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Marv,  you concluded:



<It would have been much easier if Lancair had said "the cylinder should

bottom out when the gear is extended and the stop sleeve should be setup as

the gear up stop....>



You are absolutely correct.  Let me reinforce your conclusion by reviewing the

following:



1.  The cylinder must bottom out on extension.  Not because of pressure on the

over center link, but because the actuating push rod can be bent. The first

round of manuals (circa 1989) did not contain the "extend to bottom out"

admonition.  Mine had about 1/4 inch of push remaining.  In the case of any

side load (I never figured out how or when), that remaining push will bend the

push rod.  On a flight where I did a test of the emergency extension

procedure, I could not get the left main to lock down until I re-applied

hydraulic pressure (I think the rod was slightly bent at this time).

Inspection before my next flight revealed the push rod was significantly bent

(I had to check it twice because I thought is just looked that way since I

have astigmatism) and this could have resulted in one gear leg jammed

partially up.  Or partially down, whichever is worse.



2. The up stop is important so the wheel is not drawn thru the top of the wing

or crushes the inboard gear door control valve.  The cylinder need not bottom

out in this circumstance.  However, I too saw the need for a longer stop after

adjusting it to bottom out on the down stroke.  Also, my new Wolstenholm

actuators were the same, but slightly different since the stop plate was

recessed further than the original Matcos.  I had longer stops made since I

didn't like the possibility of the washers sliding up or down the push rod and

jamming against the overcenter wing attach point which would result in a bent

push rod, etc. etc.



Scott Krueger

N92EX