R44 Astro: super-stiff collective, no remedy?
Recently got assigned to a 1998 almost-run-out Astro, discovered the collective is really strange: before engine start, it almost wants to pop UP from the floor. After the rotor blades are turning, it is preloaded to the down position, to the point that in flight it is like weight-lifting to raise the lever for climb (20# pull?). Take your hand off without friction set and it moves most of the way to the floor in 1-2 seconds.
Robinson factory says "check the rigging." Naturally, we've done that. No change--and the stiff lever didn't change even when we recently installed a new transmission and rotor head, STILL unusually stiff.
No other Astro I've encountered is like this. Anybody know of a condition that induces this problem?