How do I get that rod end bolt onto the prop governor actuator?
 

Hi all,
Is there a 'trick' to attaching the control rod end to the prop governor actuator arm? (Hartzell governor) I am using Van's mounting bracket and control cable....According to the plans, I am to install the bolt with the head towards the governor...the bolt is too long to get between the actuator and governor body, no matter where the actuator is positioned in it's travel...
The governor, bracket, and control cable are in place on the engine.
I didnt think it was appropriate to dissassemble the actuator arm to get the bolt into place, so I thought I would ask those know better before I do something I regret.

Chris

Chris, no you do not need to diassemble the actuator arm. If the arm is clocked properly for your application, and the bolt won't fit, turn it around. The adage about all bolts being heads up and forward does not work in all scenarios. Just make sure you assemble it correctly with the proper washers and self-locking nut ( a high heat one is a good idea for this application).

Vic

I had the same problem
 

and turning the bolt around was not an option because the threaded end would interfere with the screws on the governor. What I did was remove the bolt that clamps the arm to the governor axle, then slide the arm aft juuuust a little bit enough to slide the bolt in place without completely removing the arm. slide the arm back, put the bolt back and you are done. The biggest PITA was saftety wiring that arm clamping bolt again with the engine and all the accesories mounted....

Hope this helps,

Marco

Hi Vic....
 

....kindly check your email...

Best,

Well, I took another try at it... and I re-read the instructions that came with the bracket (what? instructions?) Anyway, if I remove the bracket from the governor to get it out of the way, the bolt has enough clearance to be inserted into the rod end. However, it hits the boss on the governor that hold the rpm adjust.
The instructions ALSO say that I should loosen all of the mount screws on the governor front plate so that I can rotate the housing for clearance.
Fine. However, the instructions look like they are written for the MT governor, not the Hartzell, so I am not comfortable just jumping right in and rotating that housing.... isnt it aligned at a given angle? or is the housing position relative to the stops on the front plate not relevant? I will be calling Vans today to ask the same question.

So...is it OK to rotate that housing? or am I going to lose the calibration? (I know I will have to recalibrate the fine setting once the engine is running)

Thanks for any help....

Hartzell installation instructions
 

Chris,

We provided Vans installation instructions for our governor that are dependent on the aircraft model. It sounds like you are missing those instructions?

Please e-mail me directly at ldoud@hartzellprop.com so we can get you on the right path.

Les

What I ended up doing...
 

Les was kind enough to provide me with some additional instructions.
For those of you who follow, here is what I ended up doing:

Well,
I bought an S-1-10 Hartzell governor from Vans.
The instructions that came with the VA-153 Cable bracket looked like they were written for the MT governor, so I posted some questions here, and got some suggestions on how to install the bracket.
Long story short, they way my governor arrived, it was impossible to get the bearing/bolt onto the actuator arm as Vans drawings indicated.



No way that bolt is going in.

Here is the orientation of the governer actuator as recieved:


Notice that if the arm swings left, the bearing and bolt are going to strike that stop screw holder...

This is where the instructions come into play, they tell you to loosen the six cap screws so that you can rotate the governor head. Well, if you have never seen inside of a governor, you have to wonder...am I screwing up this thing's calibration?
The Hartzell folks (Thank you Les) were kind enough to send me some instructions on loosening these cap screws and installing the bracket.

I also called Hartzell technical support, and they were VERY helpful in talking me through this.

A couple of things to note:
The drawings will most likely NOT match the way your arm is positioned on your governor.
Rule 1:
The clock orientation of the arm can be changed. It will NOT mess up the governor's calibration.
Rule 2:
When you loosen those screws and rotate the head, you MIGHT dislodge the O-Ring on the governor head.
I did...I almost didn't notice it when I was about to tighten those screws back in. That would have been bad.
Rule 3:
The governor WILL NOT EXPLODE if you completely remove all six scews and gently remove the head to reseat and check that O-Ring.

This is what it looks like inside:



OK, the important things are:
1: If your control arm travel sweeps by the bosses that mount the stop screws like in the first picture, you will need to loosen the nut holding the arm down so that you can lift it on the shaft and rotate it so that it can travel fully without the rod end bearing/bolt hitting anything. See picture below...notice the arm has been relocated by about 90 degrees compared to the first picture above. Remember to re-torque that nut properly.
2: In order to orient the bracket correctly, it must be pointing towards your control cable. In my installation, the cable is coming into the governor from the left, and below by about 45 degrees. That large governor bolt at the rear in the picture below is at about the correct orientation if the governor is on the engine. So the arm is pointing at about 12 o-clock to get full travel from the control cable.
3: You will NOT be able to get the bolt and bearing on with the bracket in place, so temporarily attach it to see how everything works



If you leave the bracket off, you can get the bolt in....



Here is what the bracket looks like in place and configured so that everything clears, and the arm can move full travel freely. Note the bracket is pointing away from the large bolt on the governor. Also note that the control rod will be able to move full travel freely. (This control rod is a temporary rod used for fitting, it is NOT a control cable)



Here is is in place on the engine.
The rod is pointing down at about 45 degress.



Here is the control cable where it will be placed.



Note, I am going to have to attach the cable to the bracket, then the cable/ rod end to the governor actuator arm, THEN finally the bracket to the governor. Hartzell recommends the use of threadlocker primer, then Loctite 242 on those cap screws when they are reinserted .

Thats it. Hope this helps someone else.

Thank You
 

Thank You, Thank You, Chris Hepburn!

I am installing this Hartzell governor today and was pulling my hair out over the same situation as yours.

I followed your excellent instructions and pictures, and got it done in 10 minutes.

I will send Les an email to get the torque for the lever nut and the 6 housing screws, unless you have them?

You really saved my bacon, thanks again for taking the time to document your work in a quality manner.

See my reply on a related thread.

I have an MT governor and have the same issues - the bolt fouls whichever way you try.

Ended up reversing the lug that supports the cable and brought the cable on the outside - not through the bracket. Worked fine.

The old bracket was much better and this is just not up to Vans standard in any way.

Thanks Chris
 

Your pictures and explanation really helped out.
Just talked to Steve Reindel at Hartzell and he was kind enough to send the governor maintenance manual that has a parts diagram breakdown and all of the torque values.
The control shaft nut (S models only) 72-96 in lbs
The head to body cap screws 21-25 in lbs
I can forward the PDF manual to anyone who needs it. It's dated 12 January 2011. Vans "instructions" are dated 12-01.