Helpful assembly hint – Belcrank and rod end bearings

11 Apr 2004 Helpful assembly hint – Belcrank and rod end bearings

Very useful tip I just found on the Yahoo Groups RV4list:

I believe this has been written up many times before but for those of
you that haven’t gone down the path of trying to rig your ailerons and
stick alignment and perhaps have missed this, it is worth taking note.

The access to the bellcrank area in the wing is rather small. The plans
call for the installation of two 5702-75-60 teeny tiny spacer washers
between the rod ends and the bellcrank flanges W-17A. Almost impossible
to install without the following technique:

Take an AN3- long enough bolt. Cut off the head. Cut the shank to a
length equal to the rod end thickness, plus two times the thickness of
the two tiny washers, plus add about 5 thousands of an inch. At the risk
of doing math in public, I believe the rod end thickness measured 0.437″,
the washers are 0.053″ each. So the length should be 0.548″ long.
Slightly round off the ends of the bolt shank.

Place the short length of bolt through the rod end. Put a washer on the
top and bottom of the rod end. You can now hold the rod end assembly
with your forefinger and thumb. Insert the assembly between the
bellcrank flanges. Using the rod end, I find I can pull down on the
lower flange to separate the flanges slightly allowing the whole
assembly to slide into position. The slightly longer bolt shank will
snap into position when it is in alignment with the hole. Now insert the
permanent rod end bolt down through the hole in the flanges which will
push out the short section of bolt you used to hold things together.
Amazingly simple and saves your sanity at the same time. There are other
rod ends where the same technique works just as well. Good luck!

Tom Brown