BRAKES AND WHEELS PAGE FOUR...


HOW TO REPAIR RUSTY BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS... (JULY 03)
From: Jim Montague <Swift31B@aol.com>
Subject: How to repair Swift master cylinders
I got a call and it was explained to me how rusty Swift master cylinders can be saved. The existing sleeve must be un-silver soldered and removed. The new sleeve is a piece of 4130 steel, 4" long, 7/8" OD 5/8 ID (.060 wall) Two holes, .070 and .030 must be drilled and a snap ring groove cut same as the old sleeve. The new sleeve is silver soldered in, same as the original. For corrosion resistance, the bore can be nickel plated or even gold plated, it only takes a tiny amount of gold. -- Jim

5606 BREAK DOWN... (NOV 03)
Subj: Brakes
From: Kerby Warden <L64Kilo@aol.com>
Jim.
Tom Yoder ( 33TC ) felt his brakes fail to release properly a few days ago. Pulled the calipers, found 5606 thick as honey same as last year. Talked to a local chemist. 5606 will "break down" (he had a more technical name for it) with heat. Apparently the high temps - Ambient, Firewall, & Brake Pad - are too much for it. The runway here at Weiser is 25' wide. 09 - 27 with the prevailing winds from the South. We use brakes for takeoff and rollout most of the year. With the high ambient temp, the extra use of brakes, and flying almost every day ( we usually are rolling by 7:30 AM ), the 5606 just does not last even 12 months. Everyone should drain the calipers at least yearly, more often in conditions similar to the above. I know this all has been said before, so take it as a reminder. Started work on N90388. Need a straight (not bent) firewall. Dorothy had sold the one from 90388, and the one I have is bent (crumpled) on the lower left. Fly Safe & Land Straight! Kerby

STEVE WILSON SAYS KERBY IS RIGHT RE: 5606 IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM... (NOV 4)
From: Steve Wilson <SteveWlson@aol.com>
Subject: Re: November #1 GTS Internet Update
Yep... Kerby is right! I wrote an answer to this GTS Newsletter sometime ago saying how I reverse "flushed" my brake system at each annual. Someone commented that it was a lot of work. Well... Maybe every annual is overkill, so maybe every other year would be OK. What you have is an "open" hydraulic system. There is a static reservoir where fluid is added, and any loss will result in the level dropping. There is very little movement of fluid in the system. Therefore, any deterioration of the fluid can result in problems downstream. Now, the hydraulic system running the flaps and gear on the Swift is a "closed" system, where most of the fluid is circulating around the system each time the pump is activated. There should be little chance of fluid deteriorating in a specific spot in such a system. What I specifically do with the brake system is remove some fluid from the reservoir (maybe 4 oz), then reverse bleed one brake, remove some more fluid, and reverse bleed the other brake. It works for me. Never had a problem with "goo" since starting this about 30 years

LOCKING BRAKES... (NOV 03)
Subj: Brake question.
From: Eric Teder <eric.teder@verizon.net>
Hi Jim,
I have a T-18 (but I like Swifts) with Cleveland brakes and I wonder if I might ask you a question. My left brake seems to lock for no apparent reason. Firstly, my plane doesn't have a parking brake. Sometimes I pull the plane out of the hanger with no problem but when I go to taxi, the left brake is locked. Once I landed and parked. A few hours later I tried to leave but the brake was locked. Sometimes, the farther I taxi the grabbier the brake gets. It seems like the brake locks itself with no pedal pressure. I can unlock the brake by loosening, then retightening, the bleeder nub and then go my merry way with on other problems. I took the brakes and master cylinders (I have one for each rudder pedal) off and had them cleaned and overhauled by my local shop. There was a lot of dirt in the master cylinders and they worked a lot better after they were cleaned. But...they still lock up for no reason (at least that I can see). Any ideas? Thanks, Eric Teder

Eric
I had that same thing happen. I took the brake off the axle but did not take off the pressure hose to the brake. I gently pushed on the brake pedal until the piston popped out of the caliper. I sanded the piston down to make it smooth and clean and also sanded the bore of the caliper, then installed a new "O" ring with lots of Vaseline. Bled the brake and it has worked fine since. -- Jim

ANOTHER CASE OF "BRAKE GOO" (AKA RED JELLO)... (DEC 03)
Subject: RE: Brake Jello
From: "Owen, Larry" <Larry.Owen@Tenethealth.com>
Well, you did it again. I was reading your internet update about Brake Goo, I got the itch and the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that N78287 had not had the brake system flushed in a LONG time. So last weekend I decided to bleed the brakes. The funny thing was, nothing was coming out after I cracked the bleed bolt, nor after I removed them. But something similar to Red Jello did come out after I pumped the brakes with the bolts removed. Sooooooo.... after filling, pumping, filling, pumping, etc, etc, I got some almost-like-Hydraulic fluid coming out. Not quite like what I was putting in, but closer. Next weekend, I will have a full gallon to play with and will get this done right. So if you can not remember when the last time you flushed the brakes,,,, Well, that's been too long. Larry Owen N78287 El Paso, Texas 915-577-6832

BRAKE LINE TUBING... (APRIL 04)
Subj: Brake System Tubing Size
From: Austin Smith <swifter78261@hotmail.com>
Mr. Montague
Simple/easy/quick question here. What is the brake system tubing size that carries all the fluid from the hydraulic reservoir and other such places? My operational handbook for the swift is a photocopied version (I don't believe the whole thing was photocopied) and it does not say the tube sizes. As always, much thanks. Swift Flying, Austin

Austin
All the hyd tubing in the Swift is 1/4". This can be bought in rolls from Aircraft Spruce and other places. Additionally, they do have some original hyd lines ready made at Swift Parts in Athens.

