both HDO's and WGN's trunnions with oil as per the Maintenance Manual ('hier oel geschmiren' or some such) without apparent problems.

I took some photos when the whole lot was out of WGN's airframe, and the bush appears to be of a golden metal (bronze?) in this particular RF4.

Can anybody confirm this?

Yours, Bob

Markku
Master Sergeant

Gender: Male
Location: Kouvola, Finland, EFWB
Registered: Oct 2006
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Posts: 167

Posted Wednesday, November 19, 2008 @ 03:31 AM

I owerhauled my undercarriage (sn.4144) last spring, and those bushings were Nylon. I used oil base grease and noticed tha t it was tight when installing, what lubricant is recommended in this case

Donald
Command Sergeant Major

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Location: Scotland
Registered: Jan 2007
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Posts: 489

Posted Wednesday, November 19, 2008 @ 08:52 AM

Mine are nylon so ask me how I know about this, but I did say at the start that I was speaking about the RF3. And yeah, I've had to have new ones made because the retraction had got tight.
I cannot remember the name of the lubricant I used but I bought it from a car parts shop and it was specifically for lubricating plastics and rubbers. I can check at the weekend for the name.

Collin
General

Gender: Male
Location: McMinnville. Oregon
Registered: Oct 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 711

Posted Wednesday, November 19, 2008 @ 03:32 PM

Hello,

The winter weather sucks in Oregon!

My RF4 #4065 had nylon bushings. They were very stiff in hot weather. Last winter I rebuilt the landing gear making bushings from oil impregnated bronze and I also install a set Eugenio's bungees.

Bob Grimstead
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 2040

Posted Sunday, April 19, 2009 @ 11:57 PM

Hi Guys,

This is all so interesing.

I think you are mostly right, that Gap produced RF3s and Sportavia RF4Ds have nylon trunnion bushes, but would you believe that an early RF4 of Matthew's in my garage (F-BMKC) definitely has metal bushes -- they look like phosphor/bronze.

Maybe one day we will swap them for the stiff nylon bushes on G-AWGN.

Of course, despite their lubrication disadvantages, the nylon ones would be lighter -- always a good thing.

Yours, Bob

eugenio
First Sergeant

Gender: Male
Location: Str. Val S. Martino inferiore 133/7 I - 10131 Torino ITALY
Registered: Oct 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 294

Posted Monday, April 20, 2009 @ 10:29 AM

Teflon bushings should be better. Teflon is self lubricating and less temperature sensitive.

ciao

Eugenio

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