This "highly recommended" mod is simplicity itself to install except for
what we colonials would refer to as typical English understatement, when the
procedure says to "remove the pin which locates into the friction plate"
without any suggestion as to how to accomplish this.
First, having assumed that a lack of guidance meant that the pin is easily
removed, I tried to grip the pin with my fingers. OK, so the pin fits a bit
snugly. Next I tried ordinary pliers. No success. Time to bring on the
heavy lifting equipment in the form of those old reliable Vice-Grip pliers.
Hmmm, that managed to damage the pin but it is still firmly in place.
Now it was time to get a bit clever, so I drilled a hole in the pin and
tapped it, put a stainless steel screw into the hole and pulled on it.
Nothing moved, so it was time to start using some brute force, a jack screw.
I fabricated a short tube that I put over the pin and used the screw to pull
the pin against closed end of the tube. The screw broke. OK, no problem,
just put a nut onto the screw to do the same thing. That pulled the
remaining length of the screw out of the hole, stripping the threads in the
pin which had still not moved one micron.
With nothing left on which to grip the pin I finally got smart and
fabricated a spacer to cover the pin.
These Mods are such fun!
Best regards,
Rob Housman
Irvine, CA
Europa XS Tri-Gear
A070
Airframe complete
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