Brake stuck

[CT2K]

Hi All,

This has been happening more and more often recently: when I release the brake, the left wheel remains stuck. Any thoughts?

[FlyingMonkey]

12 minutes ago, CT2K said:

Hi All,

This has been happening more and more often recently: when I release the brake, the left wheel remains stuck. Any thoughts?

You are might be letting the brake pad get too thin.  If they are not changed before hitting the lower limits, they can allow the piston to come out too far and get cocked at an angle in the caliper and jamming.  This happened to me with Matco brakes.  I now change the pads sooner and the problem vanished.  I change mine when there is about 1/16" of the wear indicator remaining.

[Tom Baker]

CT2K, what brakes do you have?

[Al Downs]

Many time it is because the pads are very worn. It can also be the caliper is so dirty things hang up. I would start with those and see if it is all in  good shape.

[Anticept]

If it is matco brakes, three common causes:

Not measuring the rotor wear. A worn rotor will do the same thing as worn pads: overextending the piston.

Not replacing the pads when the wear indicators are no longer present (I replace shortly before).

Braking too hard. These are not heavyweight brakes. Brake light to moderate. It's easy to bear down on them and bend something.

[CT2K]

Got prompt and valuable replies as ususal. Many thanks to all for your contributions.

Looks like you hit the nail on its head. Last  time I looked at the pads (almost a year ago) they seemed quite thin indeed. Unable to tell what brand are those pads for they came with the CT when I got it second hand two years ago.

Wil it be a complex job to replace them? Does it need advanced equipment and tools? Any recommendations for a decent pair of pads?

[Anticept]

What brake system?

[Tom Baker]

I was thinking there may have also been a different brake at least on some of the CT2K?

[CT2K]

Can take some pics of the wheels next time I go to the airfield and post them here. 

[CT2K]

Does any one have experience with these brakes? There is nothing written on them

 

 

 

[Al Downs]

Those are Marc brakes from Italy

[Tom Baker]

As Al said those are the Marc brakes.

Besides everything that has already been said, you need to clean the pins that the disk is mounted on. The disk needs to move easily on the pins. If they are tight the brake can drag. The minimum thickness for the brake lining material is 1/32" or a little less than 1mm.

Second is you brake line appears to be clear, here in the US they use aviation hydraulic fluid which has a red tint. You can see it through the line. If by chance yours has been serviced with the wrong fluid you could have a seal swelling causing the problem.

[Anticept]

Tom:

It's possible, but 5606 does turn clear with age and heat. I'd still flush it though.

CT2K: check the wear on those rotors.

[Tom Baker]

1 hour ago, Anticept said:

Tom:

It's possible, but 5606 does turn clear with age and heat. I'd still flush it though.

CT2K: check the wear on those rotors.

In 35 plus years working on airplane I have seen it turn brownish in color and turn jelly like, but never clear. The brakes did stick when the fluid became jelly like.

 

[Anticept]

Never completely clear, no, but it does lose the red color and turns a little brown like you said, but also more transparent.

[CT_MATT]

Antisept,

what are the wear limits of the rotor?  I have not been able to find a reference anywhere... 

[Anticept]

6 hours ago, CT_MATT said:

Antisept,

what are the wear limits of the rotor?  I have not been able to find a reference anywhere... 

There isn't one that I can find either. Might have to contact Marc Ingegno. But for me, it wears abnormally as it wears down.

[CT2K]

Thanks again guys for your various contribution. Now I know the brakes are Marc. when I run a search on Marc+Brakes, I don't seem to find something that makes sense and that is linked to aircraft brakes. Should you know of a link that points to where I can purchase those pads, please feel free to share, and if you want to share your recommendations, the steps, dos and donts to replace the pads, that will be mostly welcome.

Editing to say that I have come across this link:

 

[BravoFoxtrot]

From my notes: 
P/N: 010102107 REVO Daisy Brake Disk
New: 4MM Thick
Minimum: 3.2MM (Per Marc Ingegno)

I can not find my original source, so take it for what it is worth.

[CT2K]

Still looking for a source to gent these pads.

does the wheel have to come out in order to access the pads?

[CT_MATT]

https://www.1motoshop.com/small-aircraft-brakes/866-goldfren-aircraft-brake-pads-905ad.html?search_query=905&results=15

[BravoFoxtrot]

Another source:

https://www.aircraftspruce.eu/goldfren-brake-pads-905.htm

If you want to do both wheels, you will need two sets.

[CT2K]

Thanks a lot for those interesting details.

When you suggest to «unscrew the two screws that hold the pads in place», are these two screws visible on the pictures I uploaded?

Today I was with another fellow pilot talking next my CT and I understood from him that all I need would be a screw driver to insert between the pad and the rotor and push the pad back until there is enough space for the new and thicker pads to get in, the old pads would drop by itself and I would be able  to put the new pads in place and that would be it. Is this another correct approach?

[Mike Koerner]

CT2K,

To my eye it looks like your “1 cent” coin (1/100 of a Euro) is about the same thickness as the "dime" (1/10 of a US dollar) Roger referred too.

If you have the option, you might consider changing to Matco brakes. My plane had had Marc brakes originally. Matco brakes stop the plane more effectively, they don’t drag or get stuck, and you don’t have to pump the handle multiple times to actuate them. In my opinion they are a much better design.

Mike Koerner

[Tom Baker]

7 hours ago, Mike Koerner said:

CT2K,

To my eye it looks like your “1 cent” coin (1/100 of a Euro) is about the same thickness as the "dime" (1/10 of a US dollar) Roger referred too.

If you have the option, you might consider changing to Matco brakes. My plane had had Marc brakes originally. Matco brakes stop the plane more effectively, they don’t drag or get stuck, and you don’t have to pump the handle multiple times to actuate them. In my opinion they are a much better design.

Mike Koerner

Mike, when I worked the booth at Oshkosh and on the forums I have heard of several instances of the Matco brakes getting stuck due to worn brake pads. This thread is the first I have heard of the Marc brakes getting stuck. In over 1,000 hours of operation between 2 different aircraft I never experienced a sticking brake with the Marcs.