Go Kart to Matco Brakes

88 posts in this topic

Posted

Very nice Joey; your going to love those things! I generally run my tires at around 8 or 9 psi. It will handle better on the hard surfaces and if you are going to play in the bigger rocks, let them down to around 5 psi. With the wide tires it doesn't seem to make a much difference in the sand when they are at the higher pressure; just in the rocks.

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The brakes are DONE!! I spent the last two days plumbing them which was a huge PIA. I finally came up with a system that I was happy with. I bled them today and did some taxiing. After getting the pads good and hot once and letting them cool down I did some real testing. Let me just say this is a whole new airplane!! It's absolutely amazing having brakes... not just brakes but these suckers work awesome! The Michael Schuetz brake pedals and MC-4D's are the ticket. I can easily do a full power static run with NO creep. I didn't fly it but at 20mph on the gps I honked on them and had to let off because the tail came off the ground with the stick in my lap. I played around in some grass by my hangar and I can easily lock a tire now and spin right around on the tailwheel. I could never do that before..not even close. The sight picture is different with the new tires but not too bad. Going to fly in the morning and do some T&G's.

Of course today had to be the day that my digital camera took a dump. The lense came out when I turned it on and it made a funny noise and locked up and threw an error code. Will get some pics with the wifes camera tomorrow.

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Posted

The brakes are DONE!! I spent the last two days plumbing them which was a huge PIA. I finally came up with a system that I was happy with. I bled them today and did some taxiing. After getting the pads good and hot once and letting them cool down I did some real testing. Let me just say this is a whole new airplane!! It's absolutely amazing having brakes... not just brakes but these suckers work awesome! The Michael Schuetz brake pedals and MC-4D's are the ticket. I can easily do a full power static run with NO creep. I didn't fly it but at 20mph on the gps I honked on them and had to let off because the tail came off the ground with the stick in my lap. I played around in some grass by my hangar and I can easily lock a tire now and spin right around on the tailwheel. I could never do that before..not even close. The sight picture is different with the new tires but not too bad. Going to fly in the morning and do some T&G's.

Of course today had to be the day that my digital camera took a dump. The lense came out when I turned it on and it made a funny noise and locked up and threw an error code. Will get some pics with the wifes camera tomorrow.

Congrats! Just remember on landing that the brakes now work real well... dont want to read a post tomorrow about how shitty it feels to look at dirt through the windshield. Been there done that and it SUCKS :lol:

:BC:

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Posted

Flew it early this morning. I had to get used to staring at the sky while taxiing. It takes off way different now. It flies right off a lot slower than it used to. Before to get a short takeoff I had to shove the stick all the way forward, get the tail up, build a little speed and then yard back and about bounce my tailwheel off the ground. Now it just lifts off without the tail really coming up.

Didn't notice any difference while actually flying really. Seemed like the rudder inputs to keep the ball centered in a turn might have been a little different but it's hard telling considering that was my first flight in over a month.

Landing was simple. It's not nearly as bouncy as I thought it was going be. It was super early and people live on the gravel strip I know so I just stayed at my home strip and did 3 landings. The last two were stop and go's. The last one I really got on the brakes and I dropped the tail as I came to stop. I thought I could land short before..holy crap my landing roll decreased by about 2/3. Really looking forward to doing some rough field work to see what they'll really do. This mod was the best money spent on this airplane so far.

Of course I was closing up the hangar when I remembered I was supposed to take pics. I'm going to the Zenith Factory Fly-in tomorrow.. I'll get some pics...gonna try and get a demo flight in the 750.

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Posted

You will be so disappointed by that Zenith 750 slug after flying your Avid... AND they are so cursedly UGLY!!

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Posted

You will be so disappointed by that Zenith 750 slug after flying your Avid... AND they are so cursedly UGLY!!

I agree, Zeniths dont fly... they are so effn ugly the earth repels them! :lol:

But sumbitch, light they are INCREDIBLE!

:BC:

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Posted

Flew it early this morning. I had to get used to staring at the sky while taxiing. It takes off way different now. It flies right off a lot slower than it used to. Before to get a short takeoff I had to shove the stick all the way forward, get the tail up, build a little speed and then yard back and about bounce my tailwheel off the ground. Now it just lifts off without the tail really coming up.

