Just got a 737's main gear door to seal perfectly after two days of fighting it

It was a 2019 model that came in with a write-up for a slow leak. The door would not sit flush by about an eighth of an inch on the forward edge. I spent a whole shift checking hinges and actuators, everything was in spec. Yesterday I finally pulled the seal and found a tiny, hard piece of FOD, maybe a piece of plastic, wedged in the channel. Cleaned it out, reinstalled, and the door closed with that solid 'thump' you love to hear. Pressure check held for 24 hours no problem. Anyone else ever find something weird jammed in a seal track like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly_hart283d ago

Ever get that feeling where you're overthinking the big stuff and it's something stupid small? I had a similar thing on a 757 where the door just wouldn't sit right. Tore my hair out for a day and a half before I ran a shop towel through the seal channel and pulled out a bunch of crusted up sealant beads. That solid thump is the best sound, isn't it?

irisp673d ago

Sounds like you wasted two days on a simple fix. Should have pulled the seal first, that's basic troubleshooting.