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Heat Box Cable

cdeerinck

Well Known Member
Hoping someone can help me out here. I contacted the mothership, but didn't get any joy, and they suggested I search VAF, which I did, but again no answer.

Here is the situation: QB RV-8, with In-flight adjustable pedals, with a planned IO-360 layout. The heat valve vent hole in the firewall came pre-cut from Vans, and I am following the plans per drawing OP-34.

2rwm8e9.jpg


The blue line represents the recommended cable path, and the red X is where it would hit the F-801H-L-1 angle.

The two solutions I was given were:
1) Make the right bolt much longer with an aluminum tube to act as a stand off.
2) Rivet a tab onto the angle, and put the adel clamp there.

The standoff idea gives me concern when the cable will be pushed and pulled. Both solutions leave me with the cable starting to interfere with the rudder pedals.

I am a bit frustrated because this is all per the plans, and yet based on the reply from Vans, I feel like I am somehow unique here.

The best I can come up with is to drill out, and reverse the arm, shorten it, then run the cable from the other side, and put the adel clamp on the close screw. To make that work, I think I would need to drill the hole in the arm closer to the firewall, and loose some leverage, and make it more sensitive when I move the knob. Surely that isn't ideal.

How did you guys solve or avoid this problem?
 
I simply drilled a hole into the angle and inserted a grommet for the cable. The cable makes a loop downward along the firewall, then backwards through the left gear tower. The cable above the heater valve is for the parking brake.

 
I simply drilled a hole into the angle and inserted a grommet for the cable. The cable makes a loop downward along the firewall, then backwards through the left gear tower. The cable above the heater valve is for the parking brake.

SuperCubDriver -- That works! I was hoping to be told a hole would be ok. Turns out Vans sent me an email just moments ago saying the same thing.

Any pointers on where I can find info about a parking brake? I know many people consider them not useful, but I am not one of them. I have been in several situations where they would have made life much easier.
 
You can find many posts here about the parking brake. Just use the search function.

I installed the Matco Parking Brake valve, got it from AircraftSpruce, part no. 06-17200. Installed it in the center just below the forward baggage floor like most others did.

 
You can find many posts here about the parking brake. Just use the search function.

I did but all the pictures are no longer online of the bracket. You just provided the money shot. Thanks for helping me twice in one day. If we ever cross paths, I owe you one (or two)!
 
No problem.
One more point if you consider a similar parking valve installation: The valve is bolted to an aluminum angle, and the angle riveted to the vertical baggage wall, that way I can remove the baggage floor without touching the valve. However I have to remove one screw holding the cable to the angle close to the valve. Here I used a nutplate so things are easy in this case. The stiffener angle behind the valve is custom made - I just made the lower side wider for the cable mount hole.
 
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Park break

As to the park brake, I installed it and found it to be inadequate in situations where I really needed it.
Also it was a source of leaks that took a while to remedy.
I don't think I will put one on my next build (at least not that design)
Jim Frisbie
RV 9A 600+
 
Cable routing

I, too, drilled a hole in the angle where you have drawn a red "X", and routed the cable to/through my right gear tower, by 'snugging' it up under the horizontal angle seen in your photo. I could not find any of my own photos that depict this...sorry). My adel clamp is screwed to the bottom of the horizontal angle after slightly dimpling the angle to accept an AN507-, (or 509?) screw. This allows my baggage floor to sit flush on the support angle. I notched the lower, vertical section of the baggage compartment wall to allow access for the cable, and at the right side of the fuselage, it makes a sharp 90-degree bend and transitions to the top surface of the the side-skin longeron. I fashioned a hold-down clamp from a bit of piano hinge, and secured the cable onto the side-skin longeron. I'm pretty sure there was a hole already in the forward skin of the gear tower, and I only had to drill one more in the aft wall of the tower to install the push/pull handle. This routing keeps the cable tight against the firewall and right side of the compartment, and also above my rudder pedals (and size 14 feet)...which come very close to contacting the firewall.
I was concerned about having nuts/bolts/etc protruding inside my baggage compartment, as I was afraid luggage, bags, etc would be caught/torn on them, but I eventually gave up on keeping the compartment "sterile". I have not yet actually used my bag compartment to carry anything, so I can't comment on whether my concerns were warrented, but I don't think there'll be any issues.

This picture shows the "Hold-Down clamp" I fashioned from a piece of piano hinge. I screwed onto the top of the right-side longeron.

IMG_4985_zps8tioc8wa.jpg



IMG_4986_zpsdlnmrrnn.jpg
 
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