Finish Kit

Axle Shims, Wheels & Brakes installed ( 4 hrs )

Ground two 8" x 3/8" Bolts creating drift pins for Wing to Spar assembly (Sect 41-03, Step 1).  Rec'd Shims from Vans, so installed immediately to correct excessive toe-in.   Now measures 0 deg for RH, and 0.15 deg for LH -- both within max 0.25 deg specified.  Installed Wheels per 40-09 Step 1, following both Vans and Grove instructions.   Installed Brake Caliper Assl'y per Step 2 at 40-09.  Safety wired two Back Plate Bolts on each Caliper - my first time doing bolts.  You-Tube has many example videos that really helped.   Need Permatex #59214 high temp sealant for pipe elbow fittings (for brake lines)...so not added yet in photos.

Waiting for Shims....so created Drift Pins for later

Shims arrived...Yay 

 

RH Shim installed,  0 deg measured

LH Shim installed, 0.15 deg measured

Wheel Nut & cotter pin installed

Grove Brake Calipers

Installed;  prior safety wiring Back Plate nuts

Tah Dah !   Now on all 3 Wheels

Safety Wire for Back Plate Nuts

Finish Kit

Fuel Lines ( 3 hrs )

Built Left and Right Fuel Vent Lines (1/4") using new tools just rec'd from Aircraft Spruce:   Rolo-Flair Flaring Tool (37 deg) and Imperial 470FH Triple Head 180 Tubing Bender.  Practiced on some pieces, then followed Sect 41-10 Steps 1-6.  Also built Left and Right Fuel Lines for Tank to Fuselaage.  These are 3/8" dia with "S" bends  -- tough to get only 5/8" between bends, but managed.  These will be completed once I have Wings installed for final length & flare at inboard ends.

Finish Kit

Toe In of Main Axles  ( 3 hrs )

Per instructions Sect 40A-08,  Steps 1-3 measured Toe-In of Main Gear Axles.  Spec'd to be maximum 0.25 degrees (either toe in or toe out acceptable if less than 0.25 degrees).   I measured Left axle at 0.9 degrees, and Right at 0.56 degrees.  I used feeler gages to measure "Y", then converted to angle per provided chart.   Since both above 0.25 degrees I ordered Axle Shims U00013A (0.75 deg) and U00013B (0.50 deg) to change to only 0.15 deg on Left, and ~0 on Right.  These are pricey at $25 each...I was hoping I wouldn't need any.  Vans shipped Priority Mail - for extra $5 - so may arrive Saturday.   Meanwhile, worked on misc items - installed 2 Defog fans in Glare Shield per Sect 38-32 Steps 2.

challenging to determine gap, but feeler gages work well.

documented before and shims needed.

needed very short philips between Glare Shield and Canopy. 
Even socket wrench too "big", so used locking pliers taped
to avoid scratching paint or canopy

2 fans to keep Avionics cool and Defog canopy

Finish Kit

Nose Wheel Installed ( 5 hrs )

Installed Nose Fork and Nose Wheel/Tire assembly per Sect 40A-07 Steps 1-7.  Used engine hoist to lift fuselage higher to get supports underneath so clearance for mounting fork.   Tightened large 1 3/4" nut on Spindle , compressing belleville washers  - until met side pull of 26 lb specified.  Glad I purchased socket recently at $13, so didn't mess up nut with channel locks, etc).   Didn't need a breaker bar or long handle, since actual torque was moderate.   I did need to drill new #30 size holes at 90 deg to original for cotter pin to get the right position.  As the belleville washers are compressed by the nut, rotating the nut just a few degrees made a large difference in side pull.    Next, installed Matco wheel and axle - and torqued through bolt (this set up avoids Van's version with compromise between tight and too tight for tapered roller bearing).  Then attached Main Gear Leg Axles per Step 1 at Sect 40A-08.  The Brake Torque Plate was confusing to correctly identify correct 4 of 8 holes, but got it done too.  Next:  check toe-in or toe-out...maybe ready to mount Main tires.

full turn against stops

tah dah !

 

adapters: 3/8 to 1/2  &  1/2 to 3/4

Main Gear Axle with Brake Torque Plate

Old tennis ball protects ankles and legs until wheels installed

Finish Kit

Nose Gear Link Assembly ( 2 hrs )

Completed Nose Gear Link Assembly per Steps 1-6 at Sect 40A-05.  Most of time required to clean up extra powder coat at certain bearing faces, etc.  Fun putting together 4 Lord rubber mounts (originally for Mooney apparently ) along with variety bushings and misc hardware.  Add Nose Fork next - getting closer to having Fuselage on wheels.

Nose fork beside Gear Leg

Finish Kit

Nose Gear Install  ( 2 hrs )

Attached Nose Gear Leg to Engine Mount per Sect 40A-05 Steps 1-4.    Prepped variety pieces  so ready to complete assembly next.

