Installing Rudder return spring

[MoonlightVFR]

I really appreciate the clear pictures.

Efforts to illuminate the subject with adequate lighting really pay off.

look at the IPC then a real photograph then the learning process begins.

studying operation of C170 components is a must for owner.



What about rudder return spring that becomes detached repeatly?

[sfarringer]

What about rudder return spring that becomes detached repeatly?

If the spring still has tension on it when the rudder hits the stop, it is not likely to be able to detach.
When I first bought my 170, I had a spring come off twice. I found that the rudder cable lengths were not adjusted correctly, and allowed the springs to go slack. It also caused the brake to apply at full rudder deflection. I do not remember the required dimension from firewall to rudder pedal (which I believe was in the Owners Manual), but adjusting to meet the requirement fixed both issues for me......

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

The rudder pedals should be adjusted by tightening the cables so the rudder pedal T bar center is 6" from the firewall. See this thread: http://www.cessna170.org/forums/viewtop ... 530#p68368

If it is not adjusted far enough from the firewall I found my brakes were being activated with full rudder travel and my new return springs would fall off. On my aircraft I've actually adjusted just a bit farther than 6" to completely eliminate brake activation with full pedal travel.

[blueldr]

As I recall, my rudder return springs were attached to the back side of the firewall on my '52 B model. I found that disconnecting the rudder cables at the rudder horn and tying them to a piece of safety wire and allowing the pedals to move full forward made it easy to attach the springs. Then pulling the cables back to the rudder horn and reconnecting the cables thereto.

[DaveF]

Done in an hour. BL's advice to disconnect the cables was very helpful.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Dave, could you have done it in an hour had you not read this thread?

[blueldr]

DaveF,

Thanks.

[DaveF]

Dave, could you have done it in an hour had you not read this thread?

Definitely not. It would have taken an hour just to puzzle through the parts and service manuals to figure out why my rudder pedals were loose and oddly offset. Then another hour to think about the proper orientation of the springs and wonder about how they were installed in the first place, etc. So, yes, I took all the previous information for granted and thanked BL for his suggestion.

Thanks to this thread I knew the right way to replace the springs is to remove the firewall first.

First I disconnected the rudder cables. I removed the broken RH spring and started the new one by reaching through the hole in the fuselage, then used a hole in the tunnel to hook the aft end of the spring to the lever. I R&R-ed the LH spring through the access hole under the fuselage. There was enough slack that I could get the springs into place by hand, so I didn't need tools to grab and stretch them. It helps to have skinny arms. It also helps to know that there aren't any hidden subtleties in the job; that you start the forward hook the only way it can go on, and that determines the aft hook direction.

Interestingly, the springs I bought weren't the same as the springs I removed. The hooks on the new LH spring both face the same direction, but the spring that came out had hooks facing opposite directions. I re-posted Gary's picture of the LH spring below. Note that the hooks face in opposite directions. My new spring is shown in the next picture. The new one is on top, and has hooks that face the same way. The spring I removed is on the bottom, and has hooks like Gary's.

This thread is a perfect example of the value of a type club. My mechanic loves having a type-literate customer.

These hooks face in opposite directions

New LH spring and removed spring.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Thanks to this thread I knew the right way to replace the springs is to remove the firewall first.

I was wondering how you got your firewall off and back on in an hour. You'll have to do a writeup on that for us.

[DaveF]

That's even funnier that it seems. I'm the slowest mechanic there ever was.

[KG]

I'm far away from my parts catalog and am in need of a rudder return spring. Can somebody help me out with a part number? My problem is on the right side if that makes any difference.

I will be at a parts supplier in an hour or so and they may be able to look it up for me but it would be helpful if I could walk in with a number.

Thanks .... Keith

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

From B model IPC

0310196-3 Spring - Brake and rudder return right
0310196-4 Spring - Brake and rudder return left

[KG]

Thanks Bruce! That helps a lot. Happy Flying, Keith

[Alaskan47]

The special tool is a strong string to pull the spring back thru the access hole in the tunnel while your buddy hooks it in place from underneath. Very quick and easy.

[correamoon]

The other day while flying I can notice that I always needed to hold pressure on the left rudder, found this weird and after landing I can see the rudder pedals and rudder not aligned...after a search and read the parts manual I realised one of the rudder springs was disconnected, luckily was not broken and still there..

Well I read this post and a couple of other posts and with my best mood and patience started to try to reconnect the spring, my friend John was pushing the pedal on my request and I was unsucsesfully trying to connect the spring, I was able to connect it on one side or the other but not both, in one moment I dropped the spring and while trying to recover it my friend John suggested to remove one of the inspection doors on the belly to recover the spring....well I did that and when there I realised that I could connect the spring from there! Only took a minute!

So if you need to connect this spring go below the fuselage remove the inspection door, ask a friend to push the pedal and connect the spring!