rvmills
Well Known Member
Following a test flight after servicing the tailwheel on my RV-6, while taxiing in, I felt the left seat right rudder pedal mush forward with little effect on my right turn. Differential braking allowed completion of the taxi-in, albeit with some discomfort as to what was going on. Upon post-flight inspection, the left seat right rudder pedal was sitting about 30 degrees forward of the left rudder pedal, while the right seat rudder pedals were aligned evenly. A closer look from underneath revealed that the welds where the vertical rudder pedal tubes intersected the horizontal crossover tube had cracked at the aft (closest to the pilot) portion of the weld. Not pretty, and I felt very fortunate that it happened after turning off the runway, and not during takeoff or landing, which would have been very sporting, to say the least.
Called the buddy from whom I purchased the aircraft (and is a good source of gouge) and he said there is a Service Bulletin on the rudder pedals, and he had complied with the inspection portion, but had found no defects, pre-sale.
Took a look at SB 99-6-1, and my tears are classic examples of the specified failure. The permanent fix of welding finger patches (available free from Van's, per the SB) had not been completed in this case.
Called Van's today, and the Tech Advisor was very helpful. Since my welds had torn, my options are:
1. To order the finger patches, have a mechanic try to repair the welds and install the finger patches during the repair, or
2. Order new rudder pedal assemblies from Van's, which come with the finger patches pre-installed (sounds like they've done it that way since the SB came out in 99). Cost: $113 a pair.
I've gone with option 2, as paying a mech to weld will probably cost almost as much (and my welding experience is from HS metal shop, and I don't trust me on this critical piece of gear!).
Attached some pictures of the rudder positioning and the tears below, for the benefit of others, that might have older rudder pedals without the finger patches.
Big lesson learned for me on this...gotta look at and comply with all the SBs that may apply to my RV! Will be diligently doing that during the rudder pedal repair down time!
If anyone has experience, lessons learned or gotchas to beware of on removing and replacing the rudder pedal assemblies, any info would be most appreciated!
Cheers,
Bob
"Rocket" RV-6
N600SS
4SD
Here are the pics, painful to look at as they are:
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1678/14rudderscg4.jpg
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/4536/2ruddertearaq0.jpg
Called the buddy from whom I purchased the aircraft (and is a good source of gouge) and he said there is a Service Bulletin on the rudder pedals, and he had complied with the inspection portion, but had found no defects, pre-sale.
Took a look at SB 99-6-1, and my tears are classic examples of the specified failure. The permanent fix of welding finger patches (available free from Van's, per the SB) had not been completed in this case.
Called Van's today, and the Tech Advisor was very helpful. Since my welds had torn, my options are:
1. To order the finger patches, have a mechanic try to repair the welds and install the finger patches during the repair, or
2. Order new rudder pedal assemblies from Van's, which come with the finger patches pre-installed (sounds like they've done it that way since the SB came out in 99). Cost: $113 a pair.
I've gone with option 2, as paying a mech to weld will probably cost almost as much (and my welding experience is from HS metal shop, and I don't trust me on this critical piece of gear!).
Attached some pictures of the rudder positioning and the tears below, for the benefit of others, that might have older rudder pedals without the finger patches.
Big lesson learned for me on this...gotta look at and comply with all the SBs that may apply to my RV! Will be diligently doing that during the rudder pedal repair down time!
If anyone has experience, lessons learned or gotchas to beware of on removing and replacing the rudder pedal assemblies, any info would be most appreciated!
Cheers,
Bob
"Rocket" RV-6
N600SS
4SD
Here are the pics, painful to look at as they are:
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1678/14rudderscg4.jpg
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/4536/2ruddertearaq0.jpg
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