Step 3: Attaching the hinges
With the cowl trimmed/sanded to fit it is time to attach the hinges to the cowl. Countersink the holes in the cowl. Rough sand the rivet line on the inside of the cowl and also rough sand the side of the hinge that will face the cowl. This will give the epoxy/proseal something to adhere to.
Rivet all the hinge pieces to the cowl. When using epoxy/proseal, do your best to prevent it from oozing out on the eyelet side of the hinge. Any excess will only get in the way and have to be ground/cut away.
Now would also be a good time to cut-out the oil access door. You can't install the hinge pins without an access door (unless you did as mentioned earlier). The door you cut out will become the actual door, so do your best to cut straight. I used a hack-saw blade and a coping saw blade.
Update: The door I cutout was not satisfactory. I created a new oil door by laying up 5 layers of fiberglass on the inside of the top cowl over the oil door cutout and then trimmed to size. It came out REALLY nice. Don't kill yourself trying to make nice cuts, just cut out the hole and make a new door.
Clamp and drill the -5 hinge to the side of the top cowl (or bottom). Position the hinge 1/4" above/below the split line. This will mask the eyelets. Countersink and debur. Epoxy/rivet hinge to cowl.
Install the cowl on the airframe, top and bottom. Clamp/tape as necessay and drill the lower cowl to the other half of the hinge.
All of the hinges should now be installed. For the side hinges, drill a small hole in the firewall for the hinge pin to pass through. Create some sort of mechanism to hold the hinge in place when inserted. SJ recommends installing some brake line to help guide the hinge but it isn't necessary, you can just lean over the side and look up under the panel to put it in.
Lower cowl support
Now would also be a good time to install the lower cowl support per Van's plans. SJ instructions don't call for this but seems like a wise idea to install.
Rivet all the hinge pieces to the cowl. When using epoxy/proseal, do your best to prevent it from oozing out on the eyelet side of the hinge. Any excess will only get in the way and have to be ground/cut away.
Now would also be a good time to cut-out the oil access door. You can't install the hinge pins without an access door (unless you did as mentioned earlier). The door you cut out will become the actual door, so do your best to cut straight. I used a hack-saw blade and a coping saw blade.
Update: The door I cutout was not satisfactory. I created a new oil door by laying up 5 layers of fiberglass on the inside of the top cowl over the oil door cutout and then trimmed to size. It came out REALLY nice. Don't kill yourself trying to make nice cuts, just cut out the hole and make a new door.
Clamp and drill the -5 hinge to the side of the top cowl (or bottom). Position the hinge 1/4" above/below the split line. This will mask the eyelets. Countersink and debur. Epoxy/rivet hinge to cowl.
Install the cowl on the airframe, top and bottom. Clamp/tape as necessay and drill the lower cowl to the other half of the hinge.
All of the hinges should now be installed. For the side hinges, drill a small hole in the firewall for the hinge pin to pass through. Create some sort of mechanism to hold the hinge in place when inserted. SJ recommends installing some brake line to help guide the hinge but it isn't necessary, you can just lean over the side and look up under the panel to put it in.
Lower cowl support
Now would also be a good time to install the lower cowl support per Van's plans. SJ instructions don't call for this but seems like a wise idea to install.
1 Comments:
Hey Matthew,
Out of interest how are you going to access your hinge pins? James has you do the hole in the firewall and brake tube method but I wonder how realistic this is?
I cant see how you would ensure alignment of the brake tube and end of the hinge?
By Frank, at December 12, 2005 4:09 PM
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