Beringer brakes

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Includes: Highlander, Escapade, Summit and SuperSTOL.
AV8R Paul
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by AV8R Paul »

Please elaborate on why you have to replace your pads and rotors after 170 hrs.
The pads are getting thin. The one thing I don’t like about the Beringer, their pads are thin to start with. There is some groving on the pilots side pad (not real bad), but when I ordered, I just decided to order them. When I do the brake job I’ll look to see how bad they are, and decide then if I want to replace. The hazards of having owner a Rotax Engine. With Rotax. I learned if you think you might need a part, but are not sure, ask if they have the parts if they do order them because it might be a year before you can get them. Anyone need some Rotax Floats? I wasn’t sure if parts availability would be the same with Beringer.

And - when you adjusted the proportion valve initially, how close was it to max power available?
Good question, I really don’t know the answer to. I got them set to where I feel comfortable on landing and I left it alone.

When landing do you have enough grab to lock up and nose over?
If I really get on the breaks I could nose it over.
AV8R Paul
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BDA
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by BDA »

Beringer brake owners

I have talked to a couple superstol owners that have had incidents due to brakes being locked (one or both) on landing.
So I have been extremly wary of mine. When I installed the brakes and was moving the plane I had the right wheel lock up 3 different times.
I was told that it was my bleeding proceedure, so after bleeding from the top, I have not had a wheel lock up - until today.
I am in phase one, and have been doing alot of patern work, found a leak in the hyd brake line yesterday, so I went over all my fittings again and found one very loose, and several that were more loose than when I installed them this summer.

I have not used my parking brake - ever.
Sitting on the ramp today, the right wheel locked up.
I landed - all was fine, after a rest stop, I got back in and the wheel was locked.
I checked the parking brake knob, off.
The only way to release the wheel was to manually actuate the parking brake lever.

I have no doubt that this is operator error.
Loose fittings, air in the system, poor parking brake lever adjustment...
This is NOT a bash on Beringer.
BUT
as the weather cools down check your fittings, and fluid levels.
I consider myself very lucky this did not happen a few minutes earlier.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

Is the Beringer procedure to bleed from top down??...I have always bled my Cleveland’s from bottom up as I was told that’s the best way because air likes to go up.
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kenryan
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by kenryan »

Shawn,

You say the brakes locking is operator error. What could one do to cause the brakes to lock without mashing down on the pedals? I thought air in the system would make them mushy, not lock them up. What fluid did you end up using?
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BDA
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by BDA »

I believe the problem has to be in parking brake lever not staying in the “off” position.
But I have adjusted it 3 times, the adjustment screw is tight, I cant explain why it locks up.

The only change in my system was the leak.
SuperStol XL Alaskan With Titan 340
N331AK. Shawn Taplin
Wing extensions,Symetrical Airfoil tail ribs (NACA 21)
Mods in progress: Heavier struts, Double slotted flaps
Goal: 15mph no wind
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kenryan
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by kenryan »

I don't think just moving the parking brake lever locks the brakes. It just shuts closes off the brake line. So if the lever is moved when the brakes are off, it creates a condition where you have no brakes, not locked brakes. I'll double check mine today or tomorrow to confirm.

What fluid did you end up using?
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

Is it better to bleed Beringer from top down or bottom up?...what’s their procedure?
CanadianSheepHunter wrote:Is the Beringer procedure to bleed from top down??...I have always bled my Cleveland’s from bottom up as I was told that’s the best way because air likes to go up.
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danerazz
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by danerazz »

I have the matco brakes and parking brake valve. It has poppet-type valves, so if you move the lever to the “on” position you can then press on the pedals and it still applies brakes, but does not allow the pressure release.
Dane

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kenryan
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by kenryan »

danerazz wrote:I have the matco brakes and parking brake valve. It has poppet-type valves, so if you move the lever to the “on” position you can then press on the pedals and it still applies brakes, but does not allow the pressure release.
I sure am glad I followed this thread. Checked my Beringer parking brake today, and it behaves as Dane's Matco. I had made the erroneous assumption that it was just a double ball valve. I can now see how easily one can get into trouble if the valve is inadvertently closed. I'm adding a short piece of safety wire to my brake handle. That will allow me to quickly secure it in the open position and quickly unsecure it when I need to close it to lock the brakes.

As for Canadian Sheephunter's question about the Beringer procedure: they make a special cap for the reservoir that has a barbed hose fitting on it. Replace the regular cap with this one, connect a hose, run the hose to an overflow bottle and pump in the fluid from the bottom until you don't see any more bubbles. I had to do it twice, but since the second time no air has infiltrated.
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

kenryan wrote:
danerazz wrote:I have the matco brakes and parking brake valve. It has poppet-type valves, so if you move the lever to the “on” position you can then press on the pedals and it still applies brakes, but does not allow the pressure release.
I sure am glad I followed this thread. Checked my Beringer parking brake today, and it behaves as Dane's Matco. I had made the erroneous assumption that it was just a double ball valve. I can now see how easily one can get into trouble if the valve is inadvertently closed. I'm adding a short piece of safety wire to my brake handle. That will allow me to quickly secure it in the open position and quickly unsecure it when I need to close it to lock the brakes.

As for Canadian Sheephunter's question about the Beringer procedure: they make a special cap for the reservoir that has a barbed hose fitting on it. Replace the regular cap with this one, connect a hose, run the hose to an overflow bottle and pump in the fluid from the bottom until you don't see any more bubbles. I had to do it twice, but since the second time no air has infiltrated.
Thanks...where can i get that special cap for the reservoir does Just stock them?
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kenryan
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by kenryan »

I got my cap and pump bottle from Billy Payne.
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

kenryan wrote:I got my cap and pump bottle from Billy Payne.
Ok, good to know as I called Factory and they don’t have them, then I called Beringer USA but the tech I needed to talk to was not available and they are going to call me back.
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

This is important for anyone using Beringer. The pieces in this pic came with my kit and are for Matco. Today the factory is shipping be ones that have a slightly heavier plate where the brake cylinders attaches...these are for Beringer. When I ordered my Beringer kit from factory they didn’t include these. Apparently the thinner Matco ones if used with Beringer cylinders can/will bend. In my pic the holes are drilled on the wrong flat surface(they were drilled by the previous kit owner that I bought my kit from). The factory said the part that is bent like a rectangular U is not what the hole is drilled into, you Drill the flat piece that is welded to the bent U.
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

CanadianSheepHunter wrote:
kenryan wrote:I got my cap and pump bottle from Billy Payne.
Ok, good to know as I called Factory and they don’t have them, then I called Beringer USA but the tech I needed to talk to was not available and they are going to call me back.
Beringer called me back on page 110 of their online catalog www.beringer-aero.com top left is the bleeding pump kit WHICH INCLUDES the resvoir top with bleed adaptor installed.(they don’t mention this in the catalog). The part # is ONC01 and is top left on page 110. It costs $120 I think he said.
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CanadianSheepHunter
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Re: Beringer brakes

Post by CanadianSheepHunter »

CanadianSheepHunter wrote:
CanadianSheepHunter wrote:
kenryan wrote:I got my cap and pump bottle from Billy Payne.
Ok, good to know as I called Factory and they don’t have them, then I called Beringer USA but the tech I needed to talk to was not available and they are going to call me back.
Beringer called me back on page 110 of their online catalog http://www.beringer-aero.com top left is the bleeding pump kit WHICH INCLUDES the resvoir top with bleed adaptor installed.(they don’t mention this in the catalog). The part # is ONC01 and is top left on page 110. It costs $120 I think he said.
Forgot to attach screenshot pic of catalog
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