This is the 8' long elevator pushrod. It goes from the bellcrank just aft of the baggage compartment to the elevator horn. Priming and painting the outside is easy...doing the inside is a bear. Interestingly, the inside of the pushrods is the only thing in the kit that Van's tells you to prime. It's uninspectable after you rivet on those end fittings, so corrosion would go undetected until something bad happened. It took a lot of that self-etching primer, sprayed and swirled around, to coat it.

A new addition to my shop: a little whiteboard with a to-do list, a to-fix list, a to-buy list, and a (growing) to-design list. It feels good to scratch items off the to-do list. The to-buy items don't really vanish...they just get transfered to my credit card statement.

The elevators are attached with AN3 bolts inserted through these rod end bearings. There is the oblibatory washer and nylock nut, too.

It's just a nightmare to get your fingers in there (at least if you intend to keep them for life) so someone came up with a clever scheme: a bent nail stuck in the bore of the bearing to help line things up. Once you have it all lined up, you stick in the bolt with some tool or another.

There are three bearings on each elevator. It's pretty much impossible to install the bolts without a helper unless you use the bent-nail trick. Of course, Avery will sell you a tool that is little more than a bent nail...but Home Depot is cheaper.

Now for the hard part...getting the bolt in there. The washer and nut aren't easy, either...they fall into the elevator. Having as strong magnet is a big help.

This one is ready to be tightened...which required a trip to my friend Bobby's toolbox. He's an A&P, and has the Snap-On salesman on his cell phone's speed dial. He lent me something I'd never heard of...a "dog bone" attachment. It's like a box end wrench about 2" long, that attaches to a 3/8" drive socket. It's an easy way to torque this thing. I ended up buying a couple ($20 each) since I figure I have a lot of use for them over the life of this airplane.

Emma was supervising throughout...nothing like having kids to teach you patience.