Piper Navajo PA-31 Service Manual page 46

106 A
PIPER NAVAJO SERVICE MANUAL
Figure 2-12.
Servicing Landing Gear Shock Struts
2-33. FILLING OLEO STRUTS. To fill an oleo strut which has been completely emptied because of
repair, leakage, etc., proceed as follows:
a. Place the airplane on jacks. (Refer to Paragraph 2-8.)
b. Place a pan under the gear to catch spillage.
c. Remove valve core from air valve.
d.
Attach a clear plastic tube to the valve stem and place the other end of the tube in a container of
hydraulic fluid as specified.
NOTE
As air-tight connection is necessary between the plastic tube and
valve stem. Without such a connection, a small amount of air will
be sucked into the oleo strut during each sequence, resulting in an
inordinate
amount of air bubbles and a prolonged filling
operation.
e. Extend the oleo strut by pulling down on the wheel. Fluid will be sucked into the oleo strut.
Compress and extend the oleo strut until it is full of fluid, and air bubbles cease to appear in the plastic
tube.
f.
Compress the oleo strut fully, allowing the excess fluid to overflow.
g. With the oleo strut in the compressed position, reinstall the valve core.
h. Remove the airplane from the jacks.
i. Inflate the oleo struts per instructions given in Paragraph 2-34.
2-34. INFLATING OLEO STRUTS. After making certain that an oleo strut has sufficient fluid, as
described in Paragraph 2-31, attach a strut pump to the air valve and pump up the oleo strut. The oleo
struts should be inflated until 3.25 inches of piston is exposed with normal static weight on the gears.
Before capping the valve, check for valve core leakage.
Reissued: 10/12/79
HANDLING AND SERVICING
1B22