PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-712

PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly

ISSUE 712

MARCH 2012
PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-712 - Page 9 of 32
14
PS 712
MAR 12
15
PS 712
MAR 12
well,
blow
me down!
you’re
anchored
and
tied down!
not much
you can
do to me,
windbag!
C
rews, your aircraft tie-down chains, NSN 1670-00-516-8405, need as much PM as your
bird if you’re going to keep your birds anchored.
If you treat chains like a pile of junk, that’s what they’ll become. And if a heavy
windstorm blows up like it did at Ft Hood in 1989, your bird could be tossed like a chef
salad if there are weak links in the chain.
When you’re not using the chains,
don’t pile them up. Instead, stretch them
out to prevent dirt buildup and to let
them dry quicker. Chains left in piles
rust faster, especially in rainy weather
as water and dirt easily collect in the
chain pile. Then you’ll have all the right
ingredients for corrosion. Check and
clean corrosion from chains like the tie-
down TM says.
Frequently
rotating
the
tie-down
chains you’re using extends their life and
use. Make sure the chain adjuster lock
mechanisms operate properly. Chains
that don’t fit properly or are not adjusted
right will not provide the right resistance
to strong winds. When you’re not using
the adjusters, store them in a safe place
to prevent damage from vehicles.
For all tie-down and mooring information, eyeball your bird’s -23 TM and TM 1-1500-
250-23,
Aviation Unit and Aviation Intermediate Maintenance for General Tie-Down
and Mooring On All Series Army Model AH-64, UH-60, CH-47, UH-1, AH-1 and OH-58
Helicopters.
If there are conflicts between your aircraft’s pub and the tie-down manual,
the tie-down TM takes precedence. Always use polyester rope. NSN 4020-01-318-5428 gets
3
/
8
-in rope, while NSN 4020-01-028-3843 gets
1
/
2
-in rope.
All Aircraft…
C
h
a
i
n
G
a
n
G
C
h
a
t
t
e
r
Secure all chain
adjusters
Don’t pile chains
W
ater is shortening the life of M230 machine gun recoil mechanisms. Water gets in the
recoil after the AH-64A/D is flown in wet weather and causes serious corrosion. But a bit
of PM can dry up moisture problems for the recoil.
After flying through the rain,
check inside the spring retaining
cap for standing water. If you find
any, mop it up with a clean cloth
and then blow dry inside the cap
with an air hose set to 30 psi. This
will keep water from seeping inside
the piston rod housing.
When
ASB
does
the
annual
maintenance on the M230, they
should replace all the O-rings and
wiper rings. Over time, both rings
become brittle or cracked and let
water leak inside the recoil.
Before reassembling the recoil,
they should lightly coat the recoil
spring, piston rod, sleeve spacer,
spring washers, the interior of the
spring retaining cap, and the interior
of the piston rod housing with
corrosion
preventive
compound,
This will keep the recoil in the
recoil assembly.
AH-64A/D
Aircraft…
Keeping the M230 Recoiling
Wipe out
spring
retaining
cap with
dry, clean
cloth
Replace all O-rings and
wiper rings during annual
maintenance
Lightly coat all recoil parts with
corrosion preventive compound
{
urrp!
}
this wet
weather is
giving my
recoil real
moisture
problems.
I’m
losing
my
spring.
712 14-15.indd
1-2
1/23/12
4:48 PM
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