Cessna wheel pant repair

Tom-D

Tom-D

Taxi to Parking
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
Messages
34,740
Display Name
Display name:
Tom-D
As most know Cessna wheel pants are a version of some plastic, Nothing seems to stick to it, when it cracks as most glues and epoxies will not chemically attach to it.

Anyone know of a products that will repair these plastic pants?
 
Go to your local Lowe’s and buy some black ABS plastic pipe cement, NOT the other stuff for pvc..Then go by the window screen section and pick up a roll of that. Apply it like you would when you fiberglass, put some cement down then a layer of screen, repeat..The window screen is coated fiberglass, be sure and sand the plastic before applying. Oh and don’t forget to tape the other side so nothing leaks through. This has worked on every type of plastic on my Grumman.
 
Last edited:
What 1RTK1 said. I did some 172 pants a couple years ago and they’re still holding up just fine. Pretty sure Cessna used ABS plastics on their pants and tips and that stuff is pretty resistant to most adhesives.
 
I always have to order it the black ABS cement, can never find it at the local hardware stores.

All it is ABS plastic dissolved in solvent
 
Some older Cessnas had fiberglass wheel pants (well, at least on my '65 Skyhawk). The front one is a PITA to repair, as it gets any oleo or engine leakage, and is very difficult to clean. I ended up just putting it in the hangar and flying without.
 
bnt83 said:
I always have to order it the black ABS cement, can never find it at the local hardware stores.

All it is ABS plastic dissolved in solvent
Click to expand...
I found it at my local ACE,, going to give it a try.
 
Tom-D said:
As most know Cessna wheel pants are a version of some plastic, Nothing seems to stick to it, when it cracks as most glues and epoxies will not chemically attach to it.

Anyone know of a products that will repair these plastic pants?
Click to expand...

From the 69-76 172 Service Manual:

upload_2018-8-3_22-28-14.png
upload_2018-8-3_22-29-35.png
 
A better written repair from the 63-68 100 Series Service Manual

upload_2018-8-3_22-34-25.png
 
JAWS said:
From the 69-76 172 Service Manual:

View attachment 65883
View attachment 65884
Click to expand...

That process holds for about a week. The plastic ages, and just gluing the crack shut doesn't help a lot. I have used fiberglass cloth and the ABS cement. The glass works better than the screen because it absorbs the cement and also conforms far better than any screen. I cut the cloth so that the weave is at 45 degrees to the crack so that ALL of the fibers are contributing to holding it together. Cutting it on the bias like that also lets it conform to compound curves.

The glass spreads the load across an area hundreds of times larger than the crack's mating surfaces and will last far longer.

MEK to clean the surface and soften it a bit makes the cement really stick.
 
Glad it worked out for you Tom, you are welcome. Hopefully you will get the same longevity as I have. On certain parts, where able, I did multiple layers to build it up pretty thick.
 
1RTK1 said:
Glad it worked out for you Tom, you are welcome. Hopefully you will get the same longevity as I have. On certain parts, where able, I did multiple layers to build it up pretty thick.
Click to expand...
I did it a bit different, I laced it up like a shoes lace with .020 S/S safety wires prior to adding the patch. only a tiny bit of safety wire shows on the outside and the paint didn't get ruined. actually pretty stiff/strong.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top