Didn't notice any difference while actually flying really. Seemed like the rudder inputs to keep the ball centered in a turn might have been a little different but it's hard telling considering that was my first flight in over a month.

Landing was simple. It's not nearly as bouncy as I thought it was going be. It was super early and people live on the gravel strip I know so I just stayed at my home strip and did 3 landings. The last two were stop and go's. The last one I really got on the brakes and I dropped the tail as I came to stop. I thought I could land short before..holy crap my landing roll decreased by about 2/3. Really looking forward to doing some rough field work to see what they'll really do. This mod was the best money spent on this airplane so far.

Of course I was closing up the hangar when I remembered I was supposed to take pics. I'm going to the Zenith Factory Fly-in tomorrow.. I'll get some pics...gonna try and get a demo flight in the 750.

Are you using full flaps for takeoff ? if so, how far are they dropping down :dunno:

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Posted

Leni I've never used full flaps for take off. With my old set up if I cracked on 5 degrees or so it really helped the tail come up and got me off quicker... Whole new ball game now. I set mine at around 15 degrees or so with the bolt stop. It's an easy adjustment to get more. I have a long bolt with a lock nut on it. It had no stop when I got it. I think one of my bungees was pushing on the flap linkage before. Today during my test flight I could not keep flaps on during normal flight at all and before I could. After landing I cranked the castle nut down and got a lot more friction. I think my bungee was pushing against the linkage before creating more friction. Will have some better numbers after my 150 mile round trip tomorrow.

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Posted

Leni I've never used full flaps for take off. With my old set up if I cracked on 5 degrees or so it really helped the tail come up and got me off quicker... Whole new ball game now. I set mine at around 15 degrees or so with the bolt stop. It's an easy adjustment to get more. I have a long bolt with a lock nut on it. It had no stop when I got it. I think one of my bungees was pushing on the flap linkage before. Today during my test flight I could not keep flaps on during normal flight at all and before I could. After landing I cranked the castle nut down and got a lot more friction. I think my bungee was pushing against the linkage before creating more friction. Will have some better numbers after my 150 mile round trip tomorrow.

I think if you use full flaps on take off, you will get a pretty good surprise. I can get off WAY shorter. Once I have established a good climb, I slowly bleed the flaps and increase speed. On floats it is REALLY noticable on the take off, in fact, I dont know if I could break water on a glassy day with no wind without the use of flaps.

:BC:

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Posted

Joey,

Try your takeoffs starting with no flaps, go to full throttle, bring the tail up, and as soon as you hit 30mph pull back on the stick and pull full flaps at the same time. Pull just enough back stick that you don't quite touch your tailwheel. Then bleed off flaps as Leni described. After you do it at 30 a couple of times try to get it off at 25mph. You might have to push the nose forward to stay in ground effect for a little while. Pulling full flaps right when you rotate makes a lot of difference in mine.

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Thanks guys I'm all for new techniques. I flew to the Zenith West Coast Factory Fly in today. There were gobs of 601's and 701's. They do what they were designed to do fairly well but I'm not overally impressed. With a light fuel load an Avid will do the same thing they can and it's not an ugly as sin tin can. I thought I fixed my digi cam but today it would not focus. Something is wrong with the lense. I only got a few pics with my cell phone. On the way home I followed a river and there tons of places that looked landable. I finally said screw it and dropped in on one. NO comparison with these tires and then being able to honk on the brakes to stop short. Couple of shitty pics.

Photo0185.jpg

Photo0187.jpg

Photo0186.jpg

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Posted

Now that's what I'm talking about! Nothing better than an Avid with big tires playing in the dirt.

Thanks for sharing the pics Joey.

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Posted

Here are the final pics from this project of the plumbing

IMG_0718.jpg

IMG_0720.jpg

IMG_0719.jpg

All you see outside the airplane

IMG_0721.jpg

IMG_0722.jpg

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Posted

Here are the final pics from this project of the plumbing

IMG_0718.jpg

IMG_0720.jpg

IMG_0719.jpg

All you see outside the airplane

IMG_0721.jpg

IMG_0722.jpg

What kind and size of tubing is that? Looks pretty big.

