The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Its annual time & as I have done for many years, I have pulled the tires/wheels off to swap the tires on the wheels, clean & repack the bearings & inspect the wheels for damage. This time I have decided to beadblast the wheels & repaint same. Several things have come up that I need suggestions on.
1) Last year I installed new disks (black one-piece ones). Now I can't seem to remove the disks from the wheel halfs. Suggestions as to how to properly remove them ? I have tried tapping on them, using a puller, etc--no go!
2) I was told not to use automotive type primer like one can get at Home Depot, Lowe's, etc because it is porous and can let moisture get under the primer and result in corrosion of the wheels. Is there another primer other than zinc chromate that is acceptable? Is there any acceptable primer available at local hardware stores?
3) Although I have not experienced a problem, I am curious about the proper sequence of installing the wheel bearings, etc. The sequence I have used is as follows--
On the outer bearing a)lock ring;
a) lock ring
b) felt washer (the one with aluminum washer & felt inside it) w/ felt facing inward;
c) flat metal washer;
d) bearing;

On the inner bearing (back side of wheel)
a) lock ring;
b) flat metal washer
c) flat felt washer (no metal holder)
d) flat metal washer
e) bearing

on the back side or inner side of the bearings there isn't anything to hold grease in them.

Comments/ suggestions would be appreciated.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/l ... wheels.php

And for more than you'll ever want to know about maintaining your wheels and brakes download this: http://www.parker.com/literature/Litera ... aincov.pdf
Page 330 says to first pretreat parts with a conversion coating, coat parts with one thin coat of zinc chromate primer or equivalent and then "paint parts with one coat of locally obtained, finish enamel, polyurethane, epoxy or lacquer to match original color." Appendix B-5 lists conversion coatings and paint sources.

An old copy of Aircraft Spruce lists Aeroprite Wheel Paint. It describes it as "a combination primer and topcoat that is an excellent paint for aircraft wheels and brakes. It provides better abrasion resistance than zinc chromates, enamels and epoxy primers. Dries fast, adheres to aluminum surfaces and provides a very attractive finish." It is available in a spray can from Chief Aircraft. http://www.chiefaircraft.com/airsec/Air ... Paint.html

The felt always goes between the two flat washers. And grease is always applied to both inner and outer bearings. Don't overdo the grease, but work it in-between the rollers preferably with a grease packing tool, or the palm of your hand.
I paint wheel with silver laquer, never enamel. Enamel will cover a crack in a wheel while lacquer will allow it to show the crack. Let it dry, of course, before reassembly.
It sounds as if your disc is jammed (or painted) and stuck in your wheel half. Boil some water. Lay your wheel half, disc side down on the concrete and pour the BOILING water upon the wheel-half side. Immediately separate them by tapping with a rawhide or plastic mallet or by prying with with wooden pry-sticks or boards. (The hot water will expand the aluminum/magnesium wheels away from the steel disc, but do not allow them to remain together any longer than necessary after pouring the BOILING water on them.)

One of the items that I attempted to identify and poorly described (to George) was part # 153-15 NE- cleveland grease ring & grease felt part # 154-13. These two items netted $11.06 each (one each needed for main wheel bearings) @ Tex-Air Parts @ Meacham Field. This is shown as item # 13 in the Aircraft Spruce illustration in the catalogue, but Spruce doesn't show a cost for item # 13. Apparently they don't carry the item. There are two flat steel washers on either side of the felt grease seal on the inner bearing, but only one flat steel washer on the outer bearing and of course those flat washers have different inside diameters.

Frank-
In 1986 I put on a set of 8.50-10 wheel adapters. The adapters were bare aluminum. I primed them with spray can zinc chromate dried just to the touch then top coated with Krylon Dull Aluminum. I then baked in the oven at 200° for one hour. It stunk up the house but they still look good today, no chips, no cracks, and no corrosion.

If your wheels are magnesium, make sure there is no corrosion before re-using. The bead blast will tell you if there is any. I know it's obvious but be sure to protect the machined bearing/seal surfaces.

I am having trouble finding the aluminum/felt seal for 600x6 wheels. All other parts seem to be available from spruce but this seal is not listed. Mine has about half the felt missing. Please help!

You're looking for parts 10 and 13 in this drawing.

Ring - Grease Seal, p/n 153-01500, and Felt - Grease Seal, p/n 154-01300.

N4027v wrote:I am having trouble finding the aluminum/felt seal for 600x6 wheels. All other parts seem to be available from spruce but this seal is not listed. Mine has about half the felt missing. Please help!

Chief Aircraft has them - http://www.chiefaircraft.com/aircraft/w ... seals.html

This is the one I need.

The Cleveland STC SA13GL is for the 40-97A wheel assembly. The latest Parker catalog shows that the felt grease seal part numbers Dave indicated are for other versions of the wheel assembly such as the 40-97B. For the 40-97A wheel assembly Parker now calls for p/n 154-12000 - molded grease seal - for the inner race and 154-12400 - molded grease seal - for the outer race. Not sure why they would change the seal on some versions and not the others.

Parker Memo on new style seals

I just ordered and installed the part numbers DaveF listed above from Aircraft Spruce two weeks ago. Exact match for the parts removed. You can just type either of the numbers (153-01500 and 154-01300) in the Aircraft Spruce search window and a parts list with that number will come up and you can select the number of each you want to order. On that list it shows those parts applicable to the 97A wheel so the newer part number may be a production change to a seal which works better or has a lower production cost. I was tempted to try the new seal but just went with what I knew was working and was easier.

Tim

Has anyone made these felt seals? If so....anyone have a supplier for the felt? Every time I spend the money on them I feel like I could buy a sheet of felt and make a lifelong supply for a lot cheaper.

Mike, if you find a source of felt the link below is to a tool that makes cutting circles in felt easy!

http://www.michaels.com/olfa-rotary-cir ... er&start=7

I agree, the Parker catalog makes it clear that the old felt seals have been superseded to the molded style. But that wasn't the question that N4027V asked!

Has anyone tried the new style seals? The felts may not work the best but they're easy to use and cheap. Sometimes molded rubber seals are difficult to install and remove.

johneeb wrote:Mike, if you find a source of felt the link below is to a tool that makes cutting circles in felt easy!

http://www.michaels.com/olfa-rotary-cir ... er&start=7

John, nice find, this would be good for making gaskets as well.