TCONROY
Well Known Member
I hope I can save others some trouble by detailing my experience mounting the elevator pushrods and control stick weldments.
After clamping the elevators in the neutral position, I positioned the large pushrod in place with the elevator bell-crank in the straight up/down orientation (per the plans). I next connected the smaller pushrod to the bottom of the bell-crank and to the control stick weldment. I then adjusted the smaller pushrod so the sticks were perfectly vertical (0 degree angle) with the elevator in the neutral position.
The Problem: I had to unscrew the rod-end bearings on the smaller pushrod beyond the halfway distance on the rod to get the sticks at the 0 degree angle. Elevator travel was also being limited. I could go all the way to the elevator down stop, but not the up stop. As the bottom of the weldment moved forward (sticks back), the rod-end bearing was hitting the steel weldment as it rotated. I couldn't make sense of it. I had the prescribed elevator travel called out in the plans.
Was the weldment manufactured incorrectly? Were the sticks supposed to be somewhere other than straight up with the elevators neutral? Why was my small pushrod so much longer than the plans stated (1" with he rod-ends screwed out)?
I called Van's to discuss the issue and Gus kindly pointed me to DWG 32 which shows a side-view of the RV-7 with the controls in neutral position. Notice the sticks are tilted forward appox 10 degrees!! It was a brief epiphany!
The Solution: I screwed in the rod-end bearings on the small pushrod so they were at least half-way on and then re-installed it. That gave me a 7 degree forward tilt on the sticks. I went a little further with the rod-ends just to be safe and got a 9 degree tilt.
1. I'm surprised the instructions don't indicate a forward tilt of the sticks when installing.
2. I'm surprised the sticks are tilted forward in the neutral position.
Anyone else run into this? What degree are your sticks tilted forward?
After clamping the elevators in the neutral position, I positioned the large pushrod in place with the elevator bell-crank in the straight up/down orientation (per the plans). I next connected the smaller pushrod to the bottom of the bell-crank and to the control stick weldment. I then adjusted the smaller pushrod so the sticks were perfectly vertical (0 degree angle) with the elevator in the neutral position.
The Problem: I had to unscrew the rod-end bearings on the smaller pushrod beyond the halfway distance on the rod to get the sticks at the 0 degree angle. Elevator travel was also being limited. I could go all the way to the elevator down stop, but not the up stop. As the bottom of the weldment moved forward (sticks back), the rod-end bearing was hitting the steel weldment as it rotated. I couldn't make sense of it. I had the prescribed elevator travel called out in the plans.
Was the weldment manufactured incorrectly? Were the sticks supposed to be somewhere other than straight up with the elevators neutral? Why was my small pushrod so much longer than the plans stated (1" with he rod-ends screwed out)?
I called Van's to discuss the issue and Gus kindly pointed me to DWG 32 which shows a side-view of the RV-7 with the controls in neutral position. Notice the sticks are tilted forward appox 10 degrees!! It was a brief epiphany!
The Solution: I screwed in the rod-end bearings on the small pushrod so they were at least half-way on and then re-installed it. That gave me a 7 degree forward tilt on the sticks. I went a little further with the rod-ends just to be safe and got a 9 degree tilt.
1. I'm surprised the instructions don't indicate a forward tilt of the sticks when installing.
2. I'm surprised the sticks are tilted forward in the neutral position.
Anyone else run into this? What degree are your sticks tilted forward?