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Posted

Leni it's all tubing that Matco sells. From the reservoir to the master cylinders is 1/4" OD and from the Master Cylinders to the Calipers is 1/8" OD line. I think it looks bigger in the pictures than it really is.

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Posted

Looks good Joey,I have mechanical brakes on my Skyraider for now but my goal is to upgrade to hydraulics.I want to first see if I like the way my plane flies before I dump another million dollars into it.Nice sanitary looking job.Is the two fuel filters for the static ports for your instruments?Randy

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Yup Randy the static system is just a few clear tubes coming off the back of the instruments. The filters keep junk out. There are three total.. once for the rate of climb, one for the altimeter, and one for the airspeed. My airspeed is very accurate at cruise speeds. Pretty amazing considering how basic it is.

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Hey dude, I'll take the 20x7's if you don't want them, we'll have to figure out what the shipping is. I'm down here outside Birmingham, Alabama. Thanks tons for the info and photo of the master cylinder mount point. This is very very interesting and looks as if it makes logical sense. I've wondered if maybe I haven't had the mechnical advantage I needed for better pressure to the calipers. Very interesting. I don't even know if I'm running MATCO's or not - but I'm going to do a little detective work. The concept sure looks better than my present geometry.

You guys are a gold mine. You, in particular (as well as others) have responded with timely and treasured advice. 'May you run long' dude. My best ... Jim

ybfcsqs@att.net

BTW, I've stated before that I have quite a few irons in the fire. I've ordered some stuff but haven't had time to do much in the way of modification/fabricating. On top of this, some of our bretheren from way down south figured out that I had way too many tools. They equalized this inequity big time, one midnight moon. Ain't life a big box of chocolates? I now have the privilege of ostensibly restocking my entire garage. Tried to buy my presently deceased father's many tools, THAT WENT OVER LIKE LED ZEPPELIN ON A BAD CONCERT NIGHT! I'm really tottering on banishment from the clan (no joke). You guys keep cheering me up - I need it ... Jim

:siterocks:

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Tried to buy my presently deceased father's many tools, THAT WENT OVER LIKE LED ZEPPELIN ON A BAD CONCERT NIGHT! I'm really tottering on banishment from the clan (no joke). You guys keep cheering me up - I need it ... Jim

siterocks.gif

Jim I damn sure know that feeling.. it's been 10 yrs and we still have good squabbles over Dads "stuff" I kinda like it keeping the rest of the family 4000 miles away from me. We seem to get along much better if we dont talk to or see eachother :lol:

Sucks on the little bastages liberating what you worked hard for. My kid had a party one night a few years ago and my brand new GLP starter for the plane and a bunch of tools, electronics and cash went missing among various other house hold stuff. Lesson 1 to the kid.. NEVER NEVER have a party at Dads house when he is gone. Lesson 2. If you are stupid enough to have one, then you better be tough enough to outdrink everyone else at the party so you dont pass out and leave 50 kids to steal all your dads stuff. Lesson 3, when it all hits the fan, you can bet your sweet ass that dad will make you pay for every damn thing that was stolen... with interest that would make a loan shark proud!

:BC:

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Jim I damn sure know that feeling.. it's been 10 yrs and we still have good squabbles over Dads "stuff" I kinda like it keeping the rest of the family 4000 miles away from me. We seem to get along much better if we dont talk to or see eachother :lol:

Sucks on the little bastages liberating what you worked hard for. My kid had a party one night a few years ago and my brand new GLP starter for the plane and a bunch of tools, electronics and cash went missing among various other house hold stuff. Lesson 1 to the kid.. NEVER NEVER have a party at Dads house when he is gone. Lesson 2. If you are stupid enough to have one, then you better be tough enough to outdrink everyone else at the party so you dont pass out and leave 50 kids to steal all your dads stuff. Lesson 3, when it all hits the fan, you can bet your sweet ass that dad will make you pay for every damn thing that was stolen... with interest that would make a loan shark proud!

