Read the article in EAA Sport Aviation regarding control cables. Kinda scary Anyone regularly remove all the control cables to inspect them? I doubt it. I have to wonder how many of the cables get really inspected at most annuals. Certainly some areas of the cables can easily be seen & inspected, but those in the door posts and in other areas, in a lot of cases, probably never get a good, close inspection. The author of that article suggested replacing all the cables every 10 years based upon what he had been told. I'll venture a guess that there are a lot of planes out there flying with the original 50+ yr old cables. Unfortunately I most likely own one I would also imagine that replacing all the cables, setting proper tensions, etc. would be a bear of a job & expensive. How about some of you that have done so advising about some of this?
Certainly there are problem areas in the 170. I'm sure someone will mention the tail and there are similar problems due to access that where the initial damage is not picked up right away. I think that the flap cables (also pulleys for same) where they exit the fuselage is another bad spot that deserves attention.l
At the first of the year a complete cable set was about $1600 from Mcfarlane plus removing the old and install in the new. It would be tricky to change the rudder cables w/o pulling the tail apart. But then you can check every thing over really well and stand a good chance of finding cracks covered over by the horizontal, maybe even in the horizontal. Also the rudder cables will need to be pulled out the front and feed back in from the front unless you are willing to relieve the gear bulkheads to get the terminal thru.
Also with Mcfarlane I had to convert to the flap turnbuckles in the door post instead of under the floor behind the fuel selector/tunnel.
Of course when you pull the old cables out you find that about 1/2 to 3/4 of your pulleys are badly worn AND froze solid. Boy that elevator pivot bearing is loose/frozen solid, might as well replace it. What do you mean they are over $50 each and the systems have how many? What contorsionist installed that belcrank in the first place?
Not saying leave a sleeping dog lie, this is one that needs booted awake, but this is one of those jobs that can take a long time and uncover lots more work.
When I bought my plane many of my friends thought I was crazy to spend $43K for a 170B and many of them told me so. This is one of the jobs that had been done first-rate (all cables and all pulleys new) that caused me to think it was a bargain. (New engine, mount, all accys, exhaust, radios, instruments, complete wiring harness, glass, uphostery, all hoses, all tubing, new wheels/brakes, etc etc. I still consider it a bargain and was very lucky to find it. You pay for what you get sometimes.)
Meanwhile...you're correct! These cables, pulleys, bearings and CONTROL SURFACE bearings (rudder, etc.) are also important to replace due to age/condition.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention. An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
I have just completed a total replacement of all the control cables and a good number of the pulleys. I did a good deal of other work as well, including a flap roller kit and new brake parts (my mechanic had to beat them apart in a vise due to the corrosion). The rusted out cotter pins and the bolt with the two threads holding the flap handle in place have all been replaced. The stripped out nuts and screws are all gone. The tailwheel, with its new bearings, fits a whole lot better now that there are washers to provide the proper spacing and allow tension to be applied on the formerly shanked out attachment bolt. The inner tube rubber "seals" in the gas tank filler necks have been replaced with the correct Cessna gaskets and they no longer leak.
My so called "well maintained" 170 is NOW a well maintained 170 after 6 weeks and $8,000.00 in annual. The plus to this is that I now know that everything is correct. I feel a whole lot safer and more confident in knowing that if something happens, its not because Billy Bob and his shade tree mechanic tried to reinvent the wheel.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention. An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
You bet George! Nothing feels better than knowing that you are safe in a well maintained aircraft while doing the thing you love to do. That thing for me is flying a Classic C-170 that is only 3 months younger than I.
I've been replacing mine a few at a time. I would recommend changing the flaps and ailerons at the same time if you choose to do it that way. I changed my aileron cables a couple years ago and wish I had done the flaps at the same time because they run on the same ganged pulleys. Anyway I now have a new set of flap cables I plan to change this week. There are 10 flap cables. I now have to loosen the aileron cables and take out those same pulleys again, so do the ailerons and flaps at the same time.
I ordered my cables from McFarlane and found that the cable P/N's for my serial number, as listed in the parts manual, are no longer available and was told the later serial numbers have replaced them. Hope that's correct, guess I'll find out soon. S/N25485
I number of my pulley's were in need of lube which should be done when you pull them out.
I have changed all my cables lately due to the FAA advisory out regarding stainless steel cables over 15yrs old . I inspected my old cables closely and even x Ray Ed one of the end fitting . It had no problems but we had changed it before the X-ray. The hardest one to do was the elevator cable and the pulleys under the back seat for access. I ended up cutting a hole in the floor just aft of the fuel selector valve . I couldn't find out if this was a stress area so a stress panel was made up to cover the hole cut . The hole area was also reinforced for the panel . At least I have peace of mind that all is good .
Anyone regularly remove all the control cables to inspect them? I doubt it. I have to wonder how many of the cables get really inspected at most annuals. Certainly some areas of the cables can easily be seen & inspected, but those in the door posts and in other areas, in a lot of cases, probably never get a good, close inspection. The author of that article suggested replacing all the cables every 10 years based upon what he had been told. I'll venture a guess that there are a lot of planes out there flying with the original 50+ yr old cables. Unfortunately I most likely own one 
I would also imagine that replacing all the cables, setting proper tensions, etc. would be a bear of a job & expensive. How about some of you that have done so advising about some of this?
