Status Brantel #72823

JohnR · Post by **JohnR** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:39 pm

Brantel wrote:Been working on tons of little things. Got the fuel vent lines from tank to overflow port finished on both sides, control rods all made and installed, static system in, etc. Next will be the main fuel lines from tanks to boost pump then move on to building the canopy frame.

OH yea, I ORDERED MY FINISH KIT YESTURDAY!!!!

Way to go! You are making great progress. The Finish kit is fun to inventory as it has some cool parts in it. However after you put it all away you kind of wonder where all the money went. Not as many parts as some of the other kits or so it seemed to me.

Have fun!

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:28 am

Been working on the fuel and vent system the past few sessions:

Here is the fuel valve. The spacer dims that Vans gives you are too short. I had to add a washer also.

I put my vent lines closer to the outside skin than Van's shows. This hides them behind the bulkhead better but was also harder to bend.

I also mounted the static ports. The new ones stick out plenty from the side of the fuse.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:35 pm

Lookin' sweet Brian! Great job on the fuel lines...I screwed mine up twice, then decided to put in a union. Then I decided I didn't like the union, and ordered SS braided line to put in. You done good!

Bob Barrett · Post by **Bob Barrett** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:42 pm

I need to install my fuel selector valve on my my RV-6A but none of the directions for the 6A suggested installing it lower. It would make my life a lot simplier if I could do it that way. I reviewed my plans today again and nothing is said about using the spacers but it sure would be nice. That and finalizing the exhaust pipe support as they exit the cowl are my biggest items left. I am fiberglassing the windshield in place and need to seal up the cowling from pin holes. I hope to work on the exhaust and while waiting for fiberglass to harden and pin holes to seal. Any information you can give me on using spacers would be appreciated.

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:36 am

Spent Saturday finishing up stuff needed before I remove the wings.

Drilled the rear spar attach bolts !!!!!

but all is swell!

drill front tank bracket,

fit and drill wing root fairings,

trim left side flap slightly,

and doing those pain in the rear end flap pushrod holes (man these things stink to do!).

This week, the wings are comming off and I am going to do the fuel line area covers and get started on the canopy frame/roll bar.

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:00 am

Finished up the list of required items to do before removing the wings.

Removed the wings and got started on the roll bar/canopy frame. This thing is alot of work with all the heavy angle brackets to make and a bazillion holes to drill. I made me a template/spacer to drill all the holes. It had two holes 1-1/2" apart at the correct distance from the board I was using to hold it together. I drilled a starter hole clecoed the spacer to that hole, drilled the second hole, then move it down one and repeat till they are all drilled. Worked out well.

Mowing season is here so that cut into the build time on Saturday major. The first mowing of the season takes a long time with all the cleanup of dead wood, leaves etc. I also had to level out some high spots in the yard from the work that was done last year on our leach line. Hard work with a yard rake!........

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:23 am

Rollbar install complete. Now it is do piddly stuff while awaiting the finish kit mode.

I guess I could go ahead and rivet the aft most rear skin on, install my crotch strap kit.

May go ahead and order all the crap that goes on the firewall and get that out of the way as well.

Here is my list of stuff to mount to the firewall. Let me know if I missed anything. I am also installing nutplates on the firewall for everything I can.

heat air valve
starter sol
master sol
gascolator
battery box
sensor manifold
grounding block

I want to go ahead and get some firewall penetration ditties for the control cables.

I am planning a O-360, carburated, vertical induction, FP, Mag ignition, plain jane engine using Van's standard cable brackets.

Anyone have any plans that show where to make the firewall penetrations for the throttle, mixture, etc? I think the heat box controls from the inside correct? Are these details somewhere in the preview plans that I never look at?

Post by **bullojm1** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:09 am

Brian-

FYI - The heater box Van's sells is aluminum, which if there was a fire in the engine compartment, would melt quickly and leave a nice big hole for fire/smoke/death to come into the cockpit. Avery sells a stainless steel model that will hold up better:

http://www.averytools.com/pc-157-109-st ... -side.aspx

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:39 am

I like the 1B model from here better:

http://www.epm-avcorp.com/ssdiv.html

Because it does not require the cable to go thru the firewall.

Anyone else use this one or order from these people?

Post by **bullojm1** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:48 am

Cool deal! I am gonna get me one of d'em!

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:49 am

I just found out that these are also resold by ACS for $2 cheaper than direct.

Just click that request quote button....

Post by **bullojm1** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:21 am

Brantel wrote:I just found out that these are also resold by ACS for $2 cheaper than direct.

