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03-02-2010, 08:27 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Okemos, Michigan
Posts: 45
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Cowl Pins
Has anyone installed their cowl pins from inside the cockpit? I just ordered a cowl from Sam James for my 7a and he recommended installing the cowl pin from inside the cockpit to avoid an external cowl pin lock (looks bad) and to prevent the pin inadvertently backing out into the prop. Pictures would be great if you have any. Thanks!
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Steve Houghton
RV7a
Okemos, MI
N807SH
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03-02-2010, 08:34 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Dallas area
Posts: 10,768
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Dick Flunker inserts his pins from the back. They go into the air intake vents. Works well.
I have mine through the front with no "external locks". I used the original method show on Van's plans back in the 80s. The forward end of the pins snap into the inside cowling inlets. Never had one come out in 17 years.
__________________
Mel Asberry, DAR since the last century.
EAA Flight Advisor/Tech Counselor, Friend of the RV-1
Recipient of Tony Bingelis Award and Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
USAF Vet, High School E-LSA Project Mentor.
RV-6 Flying since 1993 (sold)
<rvmel(at)icloud.com>
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03-02-2010, 09:39 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: I live in on the Rosamond Skypark (CA) and am married to Victoria (Tuppergal).
Posts: 982
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A Lockheed Technical Fellow & Design Engineer friend of mine has his such that when you push on the front of the NACA vent, it pivots into the plane and you can reach in & pull the cowl pin. You'd never know from the outside that the NACA vent is spring-loaded  Rosie
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Paul A. "Rosie" Rosales
Rosamond Skypark (L00), CA
RV-6A, 4200+ hours since 7/4/2000
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03-03-2010, 03:09 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Olney, Texas
Posts: 143
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Pins
There is a gentleman (can't recall his name) that has a builders assistance shop at Lockhart,TX. He puts his pins inside the NACA vent also. Looks sharp
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Brent Colvin VAF#147
RV 7 0-360 CS Flying
Comm, Multi, Inst.
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03-03-2010, 04:32 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cartersville, Georgia KVPC
Posts: 945
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveHRV7
Has anyone installed their cowl pins from inside the cockpit? I just ordered a cowl from Sam James for my 7a and he recommended installing the cowl pin from inside the cockpit to avoid an external cowl pin lock (looks bad) and to prevent the pin inadvertently backing out into the prop. Pictures would be great if you have any. Thanks!
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Steve,
Danny King (here on the forums) has done this on his RV-8. Very slick, and he says it helps with re-installing the cowl as the lower cowl is the first engaged by the pins when they slide in from the rear. You can PM him here on the forums. I'm sure he can provide pictures and descriptions.
Best,
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Moose
VAF #136
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03-03-2010, 04:53 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,082
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Very Easy To Do
I had done this in my RV7 and found it to be much easier and cleaner than putting the pins in from the outside front then having to fabricate something that looked descent to cover it up. I showed what I had done to Mike Bullock and he did it as well and documented it on Rivetbangers here: http://www.rivetbangers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3072
Mike bent his guide tubes where mine were fairly straight. When you purchase the knobs, be sure there is plenty of material left in it to drill because you will be drilling past the screw hole to fit the hinge pin.
Doing this is so easy that everyone should be doing it.
__________________
Mike
JAMES AIRCRAFT.com
Flying - RV8 Hot Rod "Drone Killer"
Flying - RV8 "Look'n Good"
RV4 - FAST & FUN! Rebuilt, Flown, Sold
RV-7A Built, Flown, Sold
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03-03-2010, 11:28 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 937
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Yah Yah Good Stuff
I just did this a couple of weeks ago. Instead of drawer knobs like Mike Bullock used, I took a piece of 1/2" aluminum rod and cut it 1.5 inches long. Tapped #2-56 into the center to make a Tee-Handle on the end of the hinge pin. Used a 2-56 thread die to thread the hinge pin (hard stuff, use Boelube & go slow). I ordered thinwall stainless tubing with a 3/32 ID from McMaster Carr, and ran that from just forward of the firewall, aft to the rib adjacent the subpanel. It curves a little around the NACA vents, but no problem. Proseal was used to tack down the stainless tubing against the fuselage skin under the NACA duct. It IS IMPORTANT to have the aftmost eyelet on the cowl hinge be fastened to the lower cowl as mentioned previously. I also fabricated tiny brackets to guide the stainless tubing to point directly into that eyelet so minimal fiddling is required when pushing the pins in place.
Overall, it came out great and I am very happy with the result.
One "safety feature" of this design modification that might not be obvious is that you never fully remove the hinge pins (the front 10" stays engaged in the stainless tubing when "fully retracted", and they lay in your seat - so it would be almost impossible for you to "forget" to put them in. You know, like maybe you're putting your cowl back together and you just get the upper cowl camlocs on the firewall installed when your cellphone rings and you're called away for 25 minutes?
Let's see, hmm now, where was I? If your hinge pins are on the bench and normally install from the front it is ALMOST conceivable that you MIGHT forget to put them in on a really bad day.
I will post some photos of the final configuration when I get home tonight.
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Highest Regards,
Noah F, RV-7A
All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men? for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. -T.E. Lawrence
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03-03-2010, 02:55 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,351
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I put mine from outside (where VANs shows) and it gets covered by a nice fairing that I made from fiberglass. The piece is about 1.5 tall/wide and it wraps around the air inlet and goes back about 2.5"
Let me know if you can not visualize it and I will take a picture and will send it. I am pretty sure the same thing can be made from aluminum, though some metal shrinking/stretching will be needed to form it really nice can then polishing it would look sharp.
The issue I can foresee putting it from inside is user friendliness of it.
__________________
Mehrdad
N825SM RV7A - IO360M1B - SOLD
N825MS RV14A - IO390 - Flying
Dues paid
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03-03-2010, 03:19 PM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bavafa
The issue I can foresee putting it from inside is user friendliness of it.
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Seems like it would be fairly easy to me, just hang the lower half on the firewall like this photo (borrowed from RB link)
Then start the pin in the first eyelet, remember the bottom needs to have the first eyelet, see above post 7, set the top half on, and push the pin all the way in.
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
Last edited by Mike S : 03-03-2010 at 03:21 PM.
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03-03-2010, 03:25 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,351
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For a tightly fitted cowl, some times I need to push the two halves together with one hand and push the pin with the other. This is specially the case at the beginning, but it is not much of an issue. After all, we want to have some thing for our spouse to do, right?
__________________
Mehrdad
N825SM RV7A - IO360M1B - SOLD
N825MS RV14A - IO390 - Flying
Dues paid
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