Boxes in background are rubber isolators,
and blue axles are for Main Gear.

Finish Kit

LH Main Gear Mount ( 3 hrs )

Installed LH Main Gear Leg per Sect 40A-04.   Experience with RH Leg helped make this one a little easier to insert and align.  Still a tight fit.  Installing washers, nuts, tightening and then torquing all 8 various fasteners requires considerable time as each presented challenging access.  Toward end of session, I tightened nuts holding U1402 to Fuselage.  A few months ago during build of the Fuselage at Sect 29-03, Step 3 the instructions have builder "leave these loose for now".  So now was time to torque, along with all others in immediate area.   The aft two bolts use MS21083-N5 "shear" nuts.   These are thinner than AN365-524 nuts.   The thinner nuts save a few ounces for all 4, and are all that is needed for this shear joint.  But I applied std torque -- and stripped one.   I replaced with AN365-524 nut, which took full torque.  I will replace all 3 others as soon as I receive replacement AN365-524 nuts from Vans.

Overhead view of LH Main Gear Leg. 
Perspective makes exterior portion seem small, 

replaced thinner -N5 nut with AN365-524 Nut on
right.  Will replace other when more -524's received.

Finish Kit

Main Gear Leg - RH  ( 4 hrs )

Completed torquing LH Upper Gear Brace.   Then installed Main Gear Leg per Sect 40A-04 with Attachment Angle and Attachment Bar.  Lots of bolts with awkward or limited access...so time consuming.  Worst was the Main Gear was very tight fit into U1402 forward and aft edges ...but applied Boelube, and lots of rubber hammer blows, and eventually "walked" it up to alignment.  Didn't need the shims per Fig 3.

Sect 40A-04.   It's tighter space than appears in dwg.

RH Leg done.   Yet to remove temp leg on spar.

Finish Kit

Engine Mounts & Gear Brace ( 3 hrs )

Received replacement longer AN6-26A bolts from Vans for Engine Mount upper corners (see Dec 12 log).  Installed all 6 nuts and torqued.   Yay....2-3 threads showing each, so correct lengths.  Vans product support also confirmed these nylock nuts are A-OK since inside fuselage on firewall, not reverse as in RV-7 or -10 etc, so don't require all steel locknuts for heat exposure.   Installed Upper Gear Brace per Sect 40A-03, Step 9.   Some awkward reaches for nuts...but completed RH side.  LH side still needs tighten/torqueing.

Upper RH corner

Lower LH corner

RH Gear Brace 

RH Gear Brace.  Alum spacer fit
perfectly  between spar as bolt
ties FWD and AFT Spar sections

Washer wrench and Handee Clamp valuable
for reaching deep into narrow opening

Finish Kit

Priming Gear Attach Braces, etc ( 2 hrs )

Got to go flying Friday AND enjoy annual Christmas potluck lunch at airport...so no building but did make good progress refining Avionics Panel with Stein Air's Nick Millard. Today, back to buffing, cleaning w/ acetone, and priming with Napa 7220.  Got lucky weather was just warm enough to spray outdoors...probably last time until Spring thaw.  Ready to install Landing Gear.  Since "warm" weather, also quickly prepped and primed 2 Flap Pushrods and 2 Stk to Torque Tube Pushrods (ailerons)  - not in pics.

 

Finish Kit

Nose Wheel assembled ( 1 hr )

Assembled Matco Wheel and Axle for Nose Gear.  Prefer the sealed bearings, and bearing pre-loading for this unit vs std included in Van's kit.  Also, the Valve Stem clears supports even with the valve cap on.  The part numbers are shown in the blue sheet in pictures.

Parts list on blue sheet.  

Locking axle installed with pre-load on tapered bearings

Valve Stem side....

Finish Kit

Tires and Wheels  ( 4 hrs )

Trial fit Gear Attachment Braces - some effort required to get bolts to pass through multiple layers at Center Section of Spar.  Now I'm ready to begin mounting Main Gear Legs.    But 1st...a first for me...I assembled 3 inner tubes into tires and mounted on wheel hubs.  Completed 2 Main Wheel assemblies ( kinda fun packing grease into roller bearings) per Steps 1-8 at Sect 40A-03.   Using talc powder per instructions helps slip tubes inside and position correctly.  Multiple partial inflation cycles insures no wrinkles, too.  I did Mains first, since identical to instructions.  Next, I'll assemble the Nosewheel.  I've purchased the Matco Nosewheel & Axle per numerous builder recommendations for better valve stem clearance, and upgraded axle retention (deleted Vans wheel & axle from Finish Kit order).

tube inserted, ready to dissamble wheel

re-assembled and bolts torqued.   Valve stem lines up with
red dot on tire for best balance prior adding weights 

brake disc on inner side

two Main Wheels.  Next Nosewheel...

Matco Wheel and Axle