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Thread: Intermittent Electric Trim Actuator

  1. #31

    Join Date
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    Default Re: Intermittent Electric Trim Actuator

    Quote Originally Posted by DesertFox4 View Post
    Thanks Dan for the update on this issue. Hope your info will save others down time and some money also.
    No problem. Wanted to add that if people are willing to tolerate a momentary contact toggle switch rather than the more convenient rocker switch, you can get a mil spec switch with the same wiring. The Aircraft Spruce part number is MS35059-27

    dan

  2. #32
    Super Moderator desertdave's Avatar
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    Default Re: Intermittent Electric Trim Actuator

    Giving this another bump and another update for those with the Skystar grey colored trim switch. I went flying two days ago and the electric trim only worked one way. No biggie, drop the flaps to 1/2 and the plane was trimmed nicely. Landed and back at the hanger things worked again. I had bought a new switch and bezel from Kitfox a few months back and swapped the old for the new. Afterwards I disassembled the old switch and found a bunch of debris in the housing and a bit of arcing. My advice to anybody running the old type, gray colored switch is to swap in a new switch of your choice.

    IMG_2412.jpg
    Dave
    KitFox 6 Taildragger
    912 ULS
    Whirlwind 70” Prop
    Garmin G3x
    All around nice guy

  3. #33

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    Default Re: Intermittent Electric Trim Actuator

    Quote Originally Posted by airlina View Post
    John, here is a place to start for the trim actuator www.motionsystem.com. I suspect that ours is a model 85615/85616 however I am not positive about this. We will need someone who is still building to see if they can find a model number on their actuator as mine is buried in a completed airplane. Bruce Lina N199CL
    Update on this for anyone looking for the company making this actuator, it appears it has changed names: https://www.actuator.com/products/

    Turns out the rod end they supplied is not the best quality and is very sticky so I was looking for a replacement on aircraftspruce but neither HM nor Aurora has a part as compact as what is supplied. The closest match is the GMM-4M-470 AURORA BEARING but its likely I will just have to use the sticky ball end unless I want to replace the whole actuator.

  4. #34
    Denalifox's Avatar
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    Feb 2019
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    Palmer, Alaska
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    117

    Default Re: Intermittent Electric Trim Actuator

    Is there some form of slippage or clutch to allow the motor to continue to spin when the actuator hits either limit? Reason I ask is I don't use the trim indicator. I just turn around and when the horizontal stops moving I release the button.
    S7 STi O-320 currently flying

  5. #35

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    Default Re: Intermittent Electric Trim Actuator

    The ball screw just freewheels at each end of the range of motion, there is no clutch. When the actuator hits the end of its range of motion it simply stops extending/retracting while the motor keeps spinning at the same RPM.
    Last edited by 3kdscf; 07-29-2022 at 03:56 PM.

  6. #36

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    Default Re: Intermittent Electric Trim Actuator

    Quote Originally Posted by canelson View Post
    I have a Series 6 with Series 7 firewall forward Kitfox that has been flying for 2 years. I have been having trouble with the trim system where it intermittently stops working. I verified the switch is ok. A friend who is an RV builder found the following link that describes an issue with the electric flap actuator used on some RVs. It explains how grease from the actuator gear box gets into the motor housing and screws up the brush/commutator electrical connection. I took my actuator out and it is the same make as that shown in the RV document. I took it apart and found that grease was indeed in the motor housing and the commutator and brushes were coated with guck which I suspect is my problem. I have reassembled after cleaning and it works fine on the bench. Time will tell if I still have the intermittent problem but I don't think I will.

    Here is the link to the RV document:
    http://vansaircraft.com/pdf/flap_motor.pdf

    _______________
    Craig Nelson
    Eden Prairie, MN
    Congratulations on disassembling your actuator and getting it back together, I ended up having to buy another. Just a warning, my problem turned out to be the rocker switch despite the fact that it appeared to be OK when checking with a voltmeter. The voltmeter read +12V with the actuator disconnected but the when the actuator was connected, the voltage was zero - this is because the bad rocker switch had very high resistance. I ended up replacing my rocker with a good old mil spec toggle switch and it has been working fine ever since.

    I also have a series 6 with 7 FWF that has been flying for two years

  7. #37

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    Default Re: Intermittent Electric Trim Actuator

    Quote Originally Posted by Birddog View Post
    canelson:

    I am a new subscriber to this forum and your thread caught my attention. I have a Series 6 that was completed in early 2002 and now has over 600 hours on the Hobbs. During that period I have replaced the trim rocker switch twice. The contacts detorate over a short period due to the continual actuation in cruise. I know that this problem be could be reduced if I had slowed the actuator speed with a series restistor. I have read where this has been done before. If anyone on the forum has done this successfully, I would like to know what restinance value they found most effective.

    I would also like to know the make and model of the actuator provided for the Series 6 without having to remove it. It sounds loud while operated with the engine not running. I'm trying to find out what is the normal running current, and if it requires periodic lubercation.

    John
    Warrenton, VA
    Hi John,

    I also have a series 6 and my rocker switch failed after 90 hours of operation. I simply replaced it with the much more robust MIL spec switch from aircraft spruce. I now have 400 hours and have had no troubles since I put in the MIL spec switch. Its a SPDT momentary contact toggle switch, wired the same way as the rocker switch. The order number from aircraft spruce is MS35059-27.


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