Page 32-05 step 2: I got stuck!

It may be overconfidence but after drilling the first bushing to 1/4", I got stuck in the second one: no way to get the bit out. I am afraid that twisting the bushing with pliers will scratch its surface. I may have to order a new bushing but before doing that I would like to ask for tips to get this *&#@ bit out of the bushing. It's also a good time for you guys who also got stuck to confess, you will feel better!

Drill a hole in a block of wood. The hole should be the same size as the OD of the bushing. Insert the bushing into the hole and clamp in a vise. Remove the drill bit.
If that does not work, you could try heating the bushing. Hopefully the bushing will expand faster than the drill bit.
If that does not work, try holding the bushing with an easy out. You risk damaging the bushing, but what do you have to lose?
If that does not work, well, I am out of ideas.
Joe Gores

WingedFrog said:

It may be overconfidence but after drilling the first bushing to 1/4", I got stuck in the second one: no way to get the bit out. I am afraid that twisting the bushing with pliers will scratch its surface. I may have to order a new bushing but before doing that I would like to ask for tips to get this *&#@ bit out of the bushing. It's also a good time for you guys who also got stuck to confess, you will feel better!

Click to expand...

The part is past recovery, you can recover the drill by grinding off the bushing until the metal will crack and then the drill will come out, it is likely bent just a little from the jam so check it before its next use.

This is one of the places where Van's tries to have us do a very important job in a less than proper way and you are lucky you got the failure mode that will cause you to do it right next time. The other failure mode is a poorly drilled hole that when tapped does not hold the rod end as it should and you have a control failure in flight, which may not be much fun.

Any machinist with the simplest of lathes can bore the hole as required and start the tap so that you get a correctly fabricated part that will properly take the rod end and be safe as designed. Most of us can find a fellow EAA member who has a lathe and can do this simple job correctly for you as it only takes about 10 minutes to do all four ends and it would be a good idea to do the bushings for the auto pilot at the same time so that all of your parts will be of good quality.

Yes I know this from having had a similar experience on my first RV-12 and I was fortunate to have a neighborer who told me of my sin and he did the lathe work for me.

Best regards,
Vern

Thanks guys, I used the heating method and it worked, freeing bushing and drill bit without major damage. I had a little gouging on the bushing that I partly removed with a scotchbrite pad. As it is the surface that moves against the sleeve I was a little concerned but looking at the inside of the sleeve, full of oxydation and a bit rough from manufacturing my concerns went away. VAN's does not even ask to do surface conditioning of the sleeve's inside which I did anyway. As the movement of the stick is very limited with light forces applied, I don't think that this link is under any stress which may explain the rusticity of its design.
Regarding Vern's comment, after looking at the function of the drilled conduit inside the bushing, I don't think that precision boring is critical as long as you can get the bolt through. There is no movement of the bolt inside the sleeve once it is secured with a nut.