Cool deal dude - you saved me $10! I owe ya a beer!

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:26 am

Mike,

Ordered my heat selector from ACS on Wednesday, FEDEX ground delivered it yesturday and I installed it last night.

It is a quality piece. Comes with the hardware for the control cable, some fire proof sealant and no hardware to mount it.

Even thought it was easy to install, it took me some time to cut the hole, etc. I am also putting nutplates on everything I can on the firewall to make future maintenance issues easier to deal with.

I will have to get me some stainless bolts to replace the regular ones I used as a temporary last night.

Post by **bullojm1** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 10:58 am

Brian-

Thanks for the heads up! Sounds like a nice complete kit, other than the lack of stainless bolts. I just ordered up my firewall forward kit from Van's today, and will probably order up the vent early next week (along with a bazillion other things!).

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:16 am

Last week I finished up my roll bar...

I installed my stainless, operated from the inside heat selector.

I installed all the stuff for the static air. Yes CJ, I used the keeper rivets for my static line clips!

This weekend I climbed back in the tail cone and my uncle and I riveted the aft top skin on.

Then I installed these little pains in the rear. Do yourself a favor and do these while your building the front fuse prior to riveting it all together.

My cheap HF pop rivet gun bit the dust during the roll bar build so I had to buy another one. First thing I had to grind it down in order to rivet them pain in the rear angles on for the front centersection covers. It is a shame to grind on a brand new tool. This one costed about 3 times the HF price.

I had to remove my fuel valve to give it to a friend who was doing his post 40 hours inspection and broke his fuel valve trying to get the lever off of it. To keep him from being down a few extra days, I just gave him mine.

Whatever you do, do not pull up hard on this lever because it can and most likely will break the plastic inside where the pin goes thru the plastic cone and the shaft. This is a dangerous thing if this happens because it may leave you without being able to turn the cone inside or may wedge and jam it up.

Cleco pliers work great for getting this lever off when needed.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:38 pm

Looks great Brantel!

CJ

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:10 am

Spent the last two sessions putting in the crotch strap kit. I failed to install this when building the center section when I should have done it. Lessons learned! Did one side per evening. Pretty boring stuff but has to be done.

Man this little stuff is like when you build a house... It is like BOOM! there is a house under roof, then everything stops to a crawl as the million little details are worked on. That is the way I feel as I work on every sub kit.

I recieved all of my firewall accessories and ELT/Strobe mounts yesturday. Will be installing them next. Then it is on to what I can do for the front deck.

Anyone know if there is a good reason to leave the forward top aft skin off if you are going to Sikaflex?

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:41 am

Brantel wrote:Anyone know if there is a good reason to leave the forward top aft skin off if you are going to Sikaflex?

I'm wondering the same thing Brian. I can't think of a reason not to rivet it...however, I'm not yet decided on whether I will Sika the rear window in, or use screws. The canopy will be Sika'd, and the rear window will be Sika'd to the roll bar, but not sure on the window to skin seam.

BTW...what you using for an engine? I'd like to see a drawing or pic of your FW layout...

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:06 am

I know that as soon as I rivet that thing on, I will regret it for some reason but I am so tired of it being on and off and on and off, storing it and looking at that big hole thinking; sure would be nice to get that on for good.

I think I like the idea of sikaflexing the rear on as well because it gives a natural seal and there are no screws to deal with. I just don't know a good way to hold it up there till the glue sets and to keep even pressure on it.

I am going with the bone stock carburated, vertical induction, o-360, with mags and a FP prop (like the looks of the 3 blade Catto but that lead time is killer and the price seems to just keep going up). Plan on using as much of the Vans standards as possible so I can just use most of the firewall forward kit items. I am buying that kit a little at a time as I need the stuff and will delete everything later I already have.

That being said, I have used the stock location for the brake res., stock location for the heat box, stock location for the brake line bulkheads. Will be using the stock location for the battery box, master and starter relays. I will also be using the recommended firewall penetrations shown on the firewall drawing because I plan to use Van's cable brackets. In other words, I am doing nothing special and I hope to use as much of the VANS PLAN as possible to prevent extra work for myself and reduce cost. I am installing nutplates on everything where it is possible on the firewall to ease future maintenance issues.

I still need to order the large current limiting fuse blocks from B&C because I am installing one each of these on the alternator b lead and off the master to the main buss inside the plane. I can't stand the thought of having a large wire entering my cabin without some sort of current limiting device feeding it. I have not decided where to put these. Anyone got some pics or ideas on that?

RivetBangers.com

Status Brantel #72823

Re: Ordered Finish Kit!