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Fun with part numbers

One of the more interesting aspects of owning a vintage aircraft (and probably a vintage vehicle of any type) is dealing with part numbers. As time goes by, part numbers can change, or some parts will become unavailable and be superseded by a newer part with a different number. I've been experiencing this with the nose wheel for my plane.

As I described in an earlier post, the wheel that Preston ordered is the wrong size. I got some more information, including the part number that was ordered, I've been doing some research online, and I've engaged the Beech Aero Club brain trust. Here's what I've been able to figure out.

First of all, I've been going through the Cleveland product catalog that I've found online in PDF form. It's an older catalog, from 2014, but I think the data is current. Based on that catalog, the part number that Preston was given, and which he ordered, is indeed for a 5-inch diameter wheel. Interestingly, according to the application table in the product catalog, that wheel is actually for a Bell helicopter! I don't know why Preston was given that part number but it's clearly wrong.

I've also found what I think is the correct part number for the nose wheel assembly for my plane. It includes all of the necessary parts including the wheel halves, bearings, seals, bolts, etc. However, I wasn't able to find any used ones at the usual places. This is where my dues to the BAC will likely pay off in spades once again.

The nose wheel and main gear wheels are the same, except that the main gear wheels have brake rotors attached to them. The rotor is just another part, and the nose wheel has an extra washer on the bolt in place of the rotor. This means that a main wheel should be just fine and provide at least the replacement wheel half. Or we could use the entire wheel and just replace the rotor with washers. There appear to be several of these available used at relatively reasonable prices. I figured that this was likely possible, but a response to my inquiry on the BAC forum confirmed it.

I've sent this information off to the shop. I may call them later today to confirm it. If they're good with it, hopefully we can get a proper replacement wheel and get my plane back in the air within a couple weeks, maybe less (depending on the weather, of course).

Regarding the incorrect part number, I don't know exactly who gave him that number but I think it was provided by Cessna. I don't know why they wouldn't be talking with Beechcraft, or Textron itself, but Cleveland wheels are used on both Cessna and Beechcraft planes so it's possible that Textron decided to have all wheel-related business go through Cessna to simplify matters. In fact, of the five wheels I found at Texas Air Salvage, a couple came off Cessnas, while the rest came off Musketeers and Sundowners.

What's also confusing is that the Cleveland part number for the wheel assembly is different from the equivalent number in the IPC. However, individual part numbers, such as for the wheel halves, are the same. So it could be that someone looked up what the equivalent Cleveland part number for the assembly is and either misread something, or they have incorrect data.

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