The International Cessna 170 Association

One of my A&P/IA friends called a couple of days ago about a C-170B he has in the shop for corrosion repairs, beginning with the outboard MLG brackets in the gear box. He asked if I knew the "best way" to gain access for removing & replacing the outboard brackets: from the top (from inside the cabin, drilling off the gear box top plate, etc) ..... or from the bottom (drilling off belly skins, etc). The maintenance manual doesn't provide guidance, I have not done that job and have not observed it being done, so I offered to ask if anyone here has appropriate experience and can offer an answer. Thanks.
Scott

I’d bet that Del Lehmann knows the answer to this one right off the top of his head, and is usually forthcoming with advice when Association members ask.

They do not come out the top without major disassembly or without damaging bulkhead flanges.

Recently ran across SID 32-13-04 which applies to the C-185. I've highlighted Cessna's recommendation for removing the landing gear castings. They call for the removal of "the two longerons forward of the forward main landing gear bulkhead" but make no mention of the tunnel structure which, on the C-170 at least, would prevent one from moving the forward main landing gear bulkhead forward. Does the tunnel on the C-185 not attach to the forward face of that bulkhead?