> > I have two questions. Since I bought my plane the left > > brake has dragged. It has gotten worse with time. Tonight > > It was bad enough that it can no longer be ignored.
Cleveland brakes use magnesium housings and aluminum pucks. Magnesium is actually corrosion in a unstable metalic form. The moisture and dust get into the space (thousanths of an inch) between the housing and puck. The magnesium reverts to its natural form, which looks like baking powder and takes up more space, jamming the puck. The hydraulics will force the piston out, but it will not retract. If it's not too far gone, you can dissassemble it and remove the corrosion with silicon dioxide paper. DO NOT USE EMERY CLOTH!!!! Put in a new O-ring and go. Some people advocate using anti-sieze to prevent further corrosiuon, but I'm not convinced. I clean mine and replace the O-rings about once a year. I have not had a problem with the pins sticking, but mine are pretty loose. I use LPS 3 on them. I'd think anti-seize would collect grit. On preflight, you should be able to press the piston into the housing with your hand, otherwise something is wrong. John
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