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Tailwheel maintenance

Carl Froehlich

Well Known Member
Just rolled 100 hours on the new RV-8, and the last landing was with the tailwheel free castering. The locking pin got stuck in.

I took it apart, cleaned it up and greased. Reassembled and it works. Looking at the print the note is to “Periodically flush and lubricate bushing as required with WD-40 or equivalent”. WD-40 seems a little thin for this application - but perhaps using grease is my root problem.

What do others do?
Carl
 
Grease seems to work OK for me in warm temps but just had mine go "free castering" and changed the lube to WD40 only.

Steve
 
Overlooked

I'm going to do a Youtube video on tailwheel maintenance soon.

The tailwheel is the most overlooked component on our planes yet takes one of the greatest beatings of anything. I highly recommend servicing every oil change. This should mean every 25 hours.

You've got to let the oil drain so why not take 15 minutes and disassemble the tailwheel, clean, check for nicks and burrs, re grease and reassemble?? Doing this will insure no surprises.

Although I market the JD Air Parts products, this applies to EVERY tailwheel.
 
tail wheel lubricant

I use a very thin coating of synthetic Redline CV2.

Pretty sure that any good grease would work, but strongly feel that TOO MUCH grease and lack of periodic maintenance greatly increases chances of malfunction. It's happened to me and now I service at every oil change.
 
I have gone to a light oil for the pin in the winter and a light grease for the main shaft. Make sure you check the pin for nicks and burrs. The pin tends to get "rolled edges" with use and this can cause it to stick in the slot even if lubed well. Just take a file and take off the burr. You can also turn the pin over so that it can wear on the other side. I have 600 hrs on mine now. I went with the Flyboys deluxe wheel with sealed bearings a few years ago. Still as smooth as when I put it on. Mine came with a little "hub cap" that looks nice but not sure it is still available.
Keith
 
The nose of the pin wears, too. The pin originally has a squared off profile that they refer to as "bull nosed". It becomes rounded with use and will caster at the most inopertune time. It is probably not a bad idea to replace it at annual. The pin and spring are available from Flyboys cheap.
 
Interesting! The photo of the square pin is a good illustration of what the pin looks like when it is worn out.
 
I have more than 850 hours on my -8 tailwheel assembly. I clean and grease the assembly about every 6 months (or 25-30 hours typically) using generic auto grease. Works fine. Don't use too much grease especially in the spring/pin assembly.

I think a key item is to inspect the pin and make sure it fits snugly into the cutout in the arm assembly so it does not let go too soon and free-caster. I use a Scotchbrite (red) pad or fine sandpaper to help keep the burrs off the pin. While the tail is elevated you can check the breakaway strength of the unit by rotating the the tailwheel by hand in both directions before putting the aircraft back in service.

I think I've only replaced the pin once in 850 hours but they are not expensive so keep a spare and replace if having issues.

Chris
 
Clearly this is something that has various solutions that work. Personally I've tried lots of different greases and oils and eventually settled on just squirting some LPS-2 in there every couple of months or when it starts to get stiff. Easy and seems to keep it loose as long as anything. I do still take it apart and clean it every annual. 1500+ hrs and still all original parts including the pin and spring (but not the wheel itself of course! I've worn out several of those).
 
I think this is more about how often you do the maintenance than which is the right grease. When I was learning about my plane and learning the ins and outs of tailwheel flying, I was told that little pin and spring can make or break your day. So I took it seriously and service it at every oil change similar to Dan's article. It literally takes 10 to maybe 15 minutes. Also, every annual I replace the spring and pin regardless of it needs it or not. Cheap insurance.
 
I pushed my plane into the hangar before getting a Bogie bar and early in Phase I discovered the tailwheel was not latching at all.

The best reference is the FlyBoys link earlier, and I read it to understand how the thing works. A little polishing, filing to adjust where the pin rests in the latched position and 200 landings later it is still just fine. My stock-as-recieved assembly was rough, and the hand work was all that was needed. Just some tweaking really.

On a side note, except for taxi in cross winds the full castering wheel seemed quite comfortable in TO/landing. I did about 5 flights this way as it was not a major issue. It could roll straight while the rudder was at an angle so almost less tricky.
 
lift the tail

What's the conventional wisdom on the best way to lift the tail to work on the tailwheel? I have a nice wooden tailwheel lift à la Sam B., but it relies on the wheel itself to lift it. Thought there might be a clever trick floating around out there.
 
I grab the stinger and lift the tail up and rest the stinger on a couple of stacked milk crates that has some padding on top.
 
What's the conventional wisdom on the best way to lift the tail to work on the tailwheel? I have a nice wooden tailwheel lift à la Sam B., but it relies on the wheel itself to lift it. Thought there might be a clever trick floating around out there.

Glad the tailwheel hoist works well for you. :)

I prop up the tailwheel stinger with a stand made with 2x4'x and a 4x4 after hoisting then move the hoist out of the way.
 
What's the conventional wisdom on the best way to lift the tail to work on the tailwheel? I have a nice wooden tailwheel lift à la Sam B., but it relies on the wheel itself to lift it. Thought there might be a clever trick floating around out there.

Once I’ve lifted it with the Tailmate, I use a stool with a pillow on top under the aft fuselage to support it, pull the lift out of the way and service the tailwheel. Takes an extra minute, but works great and is much more stable.
 
Thanks all for the great feedback. I’ll incorporate into my maintenance cycle.

As a tip, go to your local trailer dealership and grab a few of the big styrofoam blocks they use to ship the trailers. Most dealers will be happy to give them away as they quickly fill up their dumpsters. They are amazingly sturdy - able to support a few hundred pounds. I have a dozen or so of these in the hangar, one under the aft tail cone is perfect for working the tail wheel. A couple taped together and I have a good platform to do engine work, or make it easier to get in and out of the plane. Two sets of three taped together with a piece of plywood on top and you have a quick table.

Carl
 
Fantastic

Thanks all for the great feedback. I’ll incorporate into my maintenance cycle.

As a tip, go to your local trailer dealership and grab a few of the big styrofoam blocks they use to ship the trailers. Most dealers will be happy to give them away as they quickly fill up their dumpsters. They are amazingly sturdy - able to support a few hundred pounds. I have a dozen or so of these in the hangar, one under the aft tail cone is perfect for working the tail wheel. A couple taped together and I have a good platform to do engine work, or make it easier to get in and out of the plane. Two sets of three taped together with a piece of plywood on top and you have a quick table.

Carl

Fantastic idea Carl.
 
Great ideas

Fantastic idea Carl.
Indeed some great ideas here - thanks gents!

After plowing through the muddy grass to get back into my hangar today, I think my tailwheel will need a little bit of TLC.
 
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