Left side elevator removal

[Guest]

Hi all,

Has anyone had success removing the left hand side elevator and leaving the right side in place WITH the elevator cables still attached to the RH elevator?

This would allow the turnbuckles to remain in place and no need to re-saftey them.

Anyone ever done this?

Thanks, Dave R.

[3Dreaming]

Re: Left side elevator removal

No, unless it is a prewar without a trim tab in the elevator I'm not certain you can even get it out with out removing the right first. I have reinstalled without undoing the turnbuckles before, but it is not easy and requires help. You can get by with just undoing one though.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Left side elevator removal

You do NOT have to remove the safety or mess with the rigging if you remove an elevator pulley in the cockpit to put slack into the cables. Make sure you keep A LITTLE tension on the cables so they don't jump out of the grooves and inspect carefully when you re-assemble.

Hank

[astjp2]

Re: Left side elevator removal

Disconnect the springs at the pedals, then unhook the top cable, use a piece of safety wire to hold on to it, then undo the bottom.....again with the safety wire....

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Left side elevator removal

I thought we were talking about the elevator cables.

[astjp2]

Re: Left side elevator removal

I was, use the safety wire to keep the cables from falling in the fuselage.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Left side elevator removal

I'm missing something. Why disconnect the rudder springs at the pedals to secure the elevator cables? I just pulled the bolt from the elevator cable pulley and used a band to keep a little tension on the elevator cable and release the cables at the elevator horns (also tied back with some wire or cord to keep them from pulling inside the tail. Only tricky part was getting the trim cable off the pulley and getting the shaft out through the hole. I never touched the rudder cables.
It has been a while. Am I forgetting something?

Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Left side elevator removal

DON'T DROP THE TRIM CABLE IN THE FUSELAGE! Seems like it hung up on something the first time I did it, but I don't remember what.

[Scott]

Re: Left side elevator removal

You can leave the turnbuckle and the rest of the control system alone. Simply have someone pull or push on the control column, one cable will go slack and you can remove the clevis bolt at the elevator. Tie the cables to something so you don't need to fish them out of the fuselage ( though no biggie if you do.

[astjp2]

Re: Left side elevator removal

Sorry, was getting rudder cables mixed up with the elevator...

DON'T DROP THE TRIM CABLE IN THE FUSELAGE! Seems like it hung up on something the first time I did it, but I don't remember what.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Left side elevator removal

Had that happen before, especially where they run down the side of the seats in the cockpit!

[Guest]

Re: Left side elevator removal

thanks everyone

Dave R

[3Dreaming]

Re: Left side elevator removal

DON'T DROP THE TRIM CABLE IN THE FUSELAGE! Seems like it hung up on something the first time I did it, but I don't remember what.

You can't drop the trim cable in the fuselage. I wraps around the cross tube where the trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizers attach. There is also the phenolic guide there.