Piper Dakota Maintenance Manual page 77

With torque links disconnected, piston tube is free to slide from
strut housing.
4. Remove any one of three torque link bolts. Again raise airplane until a minimum of ten inches (do not
exceed twelve inches of tube exposure) of strut tube is exposed with wheel remaining on ground. Fluid
will flow from middle chamber to bottom chamber of strut housing, ensuring that bottom chamber is
filled with fluid.
5. Fill main gear housing by either of two methods as follows:
a. Method I.
(l) Remove valve core from filler plug at top of strut housing. Allow plug to remain installed.
(2) Attach one end of clear plastic hose to valve stem of filler plug and submerge other end in
container of hydraulic fluid.
(3) Fully compress and extend (l0 +2 -0 inches of strut tube exposure) strut drawing fluid from
strut chambers. Watch fluid pass through plastic hose. Stop procedure when strut is full and no
air is present in chambers. The strut must be extended to ten inches to allow fluid to enter
bottom chamber of strut housing.
(4) When air bubbles cease to flow through hose, compress strut fully and remove hose from
valve stem.
(5) With strut fully compressed, remove filler plug to determine that fluid level is visible up to
bottom of filler plug hole.
(6) Reinstall core in filler plug and apply thread lubricant (Parker #6PB) to threads of filler plug.
Install plug in top of strut housing. Tighten plug to a torque of 350 to 400 inch-pounds.
b. Method II.
(l) Remove filler plug from top of strut housing.
(2) Raise strut to full compression.
(3) Pour fluid from clean container through filler opening until it is visible at top of strut chamber.
If housing has been completely emptied, allow sufficient time for fluid to drain through orifice
from upper chamber into middle chamber.
(4) Lower gear until wheel touches ground (10 +2 -0 inches of strut exposure). Fully compress
and extend strut three or four times to remove any air that may be trapped and to allow fluid to
enter bottom chamber of housing.
(5) Raise strut to full compression. If needed, fill with fluid to bottom of filler plug.
(6) Apply thread lubricant (Parker #6PB) to threads of filler plug. Reinstall filler plug and tighten
to a torque of 350 to 400 inch-pounds.
6. Replace torque link bolt. Tighten bolt tight enough to allow no side play in connection.
7. With airplane raised, retract and extend gear strut several times to ensure that strut moves freely.
The weight of gear fork and wheel should extend strut.
8. Clean off overflow of fluid and inflate strut as described in Inflating Oleo Struts.
9. Check that fluid is not leaking around strut piston at bottom of housing.
PIPER AIRCRAFT
PA-28-236
MAINTENANCE MANUAL
—CAUTION—
—NOTE—
1D5
12 - 22 - 00
Page - 12 - 09
Reissued: August 1, 1986