I wrote:
> I took it out, but now I'm puzzled how to disassemble it.
Ok, I managed to find the secret. blush. Now you all know I'm not a
brake expert.
So, the next problem is: is it normal what I'm seeing?
When I turned the cap loose, nothing happened. It might be that the
whole contents should be launched by the spring, but it didn't. But then
again, maybe that is normal. The thing with the white disk was easy to
get out, but the rubber seal (?) just above the spring is stuck. If you
look at the picture, in the upper brake cylinder, I left it inside
without touching. It stays there despite the spring, and it is also not
nicely alined with the hole of the metal cap of the spring (ok, maybe
that is normal too). Both sides were equal. In the bottom cylinder, I
took everything out. The rupper thing doesn't move by itself, but is
still easy to get out. But if it is supposed to move freely inside the
cylinder, then this unit has a fault. Near the bottom (when the spring
is fully depressed) the rubber thing is pushed back, but it is erratic
at best.
If I take it out, and put the thing with the white disk in it, then it
moves freely. So the problem is not the white disk.
Also, if I look inside the cylinders, they look like I found them in a
junk yard, not like something that is supposed to be a brand new
airplane part!
So, after all, it could be that the problem was not so much air in the
system, but a sticking piston. Then squeezing in fluid via the bleed
nipple would force the piston back (I could indeed feel a resistance,
something giving way, then after a while followed again by increased
resistance), and trying to bleed from top to bottom would give me just
one throw, and the sticking piston would not allow the fluid to refill
the cylinder. The only thing that doesn't match is that I remember that
the brake lever still had some spring action, but maybe I'm wrong here.
Assuming that my findings are not according to the way it should have
been (can anyone confirm that the spring should be able to push
everything out by itself?), what would be the best way to fix it? Do I
need to replace the sticking rubber caps or do they still look ok?
About the history of these parts: I bought the kit from a previous
owner, who never really started the kit, and had it stored for several
years. He wanted to get his PPL but failed to get a medical. So, after
several years, he sold it to me. The original foot brakes came with it,
but also the finger brake conversion kit. I assume he has bought that
when it came available. I installed the brake system in 2008, and that
was the first time it was lubricated. The brake levers always felt
somewhat "sticky". The unit has only seen DOT5.
Could it be that the rubber seals are dried out or something?
Frans
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