The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I recently replaced the right rudder cable on my airplane. Once the fairlead in the tail cone was out, the cable removed from the pedal, and a wire attached to the aft end of the cable, I had a helper pull the cable forward while I follwed the aft end and removed and replaced each pulley as it went forward. We then pulled the new cable aft and did the same dance with the pulleys. The hardest pulleys to put back in were the forward rudder and aileron pulleys that are together just aft of the rudder pedal. I had my helper turn the yolk to the aileron stop and this helped.

I used the galvanized cable from Mcfarlane and had no trouble with the fit.

Tim

Thanks Tim for the detailed explanation. I am not sure how to deal with the mid-fairlead, but I guess I'll see later today. So, the rudder- and aileron cable are on the same pulley block? Am I looking at the highlighted smaller pulleys in the illustration? So I guess the whole group has to be disassembled...looks...not so easy....

Well, it's done. I never want to do that crap ever again. Who builds these damned planes - oompa-loompas? Pixie fairies? Geez! It's impossible to get a full grown hand in these places. I don't even want to think about reinstalling them. Anyway, ready to get new cables....

Aryana wrote:Just wait until you have to remove the fuel valve! That one is fun...

Oh yes, we've already had our fun discussion about that one....I still haven't regrown all the skin on the back of my hand from that adventure. Know what else I had to do today? When we pulled the wing off I had undone the turnbuckles of the aileron and said I was ready to pull them out. They were pulled out, before I could tie a string to them. Getting them back through the ribs is fun, using safety wire, a coat hanger and a lot of patience. In my next life I will do things differently, I'm sure.

One really cool thing about this rudder cable business, is that I found the original knob for my fresh air vent way back in the fuselage stuck to a glob of this anti-corrosion goo that someone applied way back when. The knob is in perfect condition, probably preserved in the goo for who knows how long, like a prehistoric fossil.... Gotta get a break somewhere, right?

That's a nice find!

When I cleaned out the belly of 81D, I found enough spare nuts and bolts to open a small hardware store

Mine had a bucking bar in the tail, maybe been there since the factory. Luckily, it too was stuck in place with goo.

hilltop170 wrote:Mine had a bucking bar in the tail, maybe been there since the factory. Luckily, it too was stuck in place with goo.

Maybe left there to balance the plane out....? You wouldn't want that flying around in your empenage...

Lucky! I only found a prehistoric mouse fossil. Pretty gross to reach your hand in to start fishing around and pull out an old mouse skeleton. Wish it had been my glove box knob!

New thread idea:
Craziest thing you've ever found in your airplane?