Landing gear circuit breaker

[rringgold]

Before I contact my A&P, does anyone have ideas or suggestions about installing a circuit breaker for the gear motor?

 

[FS]

Before I contact my A&P, does anyone have ideas or suggestions about installing a circuit breaker for the gear motor?

Huh? Is yours missing?

 

[gmores]

I'm guessing an early 112 without the pullable breaker? If that's the case your mechanic will have to cut the buss line that feeds the breakers to install a pullable 35. i think I used this Tyco:

 

[rringgold]

Thanks Glenn, this helps. I was surprised to see the lack of a circuit breaker installed from the factory. I didn’t know my airframe was that “early”, it is what I would consider well equipped for that era.

 

[Charlie]

I was surprised to see the lack of a circuit breaker installed from the factory. I didn’t know my airframe was that “early”, it is what I would consider well equipped for that era.

I had planned on replacing the gear motor circuit breaker with a pullable type on 94J during my recent first annual and panel upgrade. My A&P was reluctant to do so, because of access to and R/R the factory non-pullable breaker. As I recall, his advice was not to do so at that time, as the project could have resulted in damage to the buss. I had purchased the 35-amp pullable from Aircraft Spruce, TYCO W23X1A1G35. It is anxiously waiting on a shelf in the hangar to get put to use.

 

[rringgold]

Thanks Charlie, interesting take on the buss

 

[Commander91gm]

I had planned on replacing the gear motor circuit breaker with a pullable type on 94J during my recent first annual and panel upgrade. My A&P was reluctant to do so, because of access to and R/R the factory non-pullable breaker. As I recall, his advice was not to do so at that time, as the project could have resulted in damage to the buss. I had purchased the 35-amp pullable from Aircraft Spruce, TYCO W23X1A1G35. It is anxiously waiting on a shelf in the hangar to get put to use.

Suggest doing it as soon as practical - Right now you have no way to shut the pump down if you have a hydraulic leak or if you have to do an "E" drop.
Pump will run until it burns itself up - it is not meant for constant duty!
The latter models had one so it would just require a log book entry. Sounds more like your A&P was not excited about working under the panel.

 

[Charlie]

Sounds more like your A&P was not excited about working under the panel.

I had that exact suspicion & plan to investigate further.

 

[mrolih]

At some point my airplane had an additional breaker panel added below the main panel right below the heat controls which added the pullable breaker for the A/P. There were two open spots left in it one of which was used for the landing leg light when I added those and in the other spot I had a shop add the gear pump breaker. If you look up to the right you can see where he took out the original breaker and plugged the hole. No cutting of the buss to accomplish that.

 

[FS]

I was surprised to see the lack of a circuit breaker installed from the factory. I didn't know my airframe was that early

I just want to point out that Mark Rolih's 112 is s/n 161, and yours is s/n 215. His airplane had a non-pullable gear breaker, and yours doesn't have one at all? I'm skeptical. I wasn't aware that the gear pump breaker was a factory option.

Could you post a photo of the lower breaker panel on your airplane?

 

[Commander91gm]

At some point my airplane had an additional breaker panel added below the main panel right below the heat controls which added the pullable breaker for the A/P. There were two open spots left in it one of which was used for the landing leg light when I added those and in the other spot I had a shop add the gear pump breaker. If you look up to the right you can see where he took out the original breaker and plugged the hole. No cutting of the buss to accomplish that.

The sub panel was probably added due to lack of room on the main panel. Yours only has one row of breakers but latter ones have two.

 

[gmores]

I had planned on replacing the gear motor circuit breaker with a pullable type on 94J during my recent first annual and panel upgrade. My A&P was reluctant to do so, because of access to and R/R the factory non-pullable breaker. As I recall, his advice was not to do so at that time, as the project could have resulted in damage to the buss. I had purchased the 35-amp pullable from Aircraft Spruce, TYCO W23X1A1G35. It is anxiously waiting on a shelf in the hangar to get put to use.

The buss is just a copper strip - took me about 2 hours to cut, jumper around the cut, and install the 35a breaker. Pretty routine work but yeah, always miserable under the panel.

