BEARINGS GEARS BELTS AND PULLEYS CHAINS AND SPROCKETS SCREW JACKS

Push-Pull Rod Systems

Lever

INSPECTION OF BEARINGS
Once clean the bearing should be inspected for signs of failure, some of the more
common being:
1. Normal Fatigue 2. Excessive Loading 3. Installation and Misalignment
4. Loose Fitting or Spinning 5. Brinelling 6. Overheating and Lubrication Deficiency
7. Contamination and Corrosion

GEARS
Gears can be found in a wide variety of applications, throughout aircraft and engine
installations. The most common applications are those used to reduce or increase
the rotational speed of an input shaft.
Some aircraft engines utilise a reduction gearbox to slow the main shaft speed to a
lower figure for either the propeller or the fan..
BACKLASH :Wear in gears, assuming that the bearings are not worn, will be found
on the faces of the gear teeth. This wear shows up as excessive backlash, which
can be easily found by simply rotating the input mechanism, such as the main drive
shaft, whilst holding the output rigidly.

1. It should be borne in mind that a small amount of backlash is essential for

the correct operation of bearings.
By rotating the input in both directions, the angular difference, when
measured, is the accumulation of wear of all the gear teeth.
2. The maintenance manual should give the total backlash figure for the particular
train of gears, to indicate whether the train is serviceable or if further inspection is
needed.
Because the majority of gears, whether in a train or a single pair of gears, are
within some other component, any signs of wear or other problems are usually
solved by replacement of the major component.

3. BELTS AND PULLEYS

It is rare to find belt drives being used on modern aircraft.
Due to the risk of slippage once the belt has taken on a slight stretch, there
has to be some method, often automatic, to retain the set tension over a long
period.
 1. CHAINS AND SPROCKETS :
Chain assemblies should be inspected at the specified frequency,
which is laid down in the aircraft maintenance manual.
2. One of the major checks should be that the chain passes smoothly
over the sprockets.
3. If there is any roughness or binding, then further checks will be
required.
Another major check of the chain assembly is that for wear, which
involves
applying a load to detect whether the chain is worn. The load can be
applied to a
free length of chain where the amount of deflection can be measured
and
compared to a limit published in the manuals.
4. An alternative would involve pulling the chain at a pulley and seeing if
the chain can be lifted from the sprocket by a significant amount.
Failure of either of the preceding checks, followed by a check for chain
elongation, would require replacement of the chain.
5. A typical percentage limit of elongation could be 2% when the cleaned
and dried chain is loaded with the correct tension.
Chains should also be checked for normal faults that can befall most
mechanisms; these include damage, corrosion, cleanliness and
insufficient lubrication.
One other inspection, which could be done on a chain assembly, might
be for correct articulation. This check involves the chain being drawn
over the plain shank of a screwdriver. Tight joints, found by this
method, should be carefully inspected and the chain rejected if there
are any doubts as to its serviceability.

SCREW JACKS : 1)There is little maintenance to be carried out on screw jacks, apart
from regular greasing of all the exposed threaded portions and checks for backlash
between the ‘nut’ and the screw.

2)Some screw jacks are in the form of actuators and some are used to drive flaps
and other aerodynamic devices.
3)The actuator has a grease nipple fitted, which allows not only the bearings to be
kept well lubricated, but the screw will also pick up some grease when the actuator is
extended and retracted.
4 )In-service checks, other than lubrication will probably only include backlash
checks on the actuating shaft..

Lever :Apart from the bearings of the lever requiring lubrication, (unless they are
sealedfor-life bearings), there is little maintenance required, other than physical
checks
for damage, distortion and cracks.
Push-Pull Rod Systems.:The maintenance required for this type of control consists
generally of inspection and rigging.

a) As the bearings in both the idler levers if fitted, and the end fittings are
normally sealed for life, the only inspections to carry out are for signs of
damage and overheating.
b) If the pilot complained of stiff controls, then a check of each bearing assembly
would be required, to check which bearing was stiff.

An inspection of the damage and accurate estimate of the type

of repair required are the most important steps in repairing
structural damage.

1. The inspection includes an estimate of the best type and

shape of repair patch to use;
2. the type, size, and
3. number of rivets needed; and
4. the strength, thickness, and
5. kind of material required to make the repaired member no
heavier (or only slightly heavier) and just as strong as the
original.
A. When investigating damage, proceed as follows:
• Remove all dirt, grease, and paint from the damaged and
surrounding areas to determine the exact condition of each
rivet, bolt, and weld.
• Inspect skin for wrinkles throughout a large area.
• Check the operation of all movable parts in the area.
• Determine if repair would be the best procedure.
In any aircraft sheet metal repair, it is critical to:
• Maintain original strength
• Maintain original contour, and
• Minimize weight