Sportstar Brakes

[JimG]

Just looking for opinions on brake bleeding proceedures for the Sportstar with dual toe brakes.

 

Anyone got any experience or good tips on do's and don'ts.

 

Thanks

 

JimG

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Having bleed brakes on just about everything over the years, I prefer the pressure bleed from the bottom up method, as it is the quickest and easiest way to get all the air bubbles out. Generally always gives you nice firm brakes, quickly.

 

Proceedure is: Remove fill caps from brake reservoirs.

 

Place a rag under each, or find somebody who can watch them for you.

 

Grab a standard small oil squirt can (red, from Supercheap) and fill it with

 

the correct brake fluid for your system. (check the book and make sure you are using the correct one, or it WILL stuff your system).

 

Place about 10" of clear plastic tubing over the outlet of the oil can. It must be a tight fit over both the oil can outlet, and the bleed nipple on your brake caliper.

 

Then...with the clear plastic tube full of fliud not air, undo the bleed nipple until fluid drips out. Place the plastic tube over the nipple and pump.

 

When the fluid comes out of the reservois fill holes, your done. Nip up the bleed nipples and replace the fill caps. If your not the manly type, and don't want fluid running over the floor of your plane, you can find fittings that will screw into your reservois, attach a tube and run it into a bottle.

 

Note: There is no pumping of the brake pedals with this method, you're just

 

forcing nice clean fluid up the brake line, and pushing out any air

 

bubbles.

 

The three commonly used brake fluids in Rec aircraft are: 5606 Mil Spec Hyd fluid (red), Dextron 111 auto trans fluid (red), or Standard auto type brake fluid (clear, sometimes purple). DON'T mix them, and do use what your aircraft manufacturer recommends....or else !.

 

 

[JimG]

Thanks Maj, great advice and very well explained, I'll give that a go.:thumb_up:

 

JimG

 

 

[Thruster87]

The 5606 Mil spec I use on the Zenith 601xl with Matco Brakes is Aeroshell Fluid 41

 

and I bled mine using the syringe method [you can control the flow rate better] rather then the oil can from the bottom up as well. Cheers

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

Also, if you are replacing the pads, we just found out much thicker pads are now available, so lasting a lot longer. And if you know what a pain it is to take the wheels of a SportStar, you know you want them to last as long as possible!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Are the Sporty brakes the Italian ones as used on the Tecnam, Savvy and Storch ??. If so can you share the pad part No with us, and where they are available from in Oz. Thanks Maj.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

hey Major when Darr had the storch he had the master cylinders mounted on the stick for hand use and found that we could not stop it. tried various things then came to the realisation the pads were to hard. the local brake shop rebuilt them with softer material. so unless certified oem is an issue you should be able to get them locally.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Thanks mate, I do not like flying Storches unless the brakes work well, because often you will need them after touchdown on sealed runways for directional control as you probabily know. How is Darry, I need to give him a call.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

haven't spoken to dar for a while, unfortunatly his attitude is to over the top for me.