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The wear difference on a landing gear actuator I saw over just 6 months
I was doing a routine check on a 737-800 last week and had to pull the landing gear actuator for a seal replacement. What got me was comparing it to the same part from another plane that came in 6 months ago. The older one had been serviced every 400 cycles and looked almost new inside. The one I just pulled had gone maybe 700 cycles without a look and the piston rod was scored bad, like someone ran sandpaper down it. Turns out the company switched to a cheaper hydraulic fluid that didn't have the same anti-wear additives. The before and after was night and day. Has anyone else seen a big change in part life after a fluid or lubricant swap?
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maxmurphy1mo agoMost Upvoted
holy crap, 700 cycles without a look on a landing gear actuator? that's just asking for trouble man. scoring on the piston rod is the kind of thing that can get you a sudden inspection when you least need it. and the cheap fluid switch is the worst, i've seen that exact thing happen with a hydraulic pump on a regional jet. they saved like 2 cents a gallon and the pumps started failing twice as fast, cost them way more in the long run.
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rowan_butler931mo ago
I mean, 700 cycles on a landing gear actuator really isn't that crazy for some of the older birds. I've seen some go 1000 plus before they even pulled the pin for a look. The scoring thing is a real issue but it's usually more of a slow wear thing than a sudden surprise. And switching fluids, yeah it sucks when they change it but half the time the pump failing is just bad luck or a bad seal anyway. Seems like a lot of hand-wringing over something that's pretty standard maintenance.
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