Baggage door latch springs, replacement

How to keep the Cessna 170 flying and airworthy.

Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher

Post Reply
User avatar
redacted
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:31 am

Baggage door latch springs, replacement

Post by redacted »

Springs that hold the baggage door latch in the closed position broke. Likely original springs from Cessna. Door operates normal, latches just fine. Looked at the whole setup and I cannot figure out a way to replace those springs without drilling a bunch of rivets and splitting the inner and outter door panels. If that's the case, fine. But if there's a way to get in there and replace the springs I'd like to know. Thanks everyone!
Nathaniel Perlman
1952 170B
N2282D S/N 20434
User avatar
GAHorn
Posts: 20967
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2002 8:45 pm

Re: Baggage door latch springs, replacement

Post by GAHorn »

This is another instance of a customized installation without documentation. Baggage doors were not installed in Cessna 170 aircraft except as “aftermarket” or “custom” modifications. The best were usually accomplished in accordance with STC or other approval.

The actual baggage door might be original to a 172/175/182/185 or other and so variations in the latching mechanisms exist unique to the “donor aircraft”.

Historically the baggage door was created by Cessna for the 175 “Skylark” in order to provide access to the aft-mounted main battery which had been moved from the 172 installation at the firewall to a location behind the baggage compartment bulkhead. (In fact, the baggage door we installed in my B-model came from an original 172 in the ASOD salvage-yard…but the data-plate inside the door structure identifies it as a C-175 item… implicating the original source-design.)

You may have to create an inspection hole on the inside -facing structure to access the area. Removing any upholstery may show an existing “lightening hole” in some doors.

Pics might help.
F56D216E-B7D7-449D-A09B-AA6A15367E75.png
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
User avatar
redacted
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:31 am

Re: Baggage door latch springs, replacement

Post by redacted »

No access hole. No upholstery. I’ll dig some more but might be outta luck. Thanks.
Nathaniel Perlman
1952 170B
N2282D S/N 20434
User avatar
n2582d
Posts: 2808
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 4:58 am

Re: Baggage door latch springs, replacement

Post by n2582d »

Nathaniel,
Cessna used several different styles of latches on baggage doors. Here's what mine looks like:
Screen Shot 2022-09-26 at 8.01.04 PM.png
Screen Shot 2022-09-26 at 8.01.04 PM.png (27.63 KiB) Viewed 1521 times
To get access to replace the mousetrap spring one would have to unrivet the door skin from the inside frame. To avoid all that work one option might be to use tension springs as described here.
Gary
User avatar
redacted
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:31 am

Re: Baggage door latch springs, replacement

Post by redacted »

Thanks for the link I’ll check it out.
Nathaniel Perlman
1952 170B
N2282D S/N 20434
Post Reply