Improperly installed or detached saddle pads are a serious and common cause of Cessna 210 main gear not successfully engaging the down locks. A partially detached pad can fold over which doubles the effective thickness and prevents the gear leg from getting far enough into the saddle. The gear down light won’t illuminate because the lock can’t engage the pin on the leg. When checked in the shop with the plane on jacks, the pad may find its proper position, and the problem won’t present itself. A few flights later it may happen again. Intermittent problems are troublesome and costly.
I’ve seen some interesting attempts to replace the saddle pads on the 210 main gear saddle shells, and even created a couple of my own. These can be properly replaced in the field, and Textron will provide the part number of the pad as well as the adhesive. They do not provide a specific procedure for replacing the pad, but it seems to fall within the FAA allowances for a certificated mechanic’s work scope. The procedure needed is as simple as following the adhesive manufacturer’s instructions for proper adhesion which is generally printed right on the side of the container.
Most of the unsuccessful saddle pad replacements that we’ve seen relate to use of inappropriate adhesive. There aren’t many adhesives that will bond the two different materials and stand up to the uneven compression and shear loads presented when the gear leg is in place. We’ve seen a few attempts at substitute pad material as well. These seem to fare much better than the alternate adhesives. Few of these substitutes seem to last very long.
The most interesting field replacement attempt we found is the one shown in the attached photo. Someone installed an unknown substitute material that is much harder than the original, actually hard enough to use rivets to attach it to the shield. It is also much thicker than the original which changed the rigging of the main gear down locks. The unapproved modification included drilling holes in the shell which rendered these assemblies unusable as cores for exchange.
One can purchase the shell assembly from Textron at a very high price. A more economical option is to find one of the few companies that will supply approved exchange shell assemblies. Field replacement is also doable if the shell is properly prepped, the correct adhesive is used, the correct pad is used, and the parts are vacuum bagged together while the adhesive fully cures.
A final step to ensure the longevity of the shell assembly is to properly position the saddle assembly relative to the gear leg. The gear leg should contact the center of the saddle with about a 70% contact area. The leg shouldn’t rub on either side of the pad as the leg enters into position in the saddle. When installed correctly, the original pads last for many years.
Copyright © Paul New 2021. All rights reserved.
We are an Aircraft Maintenance Organisation based out of Nelspruit, South Africa. I have read your article with great interest and was wondering where one can get the part number for the 210 saddle shell pad and adhesive. Perhaps you have this information and if willing, would be most grateful of you passing it on. The cost of a new saddle, at our current rate of exchange, is prohibitive and our customers are not happy with the price especialy if we want to put a little on top.
We would recommend contacting Textron tech support. They may be able to give you a breakdown of the part numbers for the saddle shell pad and adhesive.
Saddle Pad part# 1241630-9 (left) / 1241630-10 (right). These cost close to $320 each.
Adhesive is a two part epoxy paste. Henkel Loctite EA 9309.3NA Aero (Part #U000701) Be careful when purchasing because 9309NA is different from 9309.2 and 9309.3. They have different shear strengths. Red and blue is the color you are looking for. They do make 50 gram packets that should be enough to glue up two saddles and cost around $40.
If you were to order complete with them already glued up on the saddle it will cost in the vicinity of $1500 each.
I see the 4 bolts that hold the saddles in place have drilled heads. Are these bolts supposed to be safetied? I am working on one now that I just noticed are not safetied and am wondering if I should be taking everything apart to do so.
All the ones we have seen through the years have not been safetied. We can only assume they were not safetied from the factory.
They use Loctite on those bolts rather than safety wire, which is damned near impossible there. I don’t know the specific grade of Loctite off the top of my head, but it’s in the Service Manual.
Glad I found this thread. You saved me from having to do a whole landing gear rig by explaining this in depth and the pointing out the condition of the pad in the saddle. Moved the pad to lie flat and the gear locked right into position. Thank you Author!!!! I will be replacing the pad once it is received. Whoever wrote this deserves a free cup of coffee or a beer after work.