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Hidden Oil Door Latch

DakotaHawk

Well Known Member
I've been a member of VAF for about 15 years now. During that time, I've seen a LOT of posts and picked up a lot of good information.

Sometime in the past, I saw some posts about a hidden oil door latch. It was activated by a spring-loaded pull cable that was epoxied to the cowl top and accessed from the nose air opening. I can't find that post/thread now. Any help??? Pics? Website? Thanks!
 
I have done on both of my RVs and will look for a picture to see if I have one but it is rather simple to build, at least the way I have done it. A piece of push/pull cable and sleeve runs from the oil door to the Right side inlet which is epoxied to the top cowl. At the oil door, I used a piece of piano hinge that the cable runs thru it to keep it closed.

Here is a picture of my 14A and the oil door
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=139726&page=6
 
Better idea

I have a hidden latch operated by a cable in the right nose opening. I saw an even better method on an RV8 in Cal. The top 2/3 pushed IN to open and the bottom 1/3 held it shut with a magnet. If you forgot to close, air pressure would close it naturally.

Again:

A horizontal piano hinge about an inch up from the bottom.
Top portion pushes IN to open. Bottom portion rotates up.
Bottom fixed portion contains a magnet to secure.
 
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I've been a member of VAF for about 15 years now. During that time, I've seen a LOT of posts and picked up a lot of good information.

Sometime in the past, I saw some posts about a hidden oil door latch. It was activated by a spring-loaded pull cable that was epoxied to the cowl top and accessed from the nose air opening. I can't find that post/thread now. Any help??? Pics? Website? Thanks!

I wrote an article for KitPlanes a while back on how I did mine:
link

9725808505_0e5859e687_z.jpg


The rest of the photos documenting the process are on my flickr account and can be seen here.
 
Did mine with a piece of piano hinge. One half mounted to the door the other half mounted to the cowl. Hinge wire running through another short piece of hinge to guide it up to the cowl air entry. Put a small loop on the end by the air entry to grab it.
Pull the loop forward to pull the pin from the hinge allowing oil door to open. Using a hidden hinge that is spring loaded for oil door hinge.
Make the length of the pin long enough so when it?s pulled open the pin stays in the last loop of the piano hinge that?s glassed to the cowl but clears the piano hinge on the oil door.
Have a joggle in the hinge pin so it can?t be pulled to far. The joggle goes against a stop when pulled enough to open oil door.
 
Side effects

Did mine with a piece of piano hinge...

Mine is similar. Biggest down side is that you can't get access while the prop is turning. If I ever have to jump start through the oil door I plan on closing the door with duct tape.
 
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