The International Cessna 170 Association

Doing the annual now so everything is open. I have the handles and the directions and A&P/IA buddy will install them. I’m curious to hear from those who have done it what the best way is to avoid damaging cables while crawling down there. We have some ideas but I trust the experts here rather than re invent the wheel.

Thanks

I do two things when working down the tail cone for what ever reason. First I get the tail up in the air so that I am not laying in there with my head down hill. Second I have a plywood board about 3/8s thick about six feet long that lays down over the ribs and I am not laying on the rib flanges. It has to be cut to the right width and is tapered from front to back. I have 3/4 inch thick blocks screwed to the plywood that set against the skin adjacent to the ribs so that the plywood is resting against the skin instead of the ribs. Round the corners of the wood blocks so there is not a hard pressure point on the end of the blocks. It has to be slid in there at an angle and fished between the cables. At 67 other than that I do not go down there anymore my body just can't take it. I get someone else to do it. I have had that ply wood for 30 years or more.
Regards,
Jim

Just finishing my annual and some upgrades including tail pull handles. I just used some 1”x6” boards on the bulkheads and crawled on those. I also highly recommend raising the tail about a foot so the crawl back there is not downhill.

Thank you. I had not realized raising the tail was important. That makes perfect sense. I’m not going down there myself. But, I want to give the mechanic all the help I can. He has worked in the tail of 172’s before.

Thanks again

It’s been years since I crawled into the fuselage...and when I did it, I had a set of old couch-cushions I threw over all the bulkheads/pulleys and laid cardboard over the cushions. Never had a problem with any damage. Yes, getting the fuselage “level” makes things easier.

I just installed the BAS pull handle last annual. I began the project “working downhill” but quickly abandoned that effort and got the tail level with the ground. I needed to rebuild the tailwheel assembly anyway. I just stuffed a bunch of towels down in the tail and found myself favoring one side of the plane in order to avoid the trim cables. I’m 6’4” and 210, so the tail pull handle was my limit. I hired the smallest, skinniest A&P I could find to crawl in back and adjust the elevator stops. I also used the screw option for mounting the pull handle just in case I needed to get back into the tail in the future.

We’re replacing some mis-set rivets in the elevator bellcrank bulkhead on ‘97C, the ‘54 B I share with a partner. At 5’10” and 220 lb I got elected to do the bucking. We put a padded motorcycle jack under the next bulkhead back to support my weight but didn’t jack it level. We put some cardboard in the belly to protect my clothes from the accumulated oil and dirt. I can just reach the bellcrank bulkhead, so the location of pull handles wouldn’t be hard to reach.

I built a stand to set the tail on when working in the fuselage, or working on the tail or tailwheel assembly.

If you look in the inspection hole or bulkhead holes you can see the blue Packing/Moving blankets I always lay inside the fuselage when I crawl back there. Works pretty well.

If you click on the pic, it seems to show up in the right direction.....

What fuselage station did you use for the tail handle W&B adjustment?

rschreiber wrote:What fuselage station did you use for the tail handle W&B adjustment?

For CG calculations it is the number of inches from the front face fo the firewall (the datum).

I just measured my install a few days ago for my weight and balance update.
15’1” from the firewall on my 170A

Doug

Ryan,
According to the instructions the pull handle's "'approximate' mounting location" should be 28" ahead of the bulkhead nearest the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. That bulkhead is at station 205.812.

205.812" - 28" = Station 177.812" ... approximately.

Thanks for the good intel.

I put one of these tail handles on my 140 several years ago, and it's about the best money I've ever spent. I'm upgrading to a 170A later this year and intend to install the handle on it as well. For the 140, you have to decide which side the handle is going to be on. I know with the 180s the pull handle is usable from both sides of the airplane. Is that the same with the 170, or will I have to choose a side? My hangar situation has changed since I installed the handle on my 140, and now it's on the 'wrong side'.

The handle goes on both sides on the 170.