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  #11  
Old 08-20-2008, 10:13 PM
Buzz Buzz is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Sutter Creek, Ca/Westover Field, Jackson, Ca
Posts: 16
Default brackets

Jed,,,so yea, bout ten years ago, the A&I found the same cracks on my 4 as you now have found on yours. At the time, mine was some ten years old with about 750 hours, a few hard landings and no grass. Van's said for $160, I could purchase the new and improved set of four brackets. They are indeed thicker and of an improved design. So I stacked two bales of straw under each wing and off came everything forward of the firewall. I drilled out the old and replaced with the new albeit adding a gusset in the horizontal plane to each side where the top longeron meets the angle that is on the top backside of the firewall. With ten years and some 600 hours since, there have been no more problems.

Christopher Dahl
#26
flyin n grinin for 20 years
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  #12  
Old 08-21-2008, 07:42 AM
Jedtek Jedtek is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: KCBG, MN
Posts: 24
Default RV-4 Safety Issue UPDATE

Well, I managed to get everything disconnected a few days ago and am today going to remove the engine and framework. Van's tell me I need the drawings to make this repair but they want $100 for them! I was wondering if anyone could possible send me a copy of the repair area? I'm not sure whether I need the updated construction manual page too? This is not going to be fun I'm sure but the alternative would have been far less fun and I thank my lucky stars for finding the failures just in time. I'll try to keep a photo record of my progress so it anyone needs them in the future, they will be available.

Thanks for all your input to this.
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KCBG

*Aero Designs Starlite
*0320 RV-4
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  #13  
Old 08-30-2008, 09:47 AM
smokyray's Avatar
smokyray smokyray is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: TX32
Posts: 1,891
Default Cracked up...

Jed,

The lower firewall cracks in the SS are fairly common on RV4's and not a show stopper (I have looked at ALOT of them). However comma, the support weldment cracks are. You have the early firewall supports which were way too thin. I built custom (very thick) ones when I built my -4 back in 95' and never had a problem.
There is hope, you can change them out with alot of drilling and riveting which you have obviously started. I used countersunk bolts through the fwd fuselage skin for the brackets with .040 doublers. My Rocket has .050 doublers along with railroad size mount brackets!

I can send you my drawings via FAX or I'll try to scan them and post here.

See Ya!

Smokey
HR2

Last edited by smokyray : 08-30-2008 at 09:49 AM.
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  #14  
Old 08-30-2008, 06:58 PM
John_RV4 John_RV4 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 250
Default would also like to see 'em.....

I'm going to do the two lower ones this winter. They both have cracks now. You can see the crack in the left one. The right one just looks like a little dirty line.

Anyway, I'd sure love to only do this once :-)

John
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  #15  
Old 08-30-2008, 08:24 PM
Jedtek Jedtek is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: KCBG, MN
Posts: 24
Default

Smokey! Thank you. I'd really like to see the drawings. I have however, got the new supports from Vans and am in the final stages of fitting them. It is a MAJOR job as a retro fit, the drilling of the new items is vital. I have spent four full days so far to get to the riveting stage. It's a job that takes some time but I am so fortunate to have found the problem in the first place! John, take a good look at the top mounts, mine were considerably worse than the lower ones.
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*Aero Designs Starlite
*0320 RV-4
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  #16  
Old 09-01-2008, 02:43 PM
John_RV4 John_RV4 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 250
Default tops are ok....

The top ones show no signs of any cracks. You've got me thinking though....
Maybe it's better to do each bracket as a separate session (mabye a couple of months apart). I'd rather not have the plane down too long if I can avoid it.....

John
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  #17  
Old 09-02-2008, 04:55 PM
Jedtek Jedtek is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: KCBG, MN
Posts: 24
Default RE: tops are ok....

John. You may be okay then. Apparently, the tops don't seem to be so much of a problem. My upper brackets were actually broken about the same as the lower ones but because of the weight of the engine, the cracks looked larger. It is quite an involved job to do these brackets. You have to take off the undercarriage/engine combination to do any of the four brackets, so I think it would be a good idea to do them all together. I have taken photos while doing the job so if I (or the photos) can be of any help, just let me know. I feel a lot happier knowing I have stronger mounts up front!
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*Aero Designs Starlite
*0320 RV-4
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  #18  
Old 09-03-2008, 09:44 AM
John_RV4 John_RV4 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 250
Default Need a plan...

I'm going to do my next oil change over at the shop and my A&P and I will start our plan for the brackets. Assuming we only do one......

It sounds like this:

1. support engine from hoist wings with jacks/stands
2. unbolt engine mount bolts
3. slide engine forward 6" or so
3. drill out rivets for bracket
4. remove old bracket
5. install new bracket match drill using old holes
6. rivet/bolt new bracket into place
7. Bolt engine back up, leaving out the 1 bolt for the new
bracket.
8. Use a center drill or bushing in the engine mount and
match drill into the new bracket.
9. Intall bolt in new bracket

Nothing to it :-)

It must be a bear to buck the rivets inside the fuse ? Did you consider removing the belly skin for access ?

Any great tips to make it all "easy".

Thanks

John
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  #19  
Old 09-04-2008, 07:25 PM
Jedtek Jedtek is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: KCBG, MN
Posts: 24
Default RE: Need a plan

Well John. You do make it sound easy! I can send you photos and a description by email if you would like. I would post them here but don't want to take up too much space! Just let me know.
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Jed Roberts-Lethaby
KCBG

*Aero Designs Starlite
*0320 RV-4
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  #20  
Old 09-05-2008, 08:04 AM
John_RV4 John_RV4 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 250
Default Easy...

Yes, everything is easy on the internet :-). I'd be more than happy to take any advice/pictures you might have. Maybe we can build up a knowledge base for this operation.

Thanks

John John_RV4@yahoo.com
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