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Brake line leak and gear leg fairings

Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2021 8:34 pm
by HeavyLoad
Found a leak in the brake line. Would like to replace with stainless braided lines. Where is good place online to get those made up? Or should I just find a local hydraulic shop?

Also to remove the M5 gear leg fairing looks like you have to drill out the rivets. Are people just riveting those back together when done? or doing something else?

Thanks.

Re: Brake line leak and gear leg fairings

Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2021 9:57 pm
by Mog
You know, the Airframes HD gear comes with new stainless lines!! Just sayin….

Re: Brake line leak and gear leg fairings

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:31 am
by gbarrier
Drill out the rivets and you can go back with #4 screws and nuts. Than you can open up and inspect easily at annual. If you are not going with extended gear the plain old brake line from Maule will last a long time.

Re: Brake line leak and gear leg fairings

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 5:07 am
by andy
I replaced my brake lines with flexible stainless steel brake lines when I changed to the Cleveland double puck brakes in 2008. I got the brakes and brake lines from ABI and Wup recommended the flexible brake lines. At the time I had the stock Maule main gear. Before that I had problems with one of the rigid brake lines busting due to a mechanic's apprentice warping one of my brake rotors. It made me realize how vulnerable the rigid brake lines are not only to ham-fisted mechanic's apprentices but also to damage from weeds, rocks and debris in off-airport landings.

When Maule Flight installed the ABI standard length HD main gear legs in 2010, they drilled out the rivets in the fairings and installed screws and nuts. That makes annual inspection, rotation and lubrication of the upper gear leg attach bolts easier. I debated leaving the fairings off but I think that would expose the attach points to more corrosion, dirt and bugs. It wouldn't add much drag compared to the 31" tundra tires but every little bit of drag reduction means less fuel burn.

Re: Brake line leak and gear leg fairings

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 8:49 am
by Andy Young
How did they warp your brake rotor? Leave out a spacer between the rotor and wheel?

Re: Brake line leak and gear leg fairings

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 2:20 pm
by andy
It was many years ago but as I recall, the lack of a spacer is what warped the rotor. That was before I changed to the dual puck Cleveland brakes. It was impossible to see the problem from the pilot seat since I didn't yet have observer doors and it was the right wheel. Every time the wheel would rotate, the warped rotor would move the brake line back and forth. It only took a couple of rotations to fatigue the line at the fitting and break it. Then the right brake would lose all its fluid and create a big mess. Only when the A&P/IA sat in the copilot seat and watched the wheel turn did it become apparent what was going on.

Re: Brake line leak and gear leg fairings

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 1:14 pm
by HeavyLoad
Thanks for the reply guys.