What's going on here Aermotor 702 Please help!

[BreakingWindGuy]

I can't seem to figure out what is going on with this 702 I rebuilt. This isn't my first one, but I am still learning and have not run into this before. Maybe someone can shed some light on this...

When completely furled (even on a stand) there is about a one-inch gap between the tailbone and A585. It seems like the brake is keeping it from going any further. It lines up good up and down, but has this gap between the tailbone and A585 when it should be against it. Is there a brake adjustment that can bring it closer? I tried turning the nut on the brake but it is very very tight. (Brake band and spring assembly is new, along with new hub and furling arms, linkage upper and lower.)
If I left it this way the tail would move back and forth with the wind when furled in. A768 is against the stop. I will try to show a pic on here if i can get it to work. Any ideas? I am stumped!

[windybob]

It's a bit difficult for me to see what's going on. Here is something we do, that may help if I understand things. Small block chevy engine main bearing caps....we keep a few on the truck, with bolts long enough to put 2 together. IF...the furl "Y" is all the way down, and the mill is not furled enough, what you can do is to bolt 2 main bearing caps between the upper and the lower furling rings, making a "spacer" of sorts. You can visualize what this would do. You should re adjust your pullout handle down on the tower leg after doing this, but it almost always solves the issue of the furling "Y" all the way down, but the mill not furling enough. The rear main bearing cap wont work for this. All you need is an inch or so, which the other caps do.

[BreakingWindGuy]

I know the pic is sideways for some reason but if you look at the gap between A585 the part that brings the tailbone around, and the tailbone itself, there is a big gp there about an inch. I know it's maybe hard to see the red arm in the pic.
I know what your referring to, but even with the furling mechanisms off when I had it on the stand in my shop it still had the gap. I don't want to bend the arm bringing it closer to the tailbone but it seems like the brake is not allowing it to pull the tailbone. The tailbone will go all the way over, but the linkage allows too much slop between A585 and the tailbone. Can I adjust the brake spring/nut? That might help. The brake seems tight now if I hold the arms like I was furling it...maybe the new hub (aftermarket) is a bit to big where the brake band sets?

[LoTec]

You say there is a gap between 585 and the tailbone "when completely furled." The governor spring should be pulling the tailbone up against the stop on the 585. If the 585 is not moving far enough, there ordinarily would not be a gap between tailbone and 585; there would be a gap between the 659 buffer and the gearbox.

My suspicion is that the straps and rivets of your 609 furl lever (aka brake harness) are worn, so its cast collar doesn't move as far up the mast pipe as it originally did, so the 528 furl rods don't push as far on 585 and 786. I pretty much always rebuild the 609 if I have a mill apart in the shop. There are various ways to compensate for the worn 609 if a mill is on the tower and you don't want to take it down just to mess with the 609. One way is what Windy described: put a shim between brake harness collar and the upper furl ring. Aermotor at some point in time sold extra long 528 furl rods, another approach to compensating for the worn 609. The cheap and dirty approach many folks use is to weld a big nut on the 786 brake lever and one on the 585 tail lever, at the business end where each does its pushing. Another trick is to bolt or weld some kind of extension on the tailbone where the 585 makes contact, to make the tailbone wider and fill in the gap there.

[BreakingWindGuy]

The furling mechanisms are all new. I can push on the 585 out hard even without the furling linkage and there is still a gap between the tailbone and 585. Seems like the brake is not closing the gap. The tail has movement with everything furled tight. New brake band too. Hmmm...

[CTXmiller]

This might not help, but most of the literature I have seen has the buffer (659) bolted to the other side of the tailbone flat bar. I have had to adjust a new brake band with a rubber mallet for best fit.

Unrelated, but the vane spring is most typically seen (that I have seen) below the tailbone top and not on top of it.

Your rebuild looks good.

[BreakingWindGuy]

Thanks! I need to inspect it closer...

[BreakingWindGuy]

I figured it out! It was the new brake I got. I put the old one on and it works perfectly. I should have used it originally as it is hardly worn, but I figured a new bake would make it "better." I think the new brake band (aftermarket?) may be a "bit" too thick. Thanks for the replies.....