Rom Air Retracts
 

I've read several posts regarding the classic Rom Air's.

Most are from a few years ago. Amazing this website archives that far back. A nice touch!

Anyway, I have acquired a brand new, "old" set of trikes, complete with manual, valves and all fittings. Unfortunately, when I rotate the wire legs 90 degrees so as to be able to mount into wing nacelles, the coils bang into the pressure cylinders, preventing a full tuck-up cycle. Not good.

My A-26 needs retracts that are able to rotate front to back and tuck up completely into the wing nacelles.

Anyone have a suggestion? I'd be willing to trade for another set of trikes that will function as I have described.

Guess I might end up installing these into another model on the back burner, a Red Star Models Yak-3 if I can't find what I need...

PM

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

Try swaping the main legs side to side and they will retract fully. Have not used Rom Retracts in 10years. Check all "O" rings as they go hard over time and leak.

Cheers

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

You can reassemble the parts of the Rhom Airs so that the air cylinder is the other way around so that the retract area is clear of the cylinder. Make sure they still lock in the down position.
Chuck

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

Once I got the 2-56 slot head bolts out, I swapped the frame around and retightened everything. Yeah, it works and the gear appear to lock ok.

The only drawback now is that, unlike a wing where you have lotza room, in a nacelle the pressure cylinder extends through the bulkhead, lol...

I'll have to drill an access hole, 5/8" in diameter in order to fit the retracts properly, similar to a firewall with a fuel tank stopper sticking through it.

I'll recut the 3/16" ply firewalls out of 1/4" birch to compensate carving out these access holes.

Looks like the Rom Airs will work afterall.

Now, if I could just get some insight on converting these over from freon to compressed air, I'll be 100%.

PM

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

To convert from Freon to air simply fill the reservoir with compressed air. Seriously, no other change is necessary. I have heard that air is better anyway because the Freon could wash out the lubricants.

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

Also if you are searching you will get more hits if you spell it correctly. Rhom Air

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

Based on the use several sets of Rhom Airs in the past, I would use something else. They do not hold up well compared to whats available today. In their day, they were top of the line. The bushing in the pivots wear fast, and the nylon sliders break very easy, or wear out fast.

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

Interesting. I thought the lubricants came from using the Freon 12 and the oil that is injected along with the freon gas. Compressed air has no such lubricant.

This is what I am referring to when I say "conversion". The storage bottle has the feed tube extending mid-way through it. This is to keep the fluid from entering the pressure cylinder but does allow the oil to mix with the gas so as to be injected into the seal and "O" rings for that lubrication.

Using compressed air denies the piston seals the oil needed to keep them from getting hard.

I appreciate the reply and I would hope it to be as easy as you suggest. However, I think that there may be more to it than that. If not, then all the information I've read regarding the "O" rings, etc., must not be valid.

Oh, and the name thing?? Sorry buddy but you're dead WRONG.

See the photo.

Thanks!

PM

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

Man you have a "mis-printed" manual. It's been Rhom Air for at least 30 years. If you don't beleive it, just try an interenet search for "Rom Air", and then try "Rhom Air".

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

Reminds me of a customer I had once in Dillards back in Ft Worth.

It was a Monday and I was cleaning the showcases when this lady walks up and asks to see the Seikos on sale. I politely explained that we did not have our Seikos on sale that week.


With that, the lady replied that I was implying she was a liar. Fortunately, I had a Ft Worth Star Telegram behind the counter.

I spread the paper out on the counter and invited her to look for our ad in the Sunday edition. She humored me and we both scanned each and every page of the newspaper.

When we finished that last page and with all the seriousness and determination of a customer who knew she was right, she proclaimed,
"Well! It certainly was in MY paper!" and with that she walked away.

Since these retracts have been out of production for many years and as we cannot ask anyone at the company about a possible spelling snafu, I'm inclined to go with what's in my hands and learn to live with the possibility that MY manual might have a typo, lol...

And as far as Internet hits go, ROM AIR RETRACTS return 36,700 hits On Google. RHOM AIR RETRACTS return 726. Hmmm

But hey, we're all friends here so let's let this one go and get back to the core question regarding the 526wgt oil the retracts need to stay healthy.

PM

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

I suspect the lubricants in the freon are for the air conditioning compressors where the freon is normally used. I do occasionally (read very rarely) lube my retracts with air tool oil. My R(h)oms continue to work; most have never seen freon; and are possibly 25 years old. A piece of foam in the wheel wells will help stop the vibration that beats out the plastic bushings.

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

By itself Freon 12 does not contain any lubricants. So when using Freon 12, you were supposed to inject a small amount of refrigeration oil into the system every now and then to keep the O-rings lubricated.

By switching over to compressed air, the refrigeration oil was no longer needed because the water vapor in the air provides the lubrication for the O-rings.

R8893 is right. There is nothing to convert, you simply fill the tank with compressed air (not canned air), and you're good to go.

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

Thanks for the feedback.

I was prepared to use the R-12 oil by injecting a small amount into the storage cylinder with a syringe. I figured the pressure from using the Robart hand pump would "force" the oil into the "O" rings and lubricate the piston(s).

If water vapor in the storage tank is sufficient to perform the same lubrication, than I'm good to go.

I'm missing the point regarding using foam rubber in the wheel wells. Is this due to the gear "banging" up when cycled? Wouldn't using a collar or inline restrictor slow the action down so as to not slam the wheels into the well?

Appreciate the help here, guys!

PM

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

The foam in the wheel wells is for the tire to push against when the gear is retracted. This prevents the gear leg from bouncing up and down in the wheel wells from engine vibration, which wears out the nylon guides.

RE: Rom Air Retracts
 

Understood.

Thanks, again!

PM