Gear Issue! Need PA-30 gear motor overhaul or replacement

[David Pfeffer]

Flew the check flight prior to pickup today. Selected gear up and got nadda. Climbed to altitude and found the gear circuit breaker popped. Reset, attempted gear up, popped again. Pulled floor board to confirm gear was still down/locked (still had green light anyhow). Landed uneventfully. Some troubleshooting on jacks found the gear motor was shot. Pulled the motor and found the armature purple. Need to overhaul it.

Can anyone suggest an overhaul exchange or overhaul? I'm in Florida.

Also, anyone have any idea how we only have one seloinoid in the PA-30 for gear up AND down?? The wiring diagram doesn't seem to explain it. It shows 2 wires going to the motor. I have 4. The seloinoid only has one end. Haven't seen that set up before.

And, need to check the limit switches to ensure that wasnt the cause for the motor burn out. From the maint manual/wiring diagrams, if I have a green gear down light, the seloinoid shouldn't provide any power to the motor. If I have a green gear down light, ALL three limit switches are closed. Can someone just confirm that?

Thanks!!!

[MULEFLY]

David... you are lucky... being in FL you are close to the greatest expert on the Comanche Gear system Matt Kurke... comanchegear.com.... Sorry Hans is pretty damn good too...

Matt can help you...

Jim

[Kristin Winter]

There could be a whole bunch of stuff going wrong. The conduits could be binding, the rigging could be off, etc. Matt Kurke of Comanche Gear is down in Naples, FL. Do yourself a favor and get him involved. He will probably be willing for gas money to come up to you. No one knows the landing gear better than Matt.

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

The light circuit and the motor circuit are two separate animals. Each of the limit switches is a dual pole switch. The light is wired in series, and the gear motor power is wired in parallel. Two entirely separate circuits. That means that all must make to turn the light on, but the last one to make turns the motor off. Like Kristin says, you could have lots of issues, including a broken transmission housing if you have a Dura. If the thrust bearing is blown out of the housing, the gears can bind, jaming the system and smoking the motor. Check out www.comanchegear.com for film of this issue among others. Matt would be a good guy to call for sure.
-Zach

[Matt Bogard]

I can tell you from experience that purchasing Matt Kurke's gear harness replacement kit, having Matt Kurke overhaul your motor and transmission, and installing new Webco Teflon push-pull landing gear cables will let you sleep much better at night. Ask my pillow!

[Ray B]

I concur with Mr Bogard above. I did all three when I first purchased 6659P three years ago. You will be amazed at how cruddy the old wiring and switches are and how hard the old gear conduits (cables) push and pull once out of the plane. Plus the new smooth sound coming from the gear motor and trans will allow for much better sleeping.-----On a side note, buying the gas for matt to fly his 400 Comanche up to your place could be a real treat if you've never seen his 400. Just the sound of 720 Cu Ins will bring you hanger neighbors moseying over to check it out. And be sure to climb under neath to check out the wheel wells and retract system, they never looked that good coming out of Piper! Ray B

[David Pfeffer]

Thank all. Matt's getting me a motor and brake and we're checking the limit switches to start. Apprecaiate the help!