The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Gents,

I'm test fitting the empennage components before sending some donor parts to paint and I'm struggling. First off the 48 IPC doesn't show any rudder attach bolts (that I can see). The 170B shows AN4-11A bolts though the two Fafnir bearings.

In the 48 IPC item 20-69 is referred to as the rudder hinge with an oilite bearing and a bushing.
This is the one showing the bolts in the 170B IPC.
This is the question! Can anyone tell me what goes in here (through the oilite bearing and bushing)? I'm assuming an AN4 bolt (as the diameter is correct), but are there washers or just a stop nut?

Thanks,

Gareth.

I’m not a 48 savvy guy but the oil bearing goes in the hinge for that position. The forward portion of the hinge fits inside the yoke Of the rudder. Often the yoke has wallowed out. Are you missing the hinge portion?

See figure 20 Item 71 I think 170 IPC Is the forward portion of the hinge. There’s no washers in between the hinge a yoke. I thought it was an AN3 bolt.

c170b53 wrote:I’m not a 48 savvy guy but the oil bearing goes in the hinge for that position. The forward portion of the hinge fits inside the yoke Of the rudder. Often the yoke has wallowed out. Are you missing the hinge portion?

I have the hinge part and yoke and none of it looks too wallerd out. Just need the bolt spec

ok now I see there’s no mention of the bolt in the IPC. Its likely a An4 as you mention with a simple self locking nut (its in shear). I seem to remember to select a bolt as short as possible as the nut is difficult to thread from the bottom as the hinge has a lip which points down. At the same time it should have a grip length long enough to not squeeze the yoke. That bolt can be a bear as the alignment is based on shims under the hinge points.

I keep a 4 foot or so rod which I pass through the hinge points to check alignment before I try to mount rudders. Hopefully your bolts just drop in but Ive never had that happen.

c170b53 wrote:I keep a 4 foot or so rod which I pass through the hinge points to check alignment before I try to mount rudders. Hopefully your bolts just drop in but Ive never had that happen.

OK ... I have not yet snugged up the bolts on the fin as this is a test fit with brand new bolts and the parts have to come apart to go to paint yet. I'm hoping that once they are torqued in properly with appropriate shims that is going to help. At this stage the nose of the rudder (counter weight) is touching the top of the fin. I can get exactly one of the three bolts in place before I drop one. Once it actually went inside the rudder ... 20 minutes of my life I'm never getting back, shaking the b*st*rd 16 different directions to get the bolt to fall out!

I have retired for the evening with a beer (or two) and will recommence the battle tomorrow!

Yes , its (mounting the rudder) something you have to do to fully appreciate. With respect to the vertical plane, you should sight an even gap between the vertical stab trailing edge and rudder leading edge.Takes small fingers or thin needle nose pliers and you have to let a whole lot of choice words flow.

You might want to invest in a “Handee Clamp”, available on Amazon. Made in the USA as far as I can tell.

There is also mechanics flexible fingers. Some are rigid.

John

cessna170bdriver wrote:You might want to invest in a “Handee Clamp”, available on Amazon. Made in the USA as far as I can tell.

971D69B3-3A1E-4BC8-9DBE-7085FE30002C.jpeg

Cheers! Just put that on my aircraft spruce wishlist for the January order!

cessna170bdriver wrote:You might want to invest in a “Handee Clamp”, available on Amazon.

Thanks Miles, just in time. I was just going to order something similar from Aircraft Tool Supply but yours seems to have more capabilities.
.

Sorry guys, none of those things will help much. The bolts are in shear, its getting them in that’s tough they won’t just drop in. Once in the rudder just hangs on the hinges. You’re almost done but then you need to attach the nuts which takes patience until.....you drop something along the way and it promptly hides it’s self deep inside the rudder due the tail angle and guess what you’re doing next. But I guess I’m ruining the total experience here. Then again it might just be me and my aging pudgy fingers at fault.

I have a couple of those Handee Clamps and have given a few away to friends who are working mechanics. Work great for this job, hold the nut on the bottom and turn the bolt. Strong enough that you can tighten elastic stop nuts. To put the bolts in try the smallest needle nose Vise Grips you can find and clamp just above the threads.

Tim

Go to Harbor Freight and order the Jumbo Hemostats, both straight and curved. The curved work best on the rudder bolts. Clamp them on the shaft just below the head so you can put them above the hinge bearings and use one hand to wiggle the rudder while you push/pull the bolt down through the hole. On my rudder, I had to start with the middle hinge, then do the top, and last the bottom. Because my lower hinge point is not in exact alignment with the top two.

But the Hemostats have come in handy many times working on the plane.

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=hemostat%20clamp