gear failure and janitrol heater replacement
 

HI!

Just finished the annual and the AE said lets do a test run. Good idea since I was leaving for Hilton Head Island at noon that morning. Well, when we got airborne and returned to the airport at KIDI, the gear would not come down. So we went to the emergency procedure and hand pumped the gear down and locked.

On the ground when I exited the aircraft, I noticed my right shoe was covered with hydrolic fluid. One of the high pressure lines in the cockpit ruptured. Interestingly, the line was worn where one of the rubber covered clamps held it in place. You may want to inspect the aluminum line for any suspicious wearing. Mine looked like it had slight pitting about an inch long.

After the repair, and another check of the gear, we made it to HXD.

I ordered a new janitrol heater from aircraft spruce. The new heater came and it didn't match. After conferring with Kelly who do the overhauls, we learned that we received a heater for the pressurized turbo engines. So, they had to go back to Cessna for the drawings of pre pressurized planes to get the right heater for earlier Turbo Skymasters. My aircraft is 1969 T337.

Thought you all would be interested. Have a great Thanksgiving!!

John

I had a similar poblem with the high pessure line just in front of the firewall on the left side. I ran all of the line and found 2 more chaffed.