First, Build a Shed

[Cherrybark]

Took five days (23 hours) to build and install the rudder pedals. This isn't a difficult job but I was fussy about friction in the inner bearings and repeatedly checked the assembly before matching drilling the pedals to the torque tube. Another of those jobs you need to get right the first time or time and money are going to be wasted ordering new parts.

It didn't help that I spent a couple of hours looking for the 2nd inboard torque tube bracket. Repeatedly opened every box, looked on every shelf, no joy. The drawing in the manual shows one set of pedals and it took an embarrassingly long time to realize a single inboard bracket supported both torque tubes.

At first the assembly didn't allow the mounting holes of the outboard brackets to center on the fuselage tube. It's not critical they be perfectly centered but I didn't want to have problems with the nut or torque wrench socket rubbing against a wall. Used a bench sander belt to remove about 1/4" material from the outboard ends of both rudder pedal assemblies to have the holes satisfactorily located. Clamps, measure, measure, measure, drill, whew!

Of course, after torquing down the brackets, there was friction on both outboard pedals. As with the control stick, I was willing to patiently work to reduce the friction now rather than have it bug me over the years. There is a nice thread in the forum with ideas on straightening the torque tube. But, with my modest shop, I went with shims. Ended up with single washers under both outboard mounting brackets. The mounting screws are long enough to have plenty of thread through the nyloc washers.

To figure out where the torque tube was dragging on the bearing, I colored each of the four bearings with a black marker, torqued the mounting bolts, and swung the outboard pedals back and forth 20-30 times to rub away the marker. Removing the assembly and looking at the bearings showed where the tubes were rubbing. Shimming the outboard brackets as a first step reduced much of the drag. Then it was repeated "painting", mounting and working the pedals to identify high spots and slowly eliminate friction on the outboard pedals.

Only a small amount of material was removed from each bracket. In some cases, a "shoe shine polishing" with a strip of 1/2" 150 grit sandpaper shaped a bearing for a better fit. Where the weld spots rubbed the outer bearings, the "drill press lathe" and sandpaper were used to round the nose of the bearing or the offending weld spot was smoothed with a Dremel sanding disc.

Finally the bearings and torque tubes were cleaned with alcohol, lightly greased and torqued into place with new nyloc nuts. Twenty three hours on one part of the assembly! But I will be pleased with the light controls for years to come.