 

[rringgold]

Joel, that is exactly why I want to install a C/B in the gear pump wiring. I’ve been warned about this scenario! Now I am second guessing myself on whether there is or isn’t one on the narrow sub-panel on this airplane. I will probably be offline for several days until Bob Tippens receives my subscription renewal check.
( I don’t trust Pay Pal).
I have not spoken with my A&P about this issue at all, but it should not be a problem.

 

[Commander91gm]

Joel, that is exactly why I want to install a C/B in the gear pump wiring. I’ve been warned about this scenario! Now I am second guessing myself on whether there is or isn’t one on the narrow sub-panel on this airplane. I will probably be offline for several days until Bob Tippens receives my subscription renewal check.
( I don’t trust Pay Pal).
I have not spoken with my A&P about this issue at all, but it should not be a problem.

I would guess that there is one there - Cant imagine a 35 amp pump not being on a breaker - Probably non pull-able!!

 

[gmores]

I would guess that there is one there - Cant imagine a 35 amp pump not being on a breaker - Probably non pull-able!!

yeah, I've always seen one there and on our earlier birds it's a non-pullable Klixon 35a

 

[Jaybird]

Ok, I have an original non-pullable circuit breaker for the gear pump as well and would like to have a pullable. Given that a "drop-in" replaceable 35A pullable circuit breaker with the existing non-pullable could not be found based on my exhaustive searches another solution must be found. This is because all pullable 35A breakers are too high fot eh bus-bar to connect with.

The general workaround of cutting the bus-bar to allow the larger 35A breaker to be installed and then making a wire jump would not fly with my a&p mechanic at all (and he's pretty cool on signing off on most things). He said the proper way would be to replace ALL the breakers in-line row with pullables and then use the bus-bar to align across those so no bus cutting was necessary. I have already done that on the avionics row just above it and they now are all pullable. I have not checked to make sure that all sizes of breakers however will be at the same config to allow the bus bar to go across the input lug of each due to these larger amperage breakers.

 

[Commander91gm]

Ok, I have an original non-pullable circuit breaker for the gear pump as well and would like to have a pullable. Given that a "drop-in" replaceable 35A pullable circuit breaker with the existing non-pullable could not be found based on my exhaustive searches another solution must be found. This is because all pullable 35A breakers are too high fot eh bus-bar to connect with.

The general workaround of cutting the bus-bar to allow the larger 35A breaker to be installed and then making a wire jump would not fly with my a&p mechanic at all (and he's pretty cool on signing off on most things). He said the proper way would be to replace ALL the breakers in-line row with pullables and then use the bus-bar to align across those so no bus cutting was necessary. I have already done that on the avionics row just above it and they now are all pullable. I have not checked to make sure that all sizes of breakers however will be at the same config to allow the bus bar to go across the input lug of each due to these larger amperage breakers.

[Don't know why your A&P would have an issue with cutting the buss Bar - pretty standard practice!

 

[Charlie]

The general workaround of cutting the bus-bar to allow the larger 35A breaker to be installed and then making a wire jump would not fly with my a&p mechanic at all (and he's pretty cool on signing off on most things). He said the proper way would be to replace ALL the breakers in-line row with pullables and then use the bus-bar to align across those so no bus cutting was necessary. I have already done that on the avionics row just above it and they now are all pullable. I have not checked to make sure that all sizes of breakers however will be at the same config to allow the bus bar to go across the input lug of each due to these larger amperage breakers.

Looks as if I am facing this same scenario. Anyone have a thought about installing a gear pump "on/off" switch instead of replacing the circuit breaker?

 

[FS]

Anyone have a thought about installing a gear pump "on/off" switch instead of replacing the circuit breaker?

No offense, but that's insane.

 

[Charlie]

No offense, but that's insane.

Frank, seriously - no offense taken! Just a thought that crossed my mind as I'm thinking about the project/problem/solution. Please share your thoughts about why "it's insane" - the more educated I am the better I can come up with the best resolution. I've got a replacement 35-amp pullable in hand. I've also got plenty of space in my panel to put it - where all of the factory gauges were. I could install the pullable c/b in that location and wire it up - I've got power from the main buss to that location already.... Another thought...

Thanks.....