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1. 12:28 AM - Re: Replacement Canopy gas spring (mppalmer@aol.com)
2. 02:58 PM - Solved! Early Glasair II canopy gas spring replacement (mppalmer@aol.com)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Re: Replacement Canopy gas spring |
Hi Darrell:
Thanks for the quick reply. I had learned about Orr & Orr from an earlier post
on gas springs on Matronics. Unfortunately, they don't have anything on their
website that looks like it will work for my application. I looked at what you
recommended, and then I remembered that the gas springs on the original Glasair
I canopies are a lot different than on the II's and III's. But I'll call Orr
& Orr to see if they have a cross reference to my old FAN118.
FWIW, the OEM springs had a force of 50 lbs. I found that 40 to 45 worked well.
The one that failed had been recharged a couple days before and held pressure for
a day or two. But I guess the seal has dried out. If anyone knows a trick for
getting oil back in the strut, I'm willing to try again. (Mouse Milk? 3 in
1?)
In the meantime, I found a slightly shorter, less powerful gas spring at AutoZone
that might get me by for a while. I plan to visit NAPA and O"Reilly first,
to see if they have anything better. If I find something that squeaks by, I'll
post ordering info here.
Mike <><
Mike,=C2-I ordered new gas springs from http://www.orror
r.com,=C2-and I didn't have to do any modifications. The new springs are
thinner, and thus weigh slightly less than the originals, but the length is
the same. I ordered the 15# springs, and although they do hold the canopie
s open, it doesn't take much force at all for the canopy to come down, so I
recommend going with a higher pressure.=C2-Here's what I ordered:
Product Number: H-9518-15
Product Name: Gas Springs with Blade Ends (Steel)
Items Per Package: 1
Package Type:Each
Price: 14.25=C2-=C2-
Quantity:3
Item Total: 42.75=C2-
Hope this helps.Darrell DoerhoffBuilding a Glasair 1RGIn Tompkinsville, Ky.
(KTZV)
Message 2
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| Subject: | Solved! Early Glasair II canopy gas spring replacement |
Go to AutoZone and buy a Might Lift! brand "lift support," part # E95092. It's
just under $20. 1 year warranty.
It is about a quarter inch shorter than the OEM FAN118, which is fine. The ends
are plastic, not metal, but that's okay. They capture the OEM 10mm balls fine.
The pressure on the AutoZone units is set for 38 lbs. When recharging my OEM springs,
I had found, empirically, that 45 lbs is about perfect. (Keeps the canopy
from falling when jostled by the wind or a bump when moving the plane.) More
force than that just pushes the back of the canopy up. I haven't moved the plane
yet with the new gas spring, but the damping seems strong enough that there
isn't any inclination to close when I pulled on the canopy. I'll report later
if not sufficient.
In the meantime, I found that Chuck Raymond's lead in this list-server from a few
years ago of Orr & Orr is still good. They sell the FAN119-055 for $44.45,
not including shipping. (I didn't see the FAN119 on their web page, but he says
they got 'em.) The sales guy told me that the FAN119 was dimensionally the same
as the original FAN-118 except that it's 55 lb, instead of 50. (Stronger than
I like.) Orr & Orr's gas springs are made by Stabilus, and he just got a batch
in March. O & O offers a one year warranty.
Interestingly, O'Reilly Auto Parts sells Stabilus springs and warrants them for
life. But the O'Reilly guy and I looked thru the catalog and couldn't find a
suitable replacement for the Glasair.
Two other leads: I found a gas spring with metal ends made by Industrial Gas Springs,
P/N 66U120280JJ that should fit. (If you go looking for your own solution,
the most important dimension is the compressed length. Too long and the canopy
won't close.) The nice thing about IGS springs is that they custom charge
each spring. So you tell them how much force you want, from 10 to 90 lbs. (I
calculated 200 Newtons for 45 lbs, making the last four digits of the P/N be -0200.)
The downside is that they are the most expensive. I was quoted $71 for
one from a local distributor. So I'm not going to try them unless I have to.
Last, for those with the longer cartridges (Glasair II Stretches/SS and later III's),
you can use the AutoZone spring above, or you can get metal ended units
from H.A. Guden Co, Inc. in Ronkonkoma, NY. (1-800-3-HINGES) A buddy with a GIII
has them and says you want a GGS21-040-I. They're $20 each. The stroke seems
short to me (3.5 inches vs. 4.25 inches), but I saw them work in his GIII.
But maybe his canopies weren't opened as much as they could? (I'm not at the hanger
now, but from my photo and my gut, it looks like I stroke about 5 inches.
Interestingly, unlike installing gas filled shock absorbers in cars, I've never
had a canopy gas spring be too long, to where I had to compress the spring
to attach it to the canopy. So the longer the stroke, the better. (Easier to
get in and out of the plane.)) 40 lb force.
Don't forget to mount the springs with the cartridge up, so that the oil inside
keeps the seals lubricated.
Hope this helps someone in the future.
Mike Palmer <><
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