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Date: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:34:48 -0400
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Subject: Lancair IV nose strut
From: Dennis Ramsey <doramsey@gmail.com>
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Just days before my first conditional inspection was due, I noticed my nose
strut was lowered with only about inch to 1.5 inches before bottoming out.
   I dont have any experience with struts and assumed some slow leakage
must have occurred over the year and I reinflated the strut during the
conditional inspection.   Over the next 24 hours the strut lowered again.
 I pressurized again thinking maybe I got a piece of trash in the shrader
valve and it was leaking.  Once again it deflated slowly.   I checked for
external leaks with soapy water on the shrader valve and all the fittings
and have found none.

For background, in the final stages of construction I took my old kits
strut and sent to Lancair and had them overhaul it and install the new
centering device.   That was 6-9 months before first flight.   In the first
year I put 210 hours on the bird with approximately 200 landings.  I
fortunately had no hard landings during that time period.

So I have some sort of failing strut in what I consider a relatively short
period of time.  Is this normal?   Does anyone have a troubleshooting
manual or ideas?  All I can come up with is that perhaps the top o-ring is
leaking nitrogen into the oil side.   The only evidence I can think of for
that is that when charged with 300psi, the strut extends to 2 5/8 inch
exposed shaft.  I seem to recall that I had 3 inches when I pressurized it
during install.   Perhaps further evidence or at least confusion on my part
is that after inflation I get a small amount of some sort of oil out the
shrader valve as I remove the nitrogen connection.  I would not think that
oil should be up there.  Any help would be appreciated.

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Just days before my first conditional inspection was due, I noticed my nose=
 strut was lowered with only about inch to 1.5 inches before bottoming out.=
 =A0=A0 I dont have any experience with struts and assumed some slow leakag=
e must have occurred over the year and I reinflated the strut during the co=
nditional inspection. =A0 Over the next 24 hours the strut lowered again. =
=A0I pressurized again thinking maybe I got a piece of trash in the shrader=
 valve and it was leaking. =A0Once again it deflated slowly. =A0 I checked=
=A0for external leaks with soapy water on the shrader valve and all the fit=
tings and have found none. =A0=A0<div>
<br></div><div>For background, in the final stages of construction I took m=
y old kits strut and sent to Lancair and had them overhaul it and install t=
he new centering device. =A0 That was 6-9 months before first flight. =A0 I=
n the first year I put 210 hours on the bird with approximately 200 landing=
s. =A0I fortunately had no hard landings during that time period. =A0</div>
<div><br></div><div>So I have some sort of failing strut in what I consider=
 a relatively short period of time. =A0Is this normal? =A0 Does anyone have=
 a troubleshooting manual or ideas? =A0All I can come up with is that perha=
ps the top o-ring is leaking nitrogen into the oil side. =A0 The only evide=
nce I can think of for that is that when charged with 300psi, the strut ext=
ends to 2 5/8 inch exposed shaft. =A0I seem to recall that I had 3 inches w=
hen I pressurized it during install. =A0 Perhaps further evidence or at lea=
st confusion on my part is that after inflation I get a small amount of som=
e sort of oil out the shrader valve as I remove the nitrogen connection. =
=A0I would not think that oil should be up there. =A0Any help would be appr=
eciated.<span></span><br>
<br></div>

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