Saratoga Gear Retract Problem

I think that raising and lowering a rubber hose to blindly
service/verify the proper level in a power pack reservoir is really
goofy. Not sure if that's how yours works or not, but on the newer
models the hose was clipped to the side of the nose.

Goofy. Ditto. Raise it, fill it, lower it, check it, raise it, add some
more, lower it. Clip it back in place. Goofy.


In the past, whenever I serviced an Aztruck pack, it would typically
vent some on it's first or second (or third) flight, but it never
appeared to be very much.

The puddle seemed to be about two tablespoons full I would guess. Created a
stain about 6" dia.

I guess I would keep an eye on it to make sure that it isn't still
venting, or if it does drip a little more, make sure that it stops
after it decides it's at the proper level.

Present course of action. Plane's leaving for a 4 day trip this weekend.
It's topped off now and we'll see what it looks like when it comes back.

Thanks as always.

Jim

On Tue, 29 Nov 2005 13:16:25 -0600, "Jim Burns"
wrote:

Goofy. Ditto. Raise it, fill it, lower it, check it, raise it, add some
more, lower it. Clip it back in place. Goofy.

The only one I've come across that is goofier was the old Navajos. The
powerpack fill pipe was hooked to the side of the brake reservoir. You
over-filled the brake reservoir until it ran into the power pack.

Another goofy thing about this system (which carried through on the
newer models) was the screw-down Thermos-type combination
stopper/dipstick. Was mounted under a little flapper door on the top
of the nose.

The "rubber" on the stopper was semi-incompatible with 5606, and
usually leaked. Depending on the amount of precipitation present,
water would run under the door, around the stopper and into the
reservoir.

This wasn't typically a problem until winter, when the globs of water
would freeze in the lines, either rendering some/all of the brake
system inop, or trapping pressure in the lines-locking some/all of the
brakes. Had most of the line guys trained to crack the bleeders and
shove the !@$% thing into the hangar to thaw out when it happened when
I wasn't around.

In the past, whenever I serviced an Aztruck pack, it would typically
vent some on it's first or second (or third) flight, but it never
appeared to be very much.

The puddle seemed to be about two tablespoons full I would guess. Created a
stain about 6" dia.

Sounds familiar.

I guess I would keep an eye on it to make sure that it isn't still
venting, or if it does drip a little more, make sure that it stops
after it decides it's at the proper level.

Present course of action. Plane's leaving for a 4 day trip this weekend.
It's topped off now and we'll see what it looks like when it comes back.

Good deal.

Thanks as always.

My pleasure.

TC