Nose Strut Pressure

[Aviator737]

Preflighting a Cessna 150 today, I noticed that the nose gear piston tube was showing only about a finger-and-half-width's worth of chrome. In fact, the ends of the scissors hinges were touching each other - it was compressed to its limit. I figured trying to manuever the 150 on the ground could mean some nasty metal grinding.

Following the "never fly with less than three fingers worth of chrome," I didn't fly. But I realized I'd never been told what to do if I should run into that problem. Is this an issue only a mechanic can fix? Or is there something stupid simple a pilot can do to correct it and be on his/her merry way?

 

[JHines]

First thing to do would be to lift and/or bounce the nose just a bit to see if the nose strut is just stuck. If low, fairly easy to fill (schrader valve) but uses nitrogen and have to remove the cowling, so basically an A&P job.

 

[TheGirlinPurple]

Have an A&P fix it.

 

[montanapilot]

were you at Twin Oaks? did you talk to Bob or Danny about it?

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

Take the cowling off, and look directly at the nose strut, you will see a valve that looks like like a bicycle tire valve. You can air it up from there with an air compressor.

The strut's o-ring may have been broken, so if you see fluid, it needs to be rebuilt.