The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Any pointers on replacing the rudder cables. It looks pretty straight forward except those fairleads inside the tailcone. Is it true, the only way to get them apart and slip the cable through, I will need to pull the tail feathers off?
Thanks in advance.
Tim

I took the rudder push rod out and was able get my hand in there. my wrist was sore from the sharp edge but I managed to get both sides that way.

I will try that first, since I will have to remove that push rod if I have to pull the tail feathers off.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks
Tim

May I inquire as to why you want to remove rudder cables ?

As the old saying goes " There is more than one way to skin a skunk " The fairleads are held in by small 'C' clips which prevent them from slipping out of the aluminum brackets which are either riveted to the tail cone skin or fastened with screws or bolts if they have been removed sometime before. If you remove the bracket, slide it with the fairlead toward the rudder, it will be outside and readily worked on. After the new cable is in place, reverse action will put back together.

I need to replace the right cable at least, as it is frayed just forward of the aft pulley.
I was looking at an old thread about the cables and fairleads and saw a picture of these fairleads that were bolted on. I believe mine are riveted on.
I have the cables coming from Mcfarlane, and I hope to get them changed next weekend.
Thanks.
Tim

Roesbery wrote:As the old saying goes " There is more than one way to skin a skunk " the aluminum brackets which are either riveted to the tail cone skin or fastened with screws or bolts if they have been removed sometime before. If you remove the bracket, slide it with the fairlead toward the rudder, it will be outside and readily worked on. After the new cable is in place, reverse action will put back together.

Either way (rivets or nuts and bolts) you will need to get inside the tail cone to remove the C clips or hold the nuts.

If they are bolted on use a 1/4 drive socket on a long extension from the other side. If rivets drill them out and either bolt back on or drive new rivets with a long custom bucking bar from the other side. Beats taking the whole tail off unless there are other needs to address. Fasten the new cable to the old cable and pull it through to the first pulley pull the bolt from the pulley move the cable ends past that pulley, replace the bolt and go to the next one. That way the routing of the cable should not become mixed up.

Don't forget that the rudder cables cross in the aft tail cone, the cable that comes out the right side to the rudder passes under the floor on the left side and vice versa. The project plane that I worked on last summer and fall had the rudder cables running parallel all the way to the rudder when I bought it. Push on the right rudder pedal and the rudder swung left. be a real mind bender to try to fly that way.

Roesbery wrote:Don't forget that the rudder cables cross in the aft tail cone, the cable that comes out the right side to the rudder passes under the floor on the left side and vice versa. The project plane that I worked on last summer and fall had the rudder cables running parallel all the way to the rudder when I bought it. Push on the right rudder pedal and the rudder swung left. be a real mind bender to try to fly that way.

Someone I know, (ahem) was tasked with test flying a Cessna 150 after it had been reassembled after some major reconstruction. Taxiing was a tad difficult for some reason. Did the runup, checked the control movement, lined up, added power for takeoff. Slight drift, corrected with rudder and promptly pulled hard the other direction. After a very brief looksee, discovered that the rudder was hooked up backwards.

You would have to be pretty dense to take off with the rudder hooked up backwards on these Cessna's, in my opinion. (But that opinion is worth what you paid for it. )