:BC:

AKF, ain't it strange that everyone seems to get along reasonably well until SCARCE AND DIVISIBLE resources bring the whole rotten house tumbling down? I would have paid my 'gonads' to each and every one of my family just to BUY dad's tools. They carry their assundery tangible goods to other people to get them serviced/repaired. First time I've been attacked by hornets who want real blood in a while. To be fair, everyone wasn't involved. Just the two I suspected would be.

Oh well, live and learn, I'll find my own tools, have found a small amount already. Hopefully I'll be able to contribute more than just idle words. Be well, and thanks again ... Jim

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Jim thanks for the kind words! Sorry to hear of your misfortunes. I had my race ready dirt bike stolen a few years back and that's the worst feeling of violation I have ever had! I passed my 20x7s off to another guy who was trying to get a second hand fox flying while going through a divorce. Hopefully you will stick around it's a great group of folks on here!!

Joey

I will shoot you an email so you have my offline contact

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Jim thanks for the kind words! Sorry to hear of your misfortunes. I had my race ready dirt bike stolen a few years back and that's the worst feeling of violation I have ever had! I passed my 20x7s off to another guy who was trying to get a second hand fox flying while going through a divorce. Hopefully you will stick around it's a great group of folks on here!!

Joey

I will shoot you an email so you have my offline contact

C5E, you're a straight up dude. Email me anytime, I'll get right back ASAP. I've followed your posts and have been impressed. I certainly unerstand about the tires. We fly much smaller tires down in my neck of the woods as a general rule. I was building a Burt Rutan design years ago (much cheaper then but it cost me a wife) and I had a pretty good indoctrination into glass layups. I'm thinking I'll probably go with wheel pants at some point. Not so good for tundra tires anyway. The burglary thing had me stumping mad for quite a while, but I would imagine most of those guys are doing time on my tax dollar about now. My tools and a few other things are no doubt scattered over the continental US by now.

BTW, another mod I plan to make involves the stiffness of my trim cable. According to what I've read, I should have about 41 degrees of travel measured at the trim tab. I'm half that or less. Too long on the cable with not enough secure points, and too many bends with too little radius in some of them. My idea is a straight run from the trim handle to the empenage, then a bellcrank right angle pivot to the trim tab. Another item on the 'to do' list. Be well good man ... Jim

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I know how it feels to have tools stolen, I left on vacation a few years ago, the first in a long time and came home to find my garage cleaned out, rollaway welders torch they got it all, my brothers all said how sorry they were that I got robbed. 2 years later I walked into my brothers garage, the one who doesn't turn a wrench on anything, his idea is charge up the credit cards until he can't get anymore credit and then file bankruptcy. Guess what I found, my rollaway my welders my torches my compressor with serial numbers removed and his name written on them, shined up like they were art I still can't get him to admit he took them but I have been collecting plenty of his security cameras it would have been cheaper for him if he had just given me back my stuff.

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Posted

Those tires look Sweet! What is the load rating per tire??

Chris Bolkan

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I know how it feels to have tools stolen, I left on vacation a few years ago, the first in a long time and came home to find my garage cleaned out, rollaway welders torch they got it all, my brothers all said how sorry they were that I got robbed. 2 years later I walked into my brothers garage, the one who doesn't turn a wrench on anything, his idea is charge up the credit cards until he can't get anymore credit and then file bankruptcy. Guess what I found, my rollaway my welders my torches my compressor with serial numbers removed and his name written on them, shined up like they were art I still can't get him to admit he took them but I have been collecting plenty of his security cameras it would have been cheaper for him if he had just given me back my stuff.

Trackwelder, I'm seriously dumbfounded by your experience! If that had of been me I just might be one brother short of a full set. As I've written, I'm pretty much banished from my own kin as I write this. From vibes I get I don't think anyone wants to get within striking distance of me, presently. Our father passed on a few months ago and I just wanted to make a fair and respectable offer for his tools (as you know I received the devil's hand with my tools being absconded with also). There must be something about tools or tainted water that has driven mankind totally crazy. Be well good man ... Jim

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