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Today, we’re talking about Piper Arrow landing gear. Specifically, an airplane that landed at SHD recently and the nose gear light did not illuminate. Listen to this episode to find out why the light did not come on, and some troubleshooting tips to think about.
We also cover several other fun things right in the beginning of the show. Here they are:
- Speed brakes on a Piper Matrix. Be sure to go back to episode 052 and watch the startling video of how quickly these speed brakes can collapse if they lose electrical power! http://airplaneownermaintenance.com/052 (The video is only 8 seconds long, but it’s really fun to watch… I watched it twice just the other day!)
- What I learned about a lightning diverter on that Piper Matrix.
- Some interesting information from an A&P student named Sawyer.
- A non-aviation friend of mine who listens to the podcast. Thank you Frank Lipski! Here’s Frank’s website:
- An interesting thing about the Piper Matrix landing gear.
Then, we talk about that Piper Arrow and why the nose gear down light did not illuminate.
And here’s the question of the day: Do you know what the pressure switch does in the Piper Arrow landing gear system? I’ve noticed there can be some confusion about this, and hopefully we are helping to clear up some confusion in today’s episode.
One final thing: If you have not checked out the Safety Wire Like A Pro! video tutorial course, be sure to check it out. There are 15 videos to help make you a safety wiring expert. Click Here to read all about it and decide if it’s something you should do.
Have a great week everyone!
Just found your podcast. I’ve owned my 1975 Piper Arrow for 23 years, and I somehow stumbled across your podcast this morning. I love the idea of this podcast. I try to be an informed owner when having maintenance work done – I stay plugged in with my A&P as much as possible. Okay, now to the comments:
1. I’m very surprised you didn’t know the torque value for the suction screen crush washer. I’m not an A&P, but I’ve changed my oil a time or two, and I always check and clean the suction screen. I looked up the torque value many years ago (the first time I did it). Good and snug just isn’t good enough. By the way, the plug on my Arrow has a 5/8 hex head and 1.0-20 threads, which requires the 135° rotation after contact (3/8 turn).
2. I’m downright concerned that you actually would think that the “16” in “AN900-16″ would have something to do with the thread pitch. Seriously? Maybe this was some ultra-ultra tongue-in-cheek humor? The dash number on the AN900 is how many 16ths of an inch in diameter (ID). The AN900-16 is a 1” ID crush washer.
3. On a whim, I looked up the oil screen plug for the Matrix engine (TIO-540-AE2A), and it’s the same plug as my Arrow. Different screen, but same plug. So, Fred “thought” it was 16 TPI, but it’s 20. Lucky that the torque value is the same in this case. Why not just look it up in the parts manual if there is any question at all?
Paul, thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it.
Dean