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 After doing my first taxi testing last weekend, I noticed a trace of oil on the outside nose gear shaft at the top. It was not very much -- just a trace -- a little ring of oil. If I wipe it off and pump the strut up a down by hand, I see another little ring. Since this is the first time the strut is really being exercised, I wonder if this is normal to see a little oil -- could there be some left over from assemble that gets expelled during the first couple of hours of operation or is this the start of a leak?
My strut is about 3 1/2 years old. It is one of the self-centering ones. When I bolted the wheel on a couple of months ago, I looked up inside the shaft and saw no oil there, and I did not see any oil during the building process on the outside of the shaft. How long does it typically take to service a strut? Thanks for the help.

Mike Reinath
N3602M

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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.