cameronb52•13d agoProlific Poster

Tried the 'penny trick' on a Cessna 172 flap track and it did not go as planned

So I was working on this old 172 at our field, trying to get a bit of play out of the flap track rollers. An old timer told me once that you could use a penny as a temporary shim to check the wear, which sounded like a neat field fix. I got a bright, clean penny and carefully slid it in. Instead of just sitting there, the thing got absolutely wedged. I mean, stuck solid. Spent the next 45 minutes with a pick, some lube, and a lot of gentle tapping trying to get Lincoln's face out of there without scoring the track. Learned that a penny is just a hair too thick for that specific gap, and also that copper can gall against steel real easy. What's your go-to method for a quick wear check on those tracks when you don't have the proper gauges handy?

3 comments

3 Comments

veramiller13d ago

Oh man, "got absolutely wedged" is putting it nicely. I once used a feeler gauge blade that decided to live there forever, had to drill the rivets out. My go-to is just a strip from a soda can now, it's thin enough to not get stuck but you can still feel the play.

victor_ward9d ago

Damn, drilling out rivets sounds brutal. Phoenix_wells is right about the business card paper pulp being a nightmare too. Soda can strip is the move, zero chance of it breaking apart on you.

phoenix_wells13d ago

A penny for your thoughts, but not for your flap tracks. I learned a similar lesson using a piece of a business card that tore off and left me picking out little bits of paper pulp. The soda can trick is a good one.