Hydraulic gear on a Cruiseair

Mike, It doesnt take much effort at all at climb out speed. If I remember right it does seem much heavier 0n the jacks. My gear will drop and lock (at least the horn goes out) at 100mph, and then you give it 7 or 8 pumps with no resistance at all, and on the last pump it stops the handle solid. I start my annual in 2 weeks, and I am going to put a pressure gauge in. The previous owner told me that he ran it low on fluid one time ,and it just felt real spongy when he pumped the gear in the down position. He landed with no trouble.____Grant.
 
Mike,
I don't have any particularly hard spot to overcome when pumping up the gear. It takes about 6 full strokes, and the handle gets too hard to move. It is fully up at that time.
Larry
 
Mike & Larry , The person I talked to a few weeks ago that said his gear went to the 900psi on his gauge also said that ,at 900psi the pump would go soft, like the over pressure relief valve was letting it bypass. My pump goes as hard as a rock, so I am very concerned that my relief valve isnt working at all. Mike, where did you find a supply of relief valves?_____Grant.
 
Thanks Larry..and Grant, we took a relief valve that a friend found and increased the spring pressure. It now relieves at 800 lbs on the test stand..We'll see how that works in operation. Ozzies pressure gauge goes to 800 lbs and he says that is what it normally shows, but Oz has a leak somewhere that allows his gear to start down in flight and he has to pump it up from time to time..does anyone else have this problem? I'm sure anxious to get mine in operation, and I'm really glad that I have you guys to bounce these questions off

Mike
 
When I got the plane almost 20 yrs ago, I was told to occasionally pump the gear in flight just to make sure it is up. I do it, but it really doesn't go anywhere after a 3 hr flight...these days that is the LONGEST I want to be up at any one time! BTW, I don't have a pressure gauge! ll
 
Mike,

Do both gear start coming down at the same time, or just one? There is a good chance that there is an internal leak in an actuator cylinder when this happens. If the hydraulic cylinders are like those on the Cruisemaster, besides the o-ring on the piston there is also an o-ring on the actuator shaft. The piston must be removed from the shaft to replace this seal.

Bob 'O-ring' Seals
 
Thats a very interesting site..thanks for sending it...I grew up near the Torrance airport and the southbay area but my flying career (so to speak) was at Hawthorne ... I have heard the Kidwell name for a long time..but it was always just a name to me..My pal Gordon Nauta worked at Bellanca at the Torrance airport and knew all those people concerned.. ...Once when I was landing at TOA the controller made a nice comment about the Cruiseair and how it looked on approach..and I told him that Bellanca used to be at Torrance.. right beneath the location of the present tower..he answered by saying...oh yes ..I remember ..and all the problems we had...adding a chuckle... I have no idea what he meant....Gordon told me that Bellanca pilots always kinda thought they were flying a little fighter plane...maybe that was the reason..
Mike
 
By the way Bob And Larry..I didn't know there was a page two to this thread so I missed your last comments..I finally saw them..thanks for that info......very helpful

Mike :D
 
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