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Pedal failure

C

Chasbo

I'm New Here
My RV-6 was completed 1992, not by me. Today on takeoff the left pedal failed where the vertical meets the pivot tube. Made for an interesting takeoff, and the landing more so (no left rudder, the left brake was dragging, and I had a crosswind from the left). I managed to get it down without any damage.

I didn't know what failed until inspection--I thought my tailwheel/control cable was stuck.

Two questions:
Is this an unusual failure?
What's it take to get the pedal out to repair and/or replace?
 
Did your RV6 have either of the service bulletins done? If not then the failure isn't the first, but if so then it is rare. Just for anyone else and future reference, when purchasing any RV6 with the floor mounted pedals it is IMPERATIVE to ensure the tubes have the gussets on them at the bottom attach points! This is a well known and well published service bulletin.

To fix you have a couple solutions. You can remove them and add the gussets (assuming they are missing), or remove them and put in the newer style overhead pedals. The overhead pedal installation isn't a 20 minute job, but it's not that terrible either. Whichever you choose, it isn't a horribly bad job.

Just my 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein
 
I found hairline cracks in the welds at the same joints in my top-mounted pedals after importing my finished-and-flying RV-6. Learned a fair bit about the backside of my panel while working the pedals out from under the dash so I could weld the gussets on them.

From memory, the pipes can fail where they are placed in compression. That means the aft side of the welds on the outer pedals, and the forward side of the welds on the inner pedals (on side-by-side RV's).
 
Chasbo said:
Two questions:
Is this an unusual failure?
What's it take to get the pedal out to repair and/or replace?
Click to expand...

Not an unusual failure. Aircraft have crashed due to this problem.

Removing the pedal assembly isn't hard.

1) Remove the brake cylinders and let them dangle in the footwells.
2) Disconnect the rudder cables.
3) Remove the 3 sets of bolts holding the pedals in place.
4) Remove the UHMW support that braces the pedals in the center.
5) Slide the petals as far aft as possible and as far to one side as possible.
6) Use the play on the other end of the pedal assembly to remove the UHMW block on that side.
7) Remove the other UHMW block and remove the pedal assembly.

30-45 minutes with your head in the footwell. A helper handing you tools and holding a light will help.

Reverse to reinstall.
 
Last edited:
I had the tabs welded to my pedals before I installed them but I am 99% sure Hudini could not remove the pedals without cutting the top tubes in half.
I resolved this is how I would remove them if it became necessary, and when I reinstall new pedals I would need to split the UHMW blocks at each end horizontally similarly to the centre support block.
I don't mean to disagree with Kyle, but on my -6 his approach will simply not work.
Good luck with your repair.
 
Doug said:
I had the tabs welded to my pedals before I installed them but I am 99% sure Hudini could not remove the pedals without cutting the top tubes in half.
I resolved this is how I would remove them if it became necessary, and when I reinstall new pedals I would need to split the UHMW blocks at each end horizontally similarly to the centre support block.
I don't mean to disagree with Kyle, but on my -6 his approach will simply not work.
Good luck with your repair.
Click to expand...

My RV-6 pedals were a bear to work with when I did the service bulletin, but they eventually came out in one piece. Required considerable thought, sweat, muscle cramps, and creative language....but they came out without cutting.

http://thervjournal.com/rudder_pedal_gussets.html

Yes, by all means, split the bearing blocks, makes re-installation an easy job. Insert a washer between the blocks to replace the saw kerf.
 
Thanks

Thanks everyone for the information. I made the mistake of not doing my research before purchase.

My pedals are of the floor mounted type. I'm not sure if Doug and Sam's comments were referring to the overhead type only. It will be a couple of days before I get to finding out for myself.

I emailed Vans to see if the gussets are still available.
 
Chasbo said:
Thanks everyone for the information. I made the mistake of not doing my research before purchase.

My pedals are of the floor mounted type. I'm not sure if Doug and Sam's comments were referring to the overhead type only. It will be a couple of days before I get to finding out for myself.

I emailed Vans to see if the gussets are still available.
Click to expand...


Charlie,

I was referring to overhead pedals. You might consider the conversion to overhead once you have everything apart.

Enjoy your new RV!
 
I second Sam's recommendation... If you're going to the effort of removing the floor-mounted pedals, consider converting to the overhead type. I suspect the effort to switch will likely be only marginally greater than the effort you'll go to re-installing the floor-mounted pedals. The factory could confirm that.

If the gussets aren't available, you can make your own from some steel plate. The dimensions/drawing in the Service Bulletin from Van's should be adequate for making something representative.
 
