The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Gents,

Has anyone successfully removed the under-floor and midships fairleads for the rudder and elevator cables? There are 2 at the rear of the baggage area on the rudder cable and another under the floor between P1 and P2 seats shown as 43-4 right next to a fabulously inaccessible pulley!

I'm hoping there is a method not involving an angle grinder, sledge hammer and the use of multiple "engineering terms" not typically used in polite company.

I see the C-clip, I'm not seeing any way to get it off and from reading on here the ones back at the tail are likely to be much fun also.

Thanks,

Gareth.

Disregard!

I gave up on getting lacerated. A needle nose pliers at the right angle will open the c-clip and the fairlead halves fall through the hole. SFSG at the back ones.

However, access was impossible to the elevator cables passing through bulkhead (B in the picture) under the floor. A nice new 4" inspection hole at point A has supplied adequate access to sort out 1. getting the top cable through the pulley (partially disconnected here) and 2. the fairlead removed. This had obviously been worked on before as one pulley rivet had been replaced by a screw with the head 60% destroyed, I'm guessing due to poor access while putting it back in.

Anyway, onward.

Gareth.

Gareth, I did not understand your question until I saw your picture, I have copied here two pages from the B-model parts manual as you can see the B (and maybe the A) have a rectangular inspection opening (number 7) in the area you are working in.

You could always use a gas axe. No seriously , I always use a nylon cord to replace the cables on a change . But there are a couple of tools you can make which are very effective. You cut off 3 pieces of nylon cord [window sash] type . One length of about 1ft 4ins , another about 3ft 6ins long and another about 6ft 6ins long.
Then tie all 3 pieces [one end only] up clear of the ground using about the 6 ins extra of all the lengths .letting them dangle down . Then using fibre glass resin saturate each piece hanging up and then with a small alligator clip with a weight attached ,attach to the free end. This stops bows of the rod when forming . Sometimes you have to do a second coat on the cord. The end result when cured is a fibreglass rod with a flex cord on the end to tie on the end of a cable to help position and pull through. When cured the end where the alligator was can be cut off and finished to a round shape . Do not make it pointed as it will stick in every nook and cranny. Then as a little extra bling we paint the “stick” with day-glow paint. It makes it easier to see when you are trying to see if you are on the correct cable track [run] with a torch
PS. To help to saturate the rods [sticks] use a disposable glove with heaps of resin on it and pull down on it . [like milking a cow ].
Yes , changing the cables on the elevator cables is a real beast . Nearly as bad as changing the trim cables on a Boeing 727.

SORRY...not a torch use a lantern, light stick, flash light.

johneeb wrote:Gareth, I did not understand your question until I saw your picture, I have copied here two pages from the B-model parts manual as you can see the B (and maybe the A) have a rectangular inspection opening (number 7) in the area you are working in.

Thanks John,

I must remember to check the later parts manuals when I find myself shouting at engineers from 1947! There are several instances on the '48 of things that went on just fine but cannot be reached for servicing or replacement; at least not with full-sized hands. In fairness, I'm sure none of them thought that 71 years later these things would still be flying, certainly not in the numbers they are.

Gareth.

ghostflyer wrote:You could always use a gas axe. No seriously , I always use a nylon cord to replace the cables on a change . But there are a couple of tools you can make which are very effective. You cut off 3 pieces of nylon cord [window sash] type . One length of about 1ft 4ins , another about 3ft 6ins long and another about 6ft 6ins long.
Then tie all 3 pieces [one end only] up clear of the ground using about the 6 ins extra of all the lengths .letting them dangle down . Then using fibre glass resin saturate each piece hanging up and then with a small alligator clip with a weight attached ,attach to the free end. This stops bows of the rod when forming . Sometimes you have to do a second coat on the cord. The end result when cured is a fibreglass rod with a flex cord on the end to tie on the end of a cable to help position and pull through. When cured the end where the alligator was can be cut off and finished to a round shape . Do not make it pointed as it will stick in every nook and cranny. Then as a little extra bling we paint the “stick” with day-glow paint. It makes it easier to see when you are trying to see if you are on the correct cable track [run] with a torch
PS. To help to saturate the rods [sticks] use a disposable glove with heaps of resin on it and pull down on it . [like milking a cow ].
Yes , changing the cables on the elevator cables is a real beast . Nearly as bad as changing the trim cables on a Boeing 727.

SORRY...not a torch use a lantern, light stick, flash light.

Cheers Ghosty,

I'll be doing all of this - even have resin left from another project!

I'm OK with torch - no flames necessary - I'm only a blow-in Yank!

G.

David...you’ve GOT to learn how to post pictures! .... or state in your FIRST SENTENCE what the end-result of your shenanigans* will be. It took me three readings before I realized what you were making.

* I don’t suppose I have to define what a shenanigan is to gobrien.

Due to a restriction on my server I am very limited to the size of my emails and photos. But what is a shenanigans ? Is this some Irish slang?

ghostflyer wrote:Due to a restriction on my server I am very limited to the size of my emails and photos. But what is a shenanigans ? Is this some Irish slang?

Google: “silly or high-spirited behavior; mischief”