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Recommended upgrades to Vans supplied RV14 items

HAL Pilot

Well Known Member
Was thinking of starting a new thread of recommended upgrades.

First item purloined from a different thread.
Originally Posted by JDA_BTR View Post
And..... the elevator trim motor connector just didn't cut it. The one that snaps into the aft fuselage and takes the connector from the trim motor is just fine, potted and installed as directed. It is the connector further out that goes to the motor/sensor itself. It just hangs in space inside the elevator and doesn't stay together.

So I used the technique of each wire having a pin/socket from my avionics leftovers. The pin/socket is heat shrink covered, and the group of 5 such are covered together with heat shrink again. Won't be coming apart, works great, can live inside the elevator forever. Didn't want the full shell for both sides of a DB9.

I like the form factor of the micro-mini Molex connectors, but they are finicky.

I had already eliminated the one you describe but found the snap-in one to be just as problematic. It failed in flight at any speed over about 80 knots. I replaced it with a better connector (Deutsch DTM) - will be less convenient when I pull the elevator off to paint but zero issues since replacing. Van's seems to recognize the weakness of these connectors - I don't think they used any in the RV-12is and hopefully will eliminate them from the -14 over time. I have a few remaining (control sticks and connector in front of flap motor) but plan to replace them over time when I'm working in those areas.


https://deutschconnectorstore.com/product/deutsch-dtm-series-connector-kits/
 
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