The International Cessna 170 Association

Has anyone found a recent source for the Door Latch spring, PN 0411554.

Back in about 1977 I built a jig to wind my own springs out of 20ga./.045"dia music wire which were then tempered in the oven at I think, 450°F for 20 minutes. Those springs are still in the plane today, and still working fine.

Dick,
Did you cold bend and coil the wire or heat it with a torch first?

You can go to the 120/140 assoc. web site and get the plans to build the jigs. At least you could in the past. Then you cold bend the piano wire. Brian

jyaiser wrote:Dick,
Did you cold bend and coil the wire or heat it with a torch first?

You cold bend the wire, it is VERY stiff, then temper it in an oven. DO NOT heat it with a torch.

Thanks for the good information. If a couple of leads do not come thru in the next couple of days, I will start bending my own.
JY N3437C

Check out THIS solution submitted to me by one of our members who should speak up and take credit (these springs are available at any good hardware store): CLICK ON PIC TO ENLARGE

George-
That looks like a much better fix than trying to duplicate the original spring. And the latch will still work even when one fails. The originals are fairly hard to make. A trip to the hardware store is much easier and you might see another tool you just can't live without.

I got a response from the 140 spring maker that he is still making the original type spring for $20.
But I do like George's solution much better. I'am off to Ace Hardware.

Thanks again.

JY

jyaiser wrote:I got a response from the 140 spring maker that he is still making the original type spring for $20.
But I do like George's solution much better. I'am off to Ace Hardware.

Thanks again.

JY

It's not my idea. It 's the ingenuity of one of our members who submitted his solution to me, and I stupidly cannot remember his name. I'd love to be reminded by him so I can give credit.

My spring on the pilot side door broke about 8 years ago. I found a spring at ACE... had to modify it a little and it is still working. Lowe's may have them also.

When I removed my latch for repairs years ago it had the coil springs on it as well, so I guess this technique has been around awhile. I used them on my other door and it does work well but you'll have to experiment with some different spring tensions to get ones that do the trick, so when you go shopping get several different ones to try.

It was me George,

When I took mine apart to fix it, it looked like the best solution. And it's still working! The springs came from ACE hardware, I wish I could remember what the #'s were but it should be pretty easy to figure out.

Joe
4518C

gahorn wrote:

jyaiser wrote:I got a response from the 140 spring maker that he is still making the original type spring for $20.
But I do like George's solution much better. I'am off to Ace Hardware.

Thanks again.

JY

It's not my idea. It 's the ingenuity of one of our members who submitted his solution to me, and I stupidly cannot remember his name. I'd love to be reminded by him so I can give credit.

THANK YOU, JOE! (I'm going to re-name the photos in my folder so I can remember next time!)

Does anyone have a pic of the underside of a door latch assy, as I have an A model, and I am trying to fit the new mousetrap spring 051119 in, which is really item 43 on a B model. My "A" latch had a similar mousetrap spring but was not as wide and was fitted to the actual half moon latch.

I reviewed the MX library and saw the post and a B model latch diagram, but I just cant seem to get the assy correct. It appears the mousetrap spring was moved aft in the B model, and I am not sure if I can even use it, or where the hooks are set to.
I have new item 38 ,0411567-2 springs and those and they appear to be very strong.

Basically I ordered the part 051119 and assumed it was the same mousetrap spring I was looking for, but failed to see it really doesnt exist in my A model IPC.

Confused? So am I.

Rick