BRAKE/HYDRAULIC LINE...(APRIL 04)
From: swifter78261@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: wheel well lines
Mr. Montigue,
It seems as though i have a never ending supply of questions regarding the uphill battle of restoration for 78261. I have recently embarked upon replacing all the brake/hydaulic system lines. i have finished everything except the installation of the lines in the wheel wells, this is where my question lies... (my apologies if you get lost in the description of my question). i have made duplicated of the old lines running to the gear through the wheel well, and upon installation, found they didnt fit quite so well. My grandfather had taken the originals out years ago, so i never got to see the original installed look of them. The problem lies in the location of the emergency gear retraction pulley that is located on the spar. One line is supposed to be secured to it, but gets the other lines in a mess when i try to put it in its proper place. I looked at the picture of Karl Johansons wheel well on the "past featured internet swifts" page. His wheel well appears not to contain a pulley on the spa; but only on the rib. looking at that same picture, it is the bottom 2 lines that interfere with the pulley on the spar. any word on whether they both go on top? or one below the pulley? any direction given will be much appreciated. Swift Flying, Austin

Austin
Well, when I first answered I did so from memory, after all I just installed those brake lines in 60B's wheel wells a couple of years ago. Afterward, I thought "wait a minute -- that ain't right! Rather than tell you from memory I went over to the airport and looked at 60B. The brake line comes into the wheel well at the inboard rib where it is the top line going thru the angle at the lightening hole. The line goes down the spar and goes ABOVE the emergency pull down pulley on the spar. The line then has a 90 degree bend and it comes straight forward, ABOVE the other emergency pull down cable pulley (you had confused me by calling it a retraction pulley, you can't retract the gear with the emergency cable) Ahead of the gear the line connects to an AN833-4 right angle fitting and there is a section of 1/4" tubing in the closed area ahead of the gear. At the outboard rib of the centersection there is another AN833-4 fitting and then the 39" hose runs thru the lightening hole and down to the brake. I hope that answers your question. The fly-in is next month which will give you a chance to see other airplanes. The lower of the 3 lines goes below the pulley bracket on the spar and to the lower bulkhead fitting on the rib. The middle line goes above the pulley bracket and to the upper bulkhead fitting on the rib. The upper 1/4" line is the brake line. The 3/8" line is a fuel vent line. It still wouldn't hurt to look at another airplane. -- Jim

UGH... MASTER CYLINDER OVERHAUL...(APRIL 04)
Subj: Brakes
From: Terry Straker <TASGuitar@aol.com>
Hi Jim- Hope you are feeling good and ready for spring. I know I am ready! I wanted to ask about resealing the master cylinders. Went to fly last Friday after the LONG winter, and all I could do was turn left- no right brake. I obtained the cups and O-Ring kit from Swift Parts. I have read everything in the web site archives and the very limited advice in the Owners Manual, and was wondering if there is any thing else I should do/know. I will replace all the fluid and look for "goop" as my brake fluid hasn't been changed since the Clevelands went on over a decade ago. I've got a nice foam pad to keep the gear crank from impaling my back during the ritual. Any other tips/tricks? And is petroleum jelly really the right lube thing for the o-rings in the brakes? And do I soak the cups in red fluid for a given time before install? As usual, your wisdom is greatly appreciated. Thank You! Terry Straker

Terry
The master cylinders unbolt individually and maybe you just want to do the one that is inop. Yes, petroleum jelly is the lube to use. It is not necessary to soak the cups, just coat them with Vaseline. Make sure you have a 1/4" ratchet with a fine number of clicks for working in tight places, also a couple of small 3/8" open end and box wrenches. Get the job done before the warm weather, it is plenty warm working under the panel with a drop light. Bleeding works best from the bottom up but you may have to remove the caliper from the axle and turn it upside down to get all the air out. -- Jim

SMALL "O" RINGS...(MAY 04)
Subj: Brakes
From: TASGuitar@aol.com
Hi Jim.
I got the right master cylinder out with no problem. I opened it up and found the cup completely shredded, so I cleaned it all up, then got out my brake kit from Swift. It has 2 cups, 2 large O rings and 4 small O rings. It is obvious were the cup and large O ring go on the piston, but I can't seem to find where the small O rings go. Can't find any diagrams of the cylinders in any of my literature to reference, so was wondering if you can shed some light on the small O rings. I hate to put it all back together and not have everything replaced that is necessary. Thanks, Terry

Terry
I believe the small "O" rings go on the AN fittings at the end of the master cylinder. If you did not remove them don't worry about them. -- Jim


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