What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Section 36 Brake Lines

Freightdawg

Well Known Member
I'm already off to a bad start, which is to say no start at all.

Step 1: enlarge the brake line exit hole in the bottom skin to 5/8 as called out in fig 1.

Glad that was already done before the gear mount was in place.

Step 2: Install the fitting...

But the fitting doesn't fit. Surely Vans didn't mean to enlarge the hole in the gear mount to 5/8 also. I'm guessing it needs to be enlarged to 7/16 since it's a -4D fitting(?)

Am I missing something?
 
Last edited:
I went back and read the instructions and looked at my pictures.

Yes, you have to enlarge the hole in the gear mount so the bulkhead fitting will slide through the two concentric holes. If it helps, measure the diameter of the bulkhead fitting to verify the needed hole size.
 
It took me a little while to figure out what they intended, at least on the RV-7A. The idea is that the bulkhead fitting sits on the landing gear mount. The hole in the bottom skin is just a clearance hole. On the 7A there is a gap between the bottom skin and the gear mount that is what had me confused.

I did eventually see the larger hole callout on the drawing for the 5/8" hole. I drilled one hole this way, but I had a issue where the hole in the bottom skin wasn't perfectly aligned with the hole in the gear mount.

I think the better way is to work up to the larger hole in the skin. Start with a hole that the bulkhead fitting can pass through then use a little (3/8") sanding drum on a dremel tool working up to a larger (1/2") drum to get the clearance that you need. This approach worked well for me. I assume I'll be filling around the fitting with sealant of some kind later on.

Hope this helps.
 
Back
Top