The Murphy Builders Site

MAM's site is back up and operating properly. The Spring Gear changes for
the Rebel and Elite are to only drill the 7/16" holes for the SG-10 crush
tubes in the top of the FUS-5's, as I did on a customers Rebel fuselage that
I built last winter and had posted to the this list (instead of both the top
and bottom tube walls as the original SG manual showed). This adds the 0.125
wall thickness of the FUS- 5 to the equation when the assembly tries to rip
out in a chuck hole or snow bank. Remember how much fun I had drilling to
7/16 from the top on the rear tube though so make sure your door sills
aren't riveted in place if going this route with your spring gear, or be
ready to be creative with a unibit and a "kmart" ratchet or an air ratchet
to open up those rear holes.

The other MAM SG reinforcement is to take a piece of 3/16" x 2" x 2" angle
and rivet it to the FUS-5, each side on the forward tube only to help spread
the load of the forward saddle bolt that tries to pull down and out in a
chuck hole or under heavy breaking.

There is a few other things posted for changes and also a Construction
bulletin for putting the JDM 3 piece wheels together!

Take a boo and decide what to work on next!!!

Regards,
Wayne G. O'Shea
www.irishfield.on.ca





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Wayne,

I don't get the spring gear crush tube thing. The original manual in 1994
shows only the top of fus 5 drilled to 7/16. That was later revised to show
only the bottom of fus 5 drilled to 7/16. Now the latest shows both top and
bottom of fus 5 drilled to 7/16.

How does drilling out fus 5, so the crush tube goes completely through, add
any strength to the whole structure? The 2"x2" angle reinforcement makes
sense but I can't see what difference the crush tube makes weather it butts
the inside of fus 5 or passes through it.

I have already added 3/16 2"x3" plates on top of fus 5 at the forward bolt
like you advised last year. Would you recommend replacing it with MAM's new
riveted angle reinforcement?

Bruce G 357R



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Bruce, the only manual showing Spring Gear, that I had (since you know it's
not my favorite!), was the one the customer supplied to build his fuselage
for him. It showed the 7/16" hole drilled right through both walls of the
FUS-5's, with the crush tube only retained by the .063 plates. The update on
MAM's site is now showing to only drill the top wall. The time that I was
working on the gear mount for his fuselage coinsided with the pickup of the
other customers Rebel that ripped the spring gear off in the snow and went
on it's back late last winter. From what I saw of how it pulled
apart/crushed/broke/etc I chose to do the crush tubes as now shown on the
MAM upgrade to add the extra .125 wall that will need to be ripped out. This
will help strengthen things as, if it is drilled right through, in a hard
pull the crush tube/saddle bolt and all would be pulled down through the
FUS-5 denting or pulling through the SG .063 plates on the top. Especially
the original set up that was just a penny washer on top and no plates. IF
you added the 3/16" plates you should be fine as it will spread the loads to
the tube side walls as we previoulsy discussed. The angle that MAM is now
showing would be better as the corner of the angle piece would help hold it
straight and make it harder for it to bow in, in a bad chuck hole. You
should be fine as is, they are just something you need to keep an eye on.
Torque the bolts properly at final assembly. If they go loose, check for
tube "squeeze" and install new bolts regardless!

FWIW, when I got onto the rebuild of the snow damaged Rebel I passed on the
crush tube all together and made inserts for the tube from pressure treated
wood (that's well treated and everythings covered with epoxy primer to keep
the water out). This allowed for the saddle bolts to be torqued properly and
will make it hard for the saddle bolts to deform the tubes. I felt that this
would give it a strength somewhere between the SG-10 crush tubes and what
some others have done with solid aluminum blocks. I didn't want to go with
the solid aluminum blocks as I felt that then in a severe hit on the gear
the FUS-5 and spring gear saddles would go unscathed, at the unfortunate
expense of destroying the main door posts hollow carrythrough tube (they
would be a hell of a lot more work to replace than the FUS-5's!)

Regards,
Wayne G. O'Shea
www.irishfield.on.ca

----- Original Message -----
From: <Legeorgen@cs.com>
To: <murphy-rebel@dcsol.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2002 11:10 PM
Subject: Re: MAM SITE - Spring Gear Reinforce, etc.

Wayne,

I don't get the spring gear crush tube thing. The original manual in 1994
shows only the top of fus 5 drilled to 7/16. That was later revised to

show

only the bottom of fus 5 drilled to 7/16. Now the latest shows both top

and

bottom of fus 5 drilled to 7/16.

How does drilling out fus 5, so the crush tube goes completely through,

add

any strength to the whole structure? The 2"x2" angle reinforcement makes
sense but I can't see what difference the crush tube makes weather it

butts

the inside of fus 5 or passes through it.

I have already added 3/16 2"x3" plates on top of fus 5 at the forward bolt
like you advised last year. Would you recommend replacing it with MAM's

new

riveted angle reinforcement?

Bruce G 357R

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Wayne,

I hear you when you say the spring gear is not your favorite. Unfortunately
when I picked up this Rebel the spring gear was already installed (with 1994
installation instructions). In the 1994 installation the crush tube is only
drilled through the bottom of fus 5. And the .063 plates on top (inside the
fuselage) where originally sent out only 35 3/4" wide so they where short of
the outside saddle bolts. Yes! This was in the original spring gear
installation kit. I'm guessing the plates were short of the saddle bolts to
make it an easier retrofit on existing Rebels, so one would not have to take
out the inside floor corner raps.

The CD 2001 manual I purchased last year, when I bought this project from Ken
Hazlet, shows the crush tube drilled through BOTH walls of the fus 5. And the
.063 top plates 43 1/2" wide so as to include the outside saddle bolts.

The latest and greatest from MAM now says only drill the top wall of fuselage
5. And add the reinforcing angles.

So this leaves me with the worst of both worlds. I have spring gear with the
crush tube drilled through the bottom of fuselage 5. And the top .063 plates
(SG 14 and 8, I think) short of the saddle bolts. I have added the 3/16
plates you suggested last year but this only brings the top of the 3/16 plate
level with the .063 plates that are short.
I think I will add the 2x2 angle MAM now suggest on top of the 3/16 plates
and call it good. Let me know if you think this will not be adequate. Like
you said, I would rather replace the fuselage 5 than have to fix the door
post bulkhead, if it ever came to that.

Wayne, I can't tell you enough how much of an asset you are to the rest of us
builders. Bob P too! Also, Mike and the rest of you contributers/builders.
Since I have been on this list I have seen MAM adopt two of Wayne's personal
fix's. The tail post and spring gear plates. Maybe more. Was the float and
firewall fix's originally yours too?

Bruce G 357R





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