Mine was built in 92 as well. I bought it last year. Didn't know about the SB until after buying and found that it hadn't been done. Initial inspection looked okay but I called Van's and ordered the gussets anyway. They sent them right away but sent the ones for the overhead pedals even though I specifically asked for the floor mount parts. I didn't notice until I was ready to weld. So make sure you find the part number on their web site and use it when you order them.
One day I decided to really give them a good look. Got my head under the panel with a strong flash light and found cracks started on both left side pedals. By taking out the right stick and right side seat back it wasn't too hard to get to everything and get them out in an hour or so. And I'm 6'2", 215 and had room to lay pretty flat with my legs into the baggage compartment. Access wasn't as bad as I though it might be.
Once I got them out I found the right pedal was cracked both front and back and was just beginning to open up. Would have failed pretty soon. This airframe has over 2100 hours on it, so the welds held for quite a long time. At that point I found I had the wrong gussets to install but thanks to a some of my hangar neighbors I was able to get material and fabricate proper gussets and get them TIGed into place. Figured it was a good time to top off the reservoirs while the pedals were out of the way. Install also was pretty straight forward.
Good job on getting it back down okay with a broken pedal. CG
 
Converting to overhead pedals could be the best solution, BUT It is possible that the converstion to overhead pedals would be very difficult if the inlet air scoops are mounted to low. In the early days there was no real guidence where exactly to install the inlets and many were installed to close/low to the longeron not allowing the overhead pedals to fit. Before ordering the conversion kit best to measure and compare. Just saying. Larry
 
LARCO said:
Converting to overhead pedals could be the best solution, BUT It is possible that the converstion to overhead pedals would be very difficult if the inlet air scoops are mounted to low. In the early days there was no real guidence where exactly to install the inlets and many were installed to close/low to the longeron not allowing the overhead pedals to fit. Before ordering the conversion kit best to measure and compare. Just saying. Larry
Click to expand...

Very good advice here. Even with the newer RV-6 Kits, there is no mention of those inlets in the plans so they could end up just about anywhere.
 
pedals

My floor mounts broke last year on taxi subsequent to a half *** inspection on my part. Replaced with floor mounts from Vans. One day job. All good since.

I wouldn't do the extra work to switch to overhead pedals, but if you want to we have an extra set unused.

Parroting others; STAY ON TOP OF THE SERVICE BULLETINS

Cheers,
 
Chasbo,

My 1998-built RV-6 had this failure in 2008, 6 months after I purchased it. My pedals are the overhead variety, but FWIW, here's the thread from '08 where the VAF bros helped me git er dun...a couple photos too:

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=25871&highlight=overhead+rudder+pedal+failure

Happened turning off the runway at the home-drome (slow speed), and is how I became acquainted with the Van's SB program. A bit embarrassing as a guy with an aero background, but I was new to RVs and E-AB then, and this was my first RV repair. Crummy excuse for not knowing about RV SBs going in, but hopefully much water past the bow since then, and it was an important learning point...one I'm happy to share. My stack of applicable SBs (printed that day and updated as necessary) has long since been confirmed as complied with, or done.

I lost the wrestling match Sam won, and cut mine out, then did the split block method of reinstalling (learned here). The new overhead pedals come with the gussets installed...unsure if the floor-mounted versions do as well, but the Van's boyz will tell ya if you decide to replace vs repair.

Sounds like you did a good job of aviating! Best of luck with the repair!

Cheers,
Bob
 
Been a while since I got the pedals repaired. Thank you all for the help. I was able to get the gussets from Vans, and the installation was straightforward (but I did hire a guy smaller and more flexible than me to finish off the install). Anyway, it's done. Unfortunately, I've only had one flight since the repair (been almost four months waiting for the FAA to review my annual special issuance medical certificate submission). Still waiting in fact.
 
RV6 Rudder Pedal Failure today

Georgeous day to fly in Ontario today, until I landed in Parry Sound with a slight crosswind from the left and right rudder pedal was against the firewall and I was at serious risk of ground looping off the left side of the runway. Fortunately forcing the pedal as far forward as adrenalin permitted gave a bit of right turn and I did not wreck my new to me a year ago bird.

I thought cables had snagged, so removed rear bulkhead panels. All good back there. Then reached under the pilot side pedals and realized we had a broken weld.

Right side flight home (with no brakes) and now we fix the bird. . .
 
NoRVYet said:
Georgeous day to fly in Ontario today, until I landed in Parry Sound with a slight crosswind from the left and right rudder pedal was against the firewall and I was at serious risk of ground looping off the left side of the runway. Fortunately forcing the pedal as far forward as adrenalin permitted gave a bit of right turn and I did not wreck my new to me a year ago bird.

I thought cables had snagged, so removed rear bulkhead panels. All good back there. Then reached under the pilot side pedals and realized we had a broken weld.

Right side flight home (with no brakes) and now we fix the bird. . .
Click to expand...

I assume you didn't have the gussets installed. If so, how have so many years passed without compliance with that service bulletin?

Glad it all turned out ok.
 
Pedal removal

Just discovered my pedals had never been fixed. I couldn't get them out no matter what I did. Decided to cut the right side mounting block and that made it possible to get the blocks off and then the pedals could be snaked out. I cut the block between the front and back cross tube. I used a multitool and it was easy to cut. You want a shim between the block and the aluminum side skin so you don't cut that. Once the block was cut it was easy to get each piece off the tube end and snake them out. One went out left and the other out right. Not sure why but they didn't want to both come out the same side.

Dave
 
malware ??

one of the links in this thread. or a link to a link in this thread, locked up my computer. had to enter safe mode and run a repair program to get working again.

4:45 pm 24jan 2017
 
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