Tail Wheel Strut Piston

Ralph925

Ralph925

New member
For as long as I can remember, my tail wheel strut has coughed up any oil I added to it. I could not see where it was coming from, the packing was not leaking very much. I took it apart for cleaning and to replace the sagging (it was actually broken) spring and was shocked to find the ½” threaded section at the top is cracked and partly separated from the rest of the piston assembly. Sigh, now I have a bigger project.

Can someone remind me why I just had to have an obscure antique…?...
 
Ralph... of course you already know the answer to your question. A Cruisemaster marriage is a classic love-hate relationship. The things you love about this Italian maiden cause you to overlook all of the times when she tests your patience and pocketbook. No worries, we are your support group.
 
Should be plenty of good used ones out there, I saw the other day Mike Redpath had three fuselages, so maybe he has extra parts?? He is on the bellanca facebook page. Hope this helps!
 
Ralph,
I just went through this exact issue with my tailwheel. I have lots of pictures of the current set up.
I ended up having to replace the main tailwheel shaft (the outside tube) due to being too worn around the bushing, replaced the bushing, and had to replace the threaded top of the plunger shaft. The shop threaded the top of the plunger, and then cut a new threaded piece of solid round and threaded it into the top of the plunger, then welded.
My threaded plunger shaft top broke around some seriously crappy welds that were gobbed and without penetration and then grinded down.

Are you on the facebook group?
All of the photos I have are wayy to large for the forum.
-Adam
 
Thanks Adam.
I have just received some 4130 tube in 5/16 and 1” and some 1” bar stock to make a new piston. I should have it done in the next few days.
The prop is out for the AD so I have a few weeks to get this and all of the nags from this summer fixed up.
 
Hi Adam,
I’m not on Facebook, is there a way to email your tail wheel pictures to me?
I guess I could use my wife’s Facebook account to check them out, how would I get to your Facebook account
Thanks
Steve
 
Hi Steve and welcome to the Cruisair & Cruisemaster forum! Please tell us more about yourself and your aircraft... maybe some pictures too.

Not sure if you heard back from Adam yet, however he is generally very responsive, but also a busy guy. I am in your camp when it comes to facebook - I do not intend every in my lifetime to have an account with them... and just as you mention when I feel forced into reviewing information there I use my wife's account. I wish we could get the entire triple-tail crowd to post on this forum instead of the facebook site. This is really a better platform as information in the forum can be organized by topic leading to a much more useful body of data. Oh well, that's just my opinion. We sure hope to hear more from you! --Rob
 
For those that are looking for the Facebook group: simply search "Triple Tail Bellancas" and it will be the first result.
I'm happy to post on the forum, but adding pictures is a huge PITA and the size restrictions make it nearly impossible.

Here's the write-up from the Facebook post:

Tail Wheel, Tailwheel shaft, Tailwheel bushing, tailwheel plunger, tailwheel seals.

A quick write-up with photos for Ralph:
During an annual inspection, play was discovered in the tailwheel assembly forward and aft on the centerline.

The tailwheel assembly was removed to replace what was assumed to be an out of round bushing. After measuring the bushing and tailwheel shaft, it was discovered that the shaft was worn where it rode the bushing, and was actually the source of the slop.
Repairs:
Cut off the old tailwheel shaft and replace with new 4130 tubing.
The tubing used was 1.5" 0.83" thickness 4130. The top of the tubing was threaded for the brass ring, and the bottom was tig-welded to the original yoke.
Then the entire assembly was hard chromed for corrosion resistance.
During re-assembly, the threaded fluid port that holds the plunger shaft to the tailpost twisted off under the force of a new plastic-lined lock nut. The nut didn't even bottom out, the welds around the threaded portion were crap.
The shop took a new piece of 4130 round bar and threaded the outside. They then threaded the top of the plunger to match. The round bar was threaded into the top of the plunger and then tig welded. Then, the inside of the new threaded portion was drilled and threaded for a pipe plug.
A new bushing was made, and grease channel and hole drilled and fitted.

The entire assembly was then re-installed with new o-rings.

Pictures below:
 
I just tried attaching the photos, but all of the files are too large, even after cropping them down.

Here is the link to the facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/556439674483547/

Lots of good photos on various topics. On the left-hand side of the screen you'll see a box that says "search this group". I try to tag most of my posts with relevant names.

-Adam
 
Here are some photos of my tail-wheel assembly just in case you were wondering what is in there.
The broken spring and cracked piston shaft were frustrating to find. Because of my friends here they were not too bad to fix.

To remove:
Remove a bolt from the nutcracker.
Remove the -8 nut from the top of the strut piston shaft.
Pull the strut out the bottom of the tail tube.

To disassemble:
Remove the packing nut from the strut tube.
Pick out the leather V packing, the female adapter is on top, then the rings and then the male adapter (washer).
Remove the wire clip from inside the tube.
Pull the piston shaft out of the tube.
Dump the oil and spring out of the tube.

I made 3 new piston shaft assemblies. I needed one, and once I was tooled up it was easy to run two more. If anyone is in a panic for a piston shaft, let me know. I did not make the brass piston that is soldered onto the bottom of the shaft, mine is ok so I will reuse it.
View attachment 1View attachment 2
 
Looks to me like a 1st class job. I bought the last one from Bellanca years ago when Carroll was running parts. I remember Vic Steelhammer had a Stinson tailwheel on his ship. I miss him on the Forum. Lynn the crate
 
The rods came back from the chrome shop looking good. I have the tail wheel back on the Cruisemaster. Here is another photo of the (I guess) mysterious leather packing going back in the strut tube. I have one more piston rod available if anyone needs one.
 
The so called "mysterious" seals are chevron packings. They can be made of a composition of fabric and rubber...like a fan belt. Some others are made of a synthetic rubber/plastic like material. The design is dated, but still used in hydraulic systems, especially agricultural. I have been supplying these at cost for years.
Dan
 
I received one of Ralph's pistons. A first class job...and the price was right.
The last time I sent out one of these for reconditioning and hard chrome it cost $400, about 15 years ago.
 
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