Flap Actuator Safety Wire

Drawing 33, Detail E I have drilled the safety wire hole in the end of the ES85615-157 actuator with no problem. What does the wire go through on the weldment end of the assembly? I can't tell from the print if it's through
the clevis bolt head or something else.

Thanks for the help.

Sam
QB in ABI

Okay, I'm gonna' answer my own question. Some folks on the other list didn't understand the print either, and at least one person used loctite on the rod-end with no safety wire. Well, I ended up emailing Van's support and they said: "We wrap it around the bolt, but anything that keeps the rod end
from rotating out of the actuator tube (if the jam nut is loose) will
work."
Yep, that's what the print "sort of" looks like.
So, there ya' go, in case you needed to know.

Sam

Drilling Hole

Sam,

How did you drill the safety wire hole and what size drill bit did you use. I am holding off on drilling this until I am sure I won't go through the lip of the actuator housing and still clear the lock nut.

Thanks,

Ron

a related question on the flap actuator safety wire

What is that safety wire supposed to prevent? The plans are not clear on what is safety wired to what. I drilled a hole through the thingy the rod end bearing is threaded onto, but not the shaft of the flap actuator...the former is aluminum, and the latter is steel. I was able to drill a hole through the aluminum, but the steel was very hard.

So: what gets safety wired to what? What are we trying to prevent the rotation of, and relative to what?

Thanks

Safety Wire

After speaking to Van's, it appears that the jam nut has not been tightened in some cases or has not been inspected periodicaly. If the jam nut comes loose the actuator rod will screw right of the rod end bearing. This is bad!!! You can use a perma-bond thread lock on the jam nut in lieu of the safety wire as some have done.

The plans show the saftey wire routing on the bottom left corner of the Electric Flap Installation Plan.

Ron

I saw the safety wire sketch in the corner of the drawing, but it looks like
a) it does not stop the jam nut from turning, because it doesn't go through the jam nut,
b) it's wrapped around the bolt to keep the actuator rod from turning too much
c) it does not tie the actuator rod to the rod end bearing.

I may have done this wrong...I'll post a photo when I get home.

Safety Wire

You are correct in that it is wrapped around the jam nut. A couple months ago the EAA magazine had an excellent article(with photos) on safety wire techniques. You might find that helpful.

flap actuator + safety wiring jamnut

On the jamnuts I have installed on flap actuators the hole was present. It went through from one flat to the next which caused the wire have a good position before beginning its short travel distance to the washer.
At the end of the tube there was a notch, and a washer with a little matching key which sat in the notch was placed below the jamnut. The key had a hole in it for safety wiring. The rodend was then installed. After the rodend had been adjusted for length, the jamnut was then tightened and safety wired to the key.

If the actuator you are using has no locking devise like the washer with the key which fits into a notch, I am not sure there is anything to safety your rodend to.

hope this has helped

Eileen

I drilled mine yesterday (used a #50 after breaking #s 51 and 52. One thing: I couldn't remove the rod end bearing at all. That's the way it came from Van's. Any chance they've already put some sort of Loctite in the threads?

Also, I just put the flap actuator rod in today. All is well. But, geez, there sure isn't much room between the 705 flange and the tube.



Is that the case with other folks' too? Has that caused any problem anywhere along the line. Gonne be fun getting a torque wrench on that bottom bolt. I have removable floors which is why the front isn't in there yet. Shouldn't be a problem on this (right) side but the left side I put on so that it slips under the bearing block and that bottom bolt is right on top of the floor. Interesting.