Electric Elevator Trim

April 2, 2010 – I’ve also been tackling the installation of the elevator trim module. The drawings give dimensions for the edge of the left bracket for the module, which attaches to the cover plate. I decided to use a method we use at work for locating and transferring holes to another part: using a template made of Lexan.

Disclaimer- The sharp-eyed among you may notice that it looks like some of these photos were taken after the fact. That is the case. I didn’t stop while I was working to document each step. I wish I had, I just got caught up in it.

I cut the Lexan to fit the panel cutout, as if it were the access panel. Drilled screw holes to hold it in place, then I drew the location lines for the left bracket per the drawing. When I clecoed the brackets and the servo to the Lexan, I checked the alignment of the servo to the cutout in the Lexan for the trim rod.

I’ve read about people finding the alignment off by as much as 3/16", but I found that I only needed to move the brackets a fraction of that; in fact I may have had that error in the width of my Sharpie line. So I match-drilled the Lexan to the rivet holes in the brackets.

I then transferred the Lexan template over the access panel, secured it in place, and drilled the six rivet holes.

I deburred and dimpled the access plate and the brackets, then treated, primed and riveted the brackets to the panel. Note that in the third photo, the rivets closest to the cutout are overdriven a bit. That allows room for the servo, since it comes very close to those rivets.

Below are views of the access panel with the servo clecoed in place.