Esco Self-centering Alignment

[Ronin]

Hi.

First post here. I’m hoping to tap into this incredible Lancair knowledge base.

I bought a IV-P that was involved in an unplanned runway excursion (URE) on landing and am in the process of rebuilding it. The nose gear collapsed and it has all the expected damage. The builder, who I the plane from, had the Esco nose strut rebuilt (not by Reise).

The issue I have is that the internal self-centering mechanism has the nose wheel pointing starboard at about a 30 degree angle. I let the nitrogen out and can hand turn it about 40 degrees in either direction, but the clear center position is not straight forward.

I asked my hangar neighbor (who is an A/I in the business of repairing/maintaining experimental aircraft and has built a number of Lancairs). He called Riese and was told the strut internals could be rotated by removing the 3 hex heads bolts at the bottom of the external housing and then turning the internals to the correct alignment. Then reinsert the 3 bolts.

That’s where I am having an issue. I took out the 3 bolts but cannot rotate the internals in either direction. I am thinking there may be some alignment slots inside so I need to pull out the internals and reinsert rather than just rotate in place. I am hesitant to pull that unit out. I can imagine springs, washers, seals and a dozen other parts all raining down on the hangar floor.

Can anyone provide some insight on how to get my strut aligned?

Thanks in advance for any and all recommendations and guidance.

[Ryan Riley]

Hi Ronin and welcome to the forum! Bob Pastusek has a great strut article on our website (www.lancairowners.com). There is a test to run and if it fails, it is time for a strut rebuild. Without it properly centering, it sounds like it is time for a rebuild.

Are you trying to rebuild it on-field or repair it?

[Robert Pastusek]

Ronin
The Risse folks are correct...it's possible to assemble the strut with the centering mechanism incorrectly aligned with the direction of travel.
I have a dis-assembled ESCO strut that I can use to show you the internals and how to re-assemble it correctly
BE SURE YOU DON'T DISSEMBLE IT BEFORE RELEASING THE NITROGEN CHARGE... Very dangerous...
Give me a call at your convenience and I'll talk you through it... If you have FaceTime, so much the better.
Bob Pastusek
LOBO Secretary
757-286-4802
Pecan Plantation, TX

[Ronin]

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the response. I have read the ariticle by Bob several times and I agree, it is great. But there is no mention about how to center the nose wheel. As I mentioned, the strut is rebuilt. I am pretty sure it does not need to be re-rebuilt. It just needs to be adjusted.

Hi Bob,

I would really appreciate a chance to speak with you. Of course we can to Facetime. Are you available to talk today? Or, if not, sometime on Monday or Tuesday? I have the strut removed and it is on my workbench at home. It is not charged with nitrogen, but I have not drained the strut oil yet.

Let me know a time that works for you.

Cheers.

[Ryan Riley]

Ronin, please let us know what you find out after you talk to Bob and fix the problem. Good info to learn from. I have the original ESCO strut on my ES and it still passes the centering test, but once it fails I’ll have to figure out a best way forward.

[Ronin]

Hi Ryan,

Bob and I did a FaceTime call yesterday. We took my strut apart to make sure it was assembled correctly. It was.

The issue seems to be the bottom flange. That piece has a male threaded portion that screws into the strut shaft. Bob’s version has a pin that holds the flange in place. My strut does not have that pin.

Our speculation is that sometime, just prior to the accident flight, the nose wheel hit a pothole, rock or some other object that caused the flange to rotate. Surprising that the plane flew for 39 years and that had never occurred previously.

Bob told me that the shaft is quite difficult to drill. It is pretty dense metal. So, off to Risse Racing for a fix.

[Ryan Riley]

Ronin, awesome. I’ll be doing what you’re doing when it comes time to service the ESCO. I’d prefer an upgrade just for the peace of mind.