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MD3614M Elevator Rod End Bearings

Blizzard

Active Member
The part starts in the nutplate hole normal but I can only get about a turn before it gets really tight even with lube on it. Finger tightening so far. Is this normal? Don't want to strip anything. This is the first rod end bearing I've installed and have no baseline of what's tight and what's "you're gonna screw it up tight!" Do I put a specialty wrench on it and turn thru the tightness or what? Any thoughts and tips are always appreciated

Thanks
 
I thought that might be the case. The nutplates all seem to have a slightly oblong shape to the hole. Figured the bolt, screw, etc would reshape it to keep it tight. Doesn't it loosen up though after the first time? Sounds like this is going take multiple loosening and tightening cycles during the assembly phase to get everything aligned just right.
 
Special tool

I made a PVC ?tool? for my -10 and -14 that i saw (latest) on the RV14 site. It?s a few pcs of PVC with a slot cut out that forms a ?T? handle wrench. Works great.


Search for ?Rod End Bearings - Elev & Rud?
 
I thought that might be the case. The nutplates all seem to have a slightly oblong shape to the hole. Figured the bolt, screw, etc would reshape it to keep it tight. Doesn't it loosen up though after the first time? Sounds like this is going take multiple loosening and tightening cycles during the assembly phase to get everything aligned just right.

It loosens up a little after the first cycle, but not as much as you'd think. Those nutplates will spring back to the oblong shape after you remove the stud quite a few times.

A quick way to make a tool for this is to take a short piece of 1" pvc pipe and run the end under hot water in the kitchen sink. Get it as hot as you can, then you can squeeze it into an oblong shape with a pair of vice grips. While still holding it squeezed, dunk it in cold water, and it will stay in that shape. you can then slip it over the bearing end and turn it with the vice grips on the the other end of the pipe without damaging the bearing
 
i found that if you grab it with a pair of Cleco pliers you can turn it easily without marking up the bearing.
 
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