Rudder Cable Guides

When I pulled the rivets on the rudder cable guides, I got three different results. The mandrel either pulled out completely leaving a hollow rivet, the mandrel pulled halfway and snapped off leaving up to a 3/8" stem or the mandrel pulled properly.

You might try knocking them out/through with a center punch first, but a dremel with a metal cutting wheel will remove the protruding stems on the exterior.

If you want them all to look the same after paint, put some JB weld (or epoxy/micro or proseal) into a syringe and fill the holes in the center.

I can't give you an explanation as to why, but I wouldn't worry about it.
It is just a cable guide under very low load so as long as it seems well secured it should be fine.
On any with protruding stems, use a small cut-off disk in a dremal to remove the protrusion and then grind it down flush to the rivet head. It will be undetectable when painted other than some will have holes in them.
You can fill the holes on the ones where they pulled out, with a small amount of sandable filler if you want them to all look the same. A lot of builders do this for all of the blind rivets anyway.

Thank you Kyle and Scott.

Are those standard in the -14 kit? Those look way better than what's on my -4. I might have to retrofit....

Those are standard on the 14 kit.

I also had a few that pulled all the way through. I added the rudder cable fairing set which covered the pull rivets. It gives a very nice, clean look with the fairings. The fairings were extremely easy to install. They can be ordered from Aircraft Spruce part number 12-00635.

The rivets I used were kit provided AACQ4-4. I spoke with Vans yesterday and while Eric said he had not heard of the mandrels pulling out, he said there is no issue. I pulled the protruding mandrels out and filled the holes with Alum-Fast H-455. It is an aluminium-filled epoxy putty.