Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Should I be concerned about this? I removed my fairings and found this in the picture below. It is a rust color. I wiped it off and went flying without the gear leg fairings, and there it was again after 1.3 hours. Any ideas why this is appearing? It appears to accumulate at the junction where the different gear leg diameters meet. It appears on both gear legs.

Ryan: at 1st glance it looked like corrosion preventative compound seeping out but I do not believe it is common practice here.

Could you be getting water / moisture seeping in past the top welds on the top of your Landing gear that is leaking out?

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Victor J Thompson
C-GIRQ
In memory of Dad

Mine does this, too. The inner tube moves around within the outer tube. I have assumed it is just rust and condensation. No oil would withstand the heat treat process. Just metal on metal there. Any other opinions?

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Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

Dan might know the answer to this baileywick .

RB

My plane hasn't been wet in at least 3 years...not even a misting.

Mine weeps a little from time to time , but the gear cover hides it. I guess if you can't see it, it's not a problem

Wow, never seen that before, don't know how that moisture would get there. It does look like moisture would be required to set up something like this the only thing I can think of would be condensation, one end of the gear leg under the hot cowl and the other end out in a freezing airstream , Honestly I really don't know I'm just takin a wild haired guess......Dan

I did some research on my gear (Ken Knowles or Phil Tucker) and discovered it had "vent holes" to allow the gas to escape during the welding process . I can still see them today . They are very small , maybe #45 drill ? I also read somewhere that they should be filled with oil and caped after welding and heat treating . Maybe a very old NL is where I saw it? It may be possible that condensation is creeping in the holes and causing the "stains ?" Don't take me to the cleaners regarding the filling and capping ! A syringe of "Tito" into the micro holes may do the same thing as oil ?

RB

Hmm, I'll have to look them over real good for these relief holes Rich. Never noticed them before, but its worth a look. Nobody seems too concerned with this issue, so I wont be either.

My gear appears to be a welded one piece, no leakers on mine.

I was led to believe that the holes were for adding linseed or Lion-oil to the inside of weldments like the landing gear & motor mount for corrosion protection. That's what Ken Brock told me. You squirt it in with a syringe, spread it all around, then drain out as much as possible. Finally you plug the holes with small drive screws. Two birds with one stone... pressure relief when welding & convenient holes for adding corrosion proofing. Anyway, plug the holes if you have them.
Paint your gear black - you won't see whatever that is, and you can't as easily see the cracks that may develop either! BEEP!

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE