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Nose strut assembly problem

dhmoose

Well Known Member
So I am about to put the -10 on the gear for the first time. In doing so, I follow the steps outlined on page 46-06. I place the four elastomers on the nose fork stem and slide the assembly into the engine mount. Easy enough....except, the outer rim/flange of the topmost elastomer is hitting the two steel support tubes of the engine mount. This interference won't allow the top elastomer to sit flush against the engine mount unless I put a little upward pressure on the nose wheel. In that case, the flange area bends a bit and I can seat the assembly. But, is permanently bending the flange and leaving a metal to metal contact a good idea? Do I remove a little of the flange in that area or are these elastomers sacred? Here's a pic of the interference. The photo was taken from the right side of the aircraft looking to the left side. The left side of the photo is aft. You can see the gap above the top elastomer. Thanks.

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Yup

I tried this morning, but Builder Support is out of the office until this afternoon. So, I figured I would try good ol' VAF. I'll let you know what Van's says this afternoon in case anyone else runs into this.
 
Do you have the spacers in there? As I recall they give you an extra spacer to use as the mounts compress over time.
 
Correct, but...

...the spacers go above the engine mount hole, not below where I need it to provide some space between the elastomer and the engine mount. I'm hoping that Vans says I can put a spacer or two between the top elastomer and the mount...as this would solve the problem. But again, the plans call for the spacers to be placed above the engine mount hole, not below. Good memory though!
 
I just checked mine and I "did" have the same problem as you, I didn't notice it until now:mad: and now the flange is bent to the shape of the mount :mad: I'd be interested what vans says but I am assuming they will say to relieve the interference I hope:D
 
I have the same interference on my mount, though perhaps not as severe as your photo shows. I decided not to worry after asking another builder about it as we were reassembling his airplane after paint. He said "what interference?", and so I showed him where his top donut was bent by the support tubes. I suspect a lot of flying airplanes share this condition.
 
Perhaps this is why vans providers extra spacers for "when the nose gear compresses after the engine is mounted". I wonder if this is the compression that is really happening?
 
I just walked out to the shop, and I have the same issue, though not as severe. It has been sitting on the gear for a while with the weight of the engine and bent the edge of the washer around the mount. Please post what they tell you
 
Vans response

Ok...based on the responses, it sounds like this is a relatively common issue. I spoke with Scott at Vans and he didn't sound like this issue has come up before. Nevertheless, he said his approach would be to relieve the interference by grinding away the flange of the top elastomer. So, I did just that. I marked the contacting areas and took the elastomer to the deburring wheel to create two V shaped notches. I didn't have to take too much away, maybe 3/8" and barely got into the donut portion of the rubber. I see no consequence of the notches and I also didn't find any other solution that made sense.

Regarding the spacers that have been mentioned, these spacers go above the engine mount portion of the nose fork bracket...not under it. So, whether you add the additional spacer or not, it doesn't change the interference issue.

Btw, for those with this condition, since the elastomers are always under compression (even in the neutral/passive/in flight position), I doubt there is any friction at the interference point since the elastomer and the engine don't move with respect to each other. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be addressed, but I would get more clarification from Vans.
 
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