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Finally got that stubborn actuator swapped on a 737 after 2 hours of swearing
The left thrust reverser actuator on a 737-800 kept throwing a fault code last week. Turns out the locking pin was seized from some corrosion, had to hit it with PB Blaster and a small drift punch to get it free. Has anyone else run into this on the CFM56 engines or was it just me?
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the_karen10d ago
Yeah that seized locking pin is a common pain point, I ran into the same thing on a CFM56 a few months back and had to soak it in penetrating oil overnight before it finally broke free. A small punch and patience did the trick for me too, though I also gave the actuator a few light taps with a rubber mallet to help work the corrosion loose. Have you checked the pin bore for any pitting after you got it out?
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irisross10d ago
The pin bore pitting is a good question and honestly that's where I've seen the real trouble start. If you don't clean that bore out properly with a small brush and some crocus cloth, the new pin will seize up just as fast as the old one did. I learned that the hard way on a CFM56-7B about two years ago. After I got the old pin out I just slid the new one in without checking the bore, and within two cycles it was stuck again. Now I always run a bore gauge through there first to see if the corrosion has changed the diameter at all. Have you ever had to oversize a pin or sleeve the bore to get a good fit again?
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