Tail Wheel Chain Adjustment-need half link

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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Tail Wheel Chain Adjustment-need half link

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

I need some ideas. For some time know my tail wheel chains have been way to tight (they'll be worse in the air). If I ad a link to both sides to keep the wheel lined up the chains are way to loose. Can't just put one link on one side cause the wheel will be out of alignment with the rudder. This is the case no matter if I use eye bolts per the Scott install instructions or the original tabs (which I prefer.)

Anybody have any ideas how to make a half link for the chain?
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GAHorn
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Post by GAHorn »

Install an AN115 cable shackle on each end of the chain where it attaches to the steering arm. (Aircraft Spruce catalog, pg. 131.)
zero.one.victor
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Post by zero.one.victor »

If you're using sash chain like most everyone does,you can lengthen the chain slightly without adding a link by squeezing each link just a little bit flatter. Or,you can go down to the local "Builder's Emporium"-type airmotive store & see if they have different size sash chain available,that will end up a little longer than what you have on the airplane now.

Eric
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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

Thanks George I would never of thought of the shackle. I got 2 of them and thought they'd do the trick. However, although the chain might be a little looser now, I still need more. BUT HOLY SMOKE. :D Having the shackle installed know makes it very easy to remove and install the chain which was a real pain before.

Eric. Your idea of slightly squashing each link is also a neat idea I had not thought of. I'm going to try it along with the AN115 shackle George suggested and I might be in business.
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Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

I just tried squeezing the links of my tail wheel chain to make them longer and it works great. :D
I had to slighty squeeze 10 links on each side and got the extra length I needed to make the chain just right. Now if I could just get the 50 year old Scott 3200 to work like new and I'll be in business. 8)
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zero.one.victor
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Post by zero.one.victor »

George made a good suggestion on another thread about this. Get out the Spruce catalog & study the exploded drawing of the Scott 3200.Then take yours off the airplane,disassemble/clean/grease and reassemble it,then reinstall. Also clean & repack the wheel bearings in the tailwheel itself. Tighten the axle nut & kingpin (?) nut til they bind,then back off a flat & safety.Give the two zerk fittings a good healthy dose of grease,do this on a regular basis. I run about 40 psi in the tailwheel tire.

Eric
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Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

Yes Eric I have done this. In fact I've done it several times and have replaced all of the bearings inside with no improvement. In fact after about the third dissassembly a friend looked at it and said. "That big pin is not supposed to come out"(of the top bracket.) I didn't know any better but confirmed this with Scott. Another friend sleeved the top bracket and press fit the pin back in place nice and square. He pointed out to me how the rest of the machined surfaces had worn unevenly cause the pin had come loose and that the assembly would never turn smoothly but it was 100% better.
As George said in another post. Make sure the assembly is in good shape. It takes a careful trained eye to see this and I did not detect the irregularities until they where pointed out to me.
My tail wheel assembly is shot but I can't bring myself to spend the $600 to replace it because as was posted elsewhere, it only needs to get me to the end of the runway and I'm not running any Indy race with it.:D
BTY as bad as my tailwheel is I'd never trade it for a training wheel in the front.
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GAHorn
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Post by GAHorn »

You may not have to spend the entire amount, to repair your 3200. Individual parts are available. gh
zero.one.victor
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Post by zero.one.victor »

Just be careful,if the tailwheel asembly comes apart out in the big,bad world somewhere it could be a real bummer. Of course,a tailskid was standard equipment in the old days. That'd make it a REAL taildragger!
A guy I know managed to prang his 170 pretty severely while landing it-- the second 170 he managed to bend! (No names,but Max knows who I'm talking about!) I heard he blamed it on a severe tailwheel shimmy,but I suspect that it was really a garden-variety groundloop. He has since become a nosewheel pilot.Probably a good thing.

Eric
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N3243A
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Post by N3243A »

zero.one.victor wrote:Just be careful,if the tailwheel asembly comes apart out in the big,bad world somewhere it could be a real bummer. Of course,a tailskid was standard equipment in the old days. That'd make it a REAL taildragger!
A guy I know managed to prang his 170 pretty severely while landing it-- the second 170 he managed to bend! (No names,but Max knows who I'm talking about!) I heard he blamed it on a severe tailwheel shimmy,but I suspect that it was really a garden-variety groundloop. He has since become a nosewheel pilot.Probably a good thing.

Eric
I have had two incidents where severe tailwheel shimmy amost caused a ground loop. It wasn't just a little shake, the tail was actually whipping back and forth. Both times I was landing on asphalt and both it seems were precipitated by a less than perfect landing, and it happened very quickly and violently. The second time was two years after the first and that was it for me. Upon teardown of the Scott 3200 the kingpost fell out of the top bracket and the fork didn't look real hot either. These poor little tailwheels take a hell of a beating and at some point you just gotta replace them. I can assure you, the $600 for a new tailwheel seems real cheap after a close call.

Bruce
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Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

George, I already thought of just buying the parts I need. To tell the truth the only part that doesn't seem to have wear is the steering arm and one wheel half. :cry:

The top half with the pin is $195 and the fork is about the same as I recall. Throw in a few bearings and a wheel half and I might as well buy a whole new one.
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FlyingJack
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Post by FlyingJack »

A friend of mine rebuilt his Scott 3200. By the time he finished, he had almost as much invested as a new one would have cost, and he still has an old tailwheel. As previously stated, you'll be better off replacing the tailwheel now that the tailwheel and rudder skins, or worse, later.
N170BP
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Post by N170BP »

I just rebuilt my Scott 3200. About $165 in
parts from Tailwheel Tommy (XP mods).

The pin mentioned here was missing in mine
so the detent spring was simply sliding back and
forth in the slot. I'm thinking whomever dis-assembled/
re-assembled the thing last simply forgot to drive
the pin back in....?

In any event, I put on a "heavy duty" Bird Dog control arm
(with the up-turned steering ears), a new axle, a new detent
spring, new pin, new wheel bearings and grease seals.
No matter how you slice it, $165 is still a smaller dent in
the old wallet than $600....

For what it's worth, when I was digging around for parts, I found that Sacramento Skyranch has complete (new) 3200
tailwheel assemblies for $530.

Bela P. Havasreti
'54 C-170B N170BP
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