Looking for Flap Cables

edasmus · #1 09-04-09, 05:43 PM

Anyone know of another source for flap cables besides Don Nieser or Cessna? Don is out and Cessna has them but, well you know.

Thanks Ed

stackj · #2 09-05-09, 08:40 AM

You might check with your local FBO and see if they will do a search on ILS for you. That is usually pretty successful.

Paul462 · #3 09-08-09, 09:56 PM

Or have your local FBO make up a new set for you - the hardware can be ordered (from Spruce, I think).

edasmus · #4 09-09-09, 12:01 PM

Thanks for the help. I ordered the cables through cessnaparts.com. They should be here in a day or two.

Ed

edasmus · #5 09-10-09, 05:23 PM

My shop removed the flap cables from one wing today. Here is what was found. The cables looked fine before they were removed. They looked fine when they were in our hands but you could clearly see a bend in the cable where they were running across the sharp turn on the pulley. Untwisting the cables in our hands revealed one broken strand and when my mechanic cut the cable and completely unraveled it, two or three more broken strands were apparent.

My mechanic was concerned enough about what he found that he mentioned he was going to file a "Service Difficulty Report." I'm not really sure what that all means but he did mention it. I did not get the impression that he felt the cables were anywhere near failure but he and I are happy they are out.

I am certainly no cable expert but two things were apparent to me today. The wear process in the cables was clearly underway and the process begins on the inside of cables.

Based on what I saw today, an external examination of the cables on the airplane could have never revealed what was found after the cables were removed, and twisting an intact cable after it is removed from the airplane makes it difficult at best to see the inside of the cable. Unraveling the cable after it was cut (and obviously destroyed) is when the best look could be had.

My airplane is a 1973 337G with 2480 hours total time.

When the other side comes off I will report the findings.

Ed Asmus

hharney · #6 09-10-09, 10:42 PM

Ed
Photos would be a great help and maybe what is involved in accessing these cables would help the